Why Me?

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It took a while to finally get out of my bed. Dad got drunk and beat me almost senseless, again. My whole body feels so sore and stiff, but I can’t miss too much school. If I’m able to move, then I should be able to go to school. My absent days are for the times when my body has too much. I get into the shower and wash my sore, bruised body gently but thoroughly. The hot water relaxes my muscles and now I feel better, a little. I get out of the shower and go to my closet. Like usual, I pick up some black sweats, a grey tank top, my brother’s white sweatshirt, some underwear and grey flip flops. My brother always leaves some clothes behind after a visit. Sometimes I think he does it on purpose because I love to wear his, or my sister’s, big shirts or whatever. I put on some make-up to cover the bruises that are visible, which is only a red-ish purple mark on my face. Satisfied that my bruises don’t show, I put my hair in a loose ponytail and leave my room.

I go downstairs and walk into the kitchen to grab some Tylenol, a piece of bread and a water bottle. An apple is too much work and will waste my energy that I need for school. I swallowed the pills and rushed out the door, and got into my car and then drove to the school.

When I get to school, there is a big crowd in the parking lot, surrounding a car. I park in an empty space and look over at the crowd to figure out what was going on. I gave up because they weren’t moving, just stuck in place. I get out of the car when my group comes up to me.

“Hey guys,” I said giving them a small smile. I sighed in relief when I didn’t see Evelyn among them.

“Hey Aab! Do you see the crowd?” Penelope asked.

“Uhh, no, I don’t see that big crowd of people. Penny, seriously?” I said, sometimes she can be slow, but we all still love her.

“Oh, sorry,” she said blushing slightly and giggling to herself.

“Anyway, what’s up with the crowd? Do you guys know what’s going on?” I asked them.

“Oh, well, our little like buddies that ate with us yesterday? Yea, they’re, like, part of the popular crowd now. Everyone saw how, like, hot they are so we don’t exist to them anymore,” Maisie said, she didn’t care,” but it’s like, whatever, you know? Of course you do.” Maisie was a ‘like’ kind of girl, from San Francisco, California.

“Seriously? Wow, that didn’t take long,” I wasn’t surprised. People would eventually ditch us for the ‘popular crowd.’ Especially them, Sterling and Jace were H-O-T! Of course they wouldn’t ditch Myra, so we know that they’re gone. People are so lucky to get the attention of guys like Jace and Sterling. Me? I’m not pretty, or skinny, or smart. I’m just the stupid, fat, ugly outcast of the school that hangs out with people that think I’m gorgeous, smart, and have a ‘sexy’ body. I wish for those words to be true, but in reality, I know that it’s just a lie to make me feel better.

I see 3 people finally emerge from the crowd and everyone turns to look at them. Sterling, Jace, and Myra are walking away unfazed by all the attention given to them. When someone screams Jace’s name, they turn around to come face-to-face with Constance, who looks really mad. Constance is screaming off the top of her lungs at Jace, while he just stands there with a blank look on his face. Myra is looking around nervously as the crowd gets closer to them again. My group and I ignore them and continue on walking to the school when we get into hearing distance.

“-say that about me!? You don’t even know me!” Constance screams.

We stop when we hear what she said. Myra seemed to notice us because we look over and the three of them walk up to us with Constance following behind them.