Please be my nightingale (Camren)

Part 1

TRIGGER WARNING FOR PART 1
1.

"Go run and cut yourself, you fat bitch!"

My breathing increases, my heart hurts, but I refuse to cry. I grab my belongings in a hurry, hear one last try of my best friend Normani to hold me back and exit the classroom. Running to the one and only escape I can find in this buidling.

My breathing calms down again as I recognize to only take one more turn to see the big, familiar oak door, which creaks when you open it. You can't say you open the door. No one can. The door is way too old to be able to open it further as a half turn. For me, it's a fight to open it.Every single time. I'm not weak, but I can barely open the door wide enough so that I can slip in.

One last step and I begin to push the door open. I slip in and am immediately calming down by the smell of old books.

The library.

Relieved that the librarian isn't sitting on her chair in the entrance, I walk to my favorite spot. My hiding spot. It's not really hidden though. Just the part of genre that no one except me likes to read.

Fairytales

I happen to believe that some of it really exists. Maybe so that I can think of something better than this world and its society. But my mom always told me I had a great fantasy and soft spot for day dreaming.

The cold leather of the big reading chair welcomes me as I let myself fall into it and bury my face in my hands, sobbing silently to myself.

I almost shriek as I feel a soft, warm hand on my back. I would have,but I noticed the smell I know too well.

A sigh "Honey, what are doing here?", a warm, female voice asks me.I shrug. I have too much respect to snap at her that I'm in the library and came to read. But she knows better than I am that this excuse isn't working anymore. The library is like my second home.

She sits down next to me, her hand still resting on my back. "The bullies again?", she whispers. I nod.

"Did Normani defend you this time?"

I shake my head "Couldn't..I ran out the door.."

Another sigh "Someday you have to tell your mother, you know..Maybe I should have done it way earlier.."

"No!",I say a bit too loud "Please, Mrs Kordei...she can't know. I don't want to bother her and it's not that bad that I can't handle it anymore..."

I should maybe explain what's going on. Mani is my best friend. My only friend. She sticks by my side no matter what. And since her mother, Mrs. Kordei, told her that I was being bullied and nearly leave the library. That's when Mani started to defend me. Not that it would change a thing, but I appreciate it of course. We grew up together and our moms are friends as well. Mrs. Kordei defends me as well when I forget that I have classes when I still read and my teachers come looking for me.

It's just that I love to read. It's my way of escaping and drowning into another world. It's not my fault that you can't hear the bell in this part of  the school though.

"I will leave you alone now. Do you want to come over after school? I can cook us something nice"

I almost start to cry again. That's the kind of mom I want to have as well. I can't remember the last time my mom was at home nor cooked a meal for me.

I nod before Mrs. Kordei leaves me with my books.

Halfway through the book and the race to find the princess to bring her back to her kingdom,  someone picks my shoulder, sits down next to me and steals my book.

"Here you are", Normani chuckles. She reads the last sentences I read before and closes the book.

"Do you think they'll ever stop?"

"Stop looking for the princess? Never! Her parents love her and she's going to be the next queen of their kingdom. As well as--"

She interrupts me by playfully hitting me with the book "Not the story you dummy...will they ever stop bullying you?"

I shrug "Don't think so..why should they?"

"Because not one thing is right what they say and it's mean!"

I shrug again. "You don't believe what they say, do you?"

"Your mom invited me for lunch", I try to change the subject. Even though Mani is my one and only true friend, she doens't know my darkest secrets or thoughts.

"Laureeen,don't try to change the subject...." Her smile drops as she turns her body to look at me. "You already started to believe them..",she mumbles. 

I stay silent, grab the book and get up to walk to my last class.