Living While Dead

Chapter 2: The Secret Pact

I stood up, blood trickling down my legs and a few drops making it to the floor as I walked out of the stall.  

"h-hello?" I called.  

The girl stopped crying.  

"please come out...I-I saw the blood...please come out?"  

After a moment I heard the sound of the lock sliding.  

The stall door cracked open. 

Ryder peeked out, took a deep breath and walked out.  

She stopped a couple feet away from me and we stared at each other for a bit.  

She had taken her shirt off so she was just in her bra and jeans.  

Her ribs poked through and I could've counted them easily.  

Her sides and abdomen was sliced open and the bright red blood stood out against her almost pure white torso.  

The blood streamed down slowly and started staining the waistband of her jeans.  

I could feel her staring at my bloodied legs.  

I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and I could tell Ryder felt the same.  

"how long?" my voice was a hoarse whisper.  

"just over a year..." she replied just as quiet. "you?"  

"same." it was awkward for a long minute.  

"I've never told anyone..." her voice was shaky. "can you keep my secret?"  

"you can trust me...as long as you keep my secret." I replied. "let's make a pact." 

"we will never ever tell anyone about our self-harm." she said.  

"or overdosing." I said, thinking of the 6 ibuprofen I took that morning.  

"or being suicidal." she said. I nodded.  

She stuck her hand out and we shook on it.  

Then I realized my hands had a bit of blood on them.  

I turned to wash them off and then started on my legs which had started to dry.  

We quickly washed the blood off and I carefully pulled my jeans on as Ryder put her shirt back on.  

I sighed.  

"I really do not want to go back to class." I admitted, sitting down with my back against a wall.  

"neither do I...don't want to face those bitches. Not today..." Ryder slid down the wall next to me.  

"what happened?"  

"ugh." She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "they pressured me into telling the name of a guy I thought was hot. Then they practically screamed it to the entire class. Some of the girls started texting other people. Then the guy who I said was hot texted Marlay a message for me. He said he was to amazing for a ugly transgender slut."  

"who?"  

"Jake."  

"he's a egocentric jerk and a player with personality issues. He's screwed all the cheerleaders. He's the slut, not you." I said.  

"still attractive..." Ryder mumbled.  

"girl! No. Just no." I playfully slapped her arm.  

"owie." she said, imitating a three year old. "dat hurt." we burst out giggling.  

"where do you live?" I asked. "maybe we can hang out later."  we seemed to be friends, don't think shed drop me for Marlay's group again.

Ryder looked down, hands fidgeting.  

"my parents don't like it when I have friends over."  she said quickly, shook me off and left.  

I glanced in the mirror as I left the bathroom and saw a hand shaped bruise starting to form.  

How anyone would be stupid enough to believe I slapped Ansley was stupid. She didn't have a single mark yet I had a hand shaped bruise. Nice.

as I left the bathroom, I thought about Ryder.

there was something fishy about her answer...