Jumbled Heartaches

Numb

I could kill Zoe.

I was not planning on going to homecoming, but she called my Mom and told her and now I'm going.

On top of that, I've been avoiding Ian, but Zoe's sick today and so I had to go through classes alone.

I already went through therapy and such, and I could feel Ian's eyes on me all day.

I'm outside working on homework, sitting under a tree.

There's a shadow standing over me. I look up.

A girl stands before me.

Katie Mack, I think her name is. 

She's a wannabe cheerleader. In fact, I think she used to be one.

"Hi." I say.

She crouches down in front of me.

"I need this."

She takes my finished English essay from my hand.

I open my mouth to ask her why, but she grabs the front of my jacket and yanks me to my feet.

"And this." She unzips my jacket, ripping it off my body.

I just stand there in a sports bra, shocked.

Every single set of eyes that's nearby is on me.

"Wha-what are you doing?" I whisper.

She shoves me back, dumps my backpack out, and then pours her drink on my head.

"You're an ugly bitch. Please, I'm begging you, go kill yourself."

She walks off, swaying her ass in her skirt.

I stand there, tears blurring my vision, topless, covered in some sort of smoothie, and I can't move.

It was better here.

This didn't happen here.

Visions of my last few schools flashes through my eyes.

Constantly being told to kill myself, that everybody hates me. I was locked inside lockers, laughed at by teachers.

Everyone left the room when I walked in.

People are laughing at me, as I stand here covered in smoothie.

I can see Jacob laughing on the sidewalk.

A minute later, Zoe comes running up to me, breathless.

She's just woken up. She's been fighting a fever all day, her hair is a mess, and she didn't even put a bra on.

"People were yelling." She gasps. "In the hall-for-for everyone to come out here."

I can't move. I'm numb.

She sees a tear slide down my cheek, and all I hear is laughter.

It completely cuts out my hearing, and my ears start to ring, but I can't hear anything except for people laughing.

I take a deep breath.

Then another.

Then another.

"Not here you don't." Zoe says. She starts grabbing my stuff and starts pulling me.

I spot Katie I the crowd, laughing with Jacob.

Someone is shoving their way to the center.

Ian makes it through.

"What happened?" He asks the person next to him, but he's just laughing. "What the hell happened? Somebody tell me what happened."