Kidnapping the Gang Leader

10 - My Own Personal Bonfire

Tuneage: Lucy Rose - First

***

I was gone from school for three days.

Three days of Joey and Charles coming to my door, and knocking, ringing the doorbell, doing everything in their power to try and talk to me. My mother opened only once, but she was flaming drunk and screeched at them.

I got another bruise for that.

She's became increasingly worse, and I know why. It's less than a month till the anniversary, an dim just worried she's going to finally snap completely. She's breaking before me, and takin her frustrations out on me, and I don't have the heart to stop her. I still love her, and that's where I was going wrong.

I wore a huge sweatshirt and leggings to school, my hair down to hide my face. I had a fading bruise along my jaw, but my eyes, they finally broke. I looked hollow, and I felt numb. I couldn't even put up much of a front at school, but I tried.

As soon as I set foot in the hallway to get to my locker, it was as if there was a huge neon sign above me that said LOOK AT ME. Eyes turned to stare, and I swear I could feel the burning heat on my cheeks blazing through my entire body.

It didn't help how unnaturally hot it was in the middle of October, but I had to keep everything covered. Especially the burns, but god, did they still hurt.

I opened and shut my locker as fast as possible, making my way through the crowd of teenagers. I tried to keep my head down, not wanting to draw much attention to me anymore. She won, my mom had finally won. It felt awful to say that, but it was true.

"Fern?" I turned slightly to see Summer standing against the wall, her eyes wide as she looked at me. I know I looked strange, I had always been for wearing tight clothes and being loud as hell. The sweatpants and shirt screamed quiet, which certainly wasn't me.

"Hey Summer." I gave her a weak smile from underneath my hood, her eyes softening at the tone of my voice.

"She didn't..." I just shrugged and turned, making my way into my English class. I found the seat in the back corner, away from the warm sun and into an area that no one was as likely to notice me.

I sat down and watched as the bell rang, the bodies of my teenage counterparts filling in quickly. No one noticed I was there, instead grazing over my body while on the way to their seats. I watched as Joey and Charles walked in, both of them looking a bit more glum than they usually would've looked.

Not that Charles really smiled much, but he wasn't scowling at every passerby.

It wasn't until halfway through the incredibly boring lecture my English teacher was giving, and I looked up and accidentally locked eyes with Charles, did my heart practically fall apart. He looked at me stunned, before his expression turned to pain, complete and utmost pain.

He hit at Joey before pointing over to me, my eyes down casting themselves so I could avoid their knowing gaze. I'm sure they could tell how awful I looked, but I just hoped they wouldn't be able to see how numb I felt.

When the bell rang I practically bolted from my seat, not turning when I heard their shouts of my name in the hallway. I just had to get through my day and pretend I wasn't dreading seeing Damien, pretend I wasn't freaking out over my third period. It was my study hall where I pretty much stayed in the library, but Damien knew that and would visit me almost everyday.

I don't think he will anymore.

I walked into my math class quietly, eyeing the goons that Damien had once followed me with sitting on the wall. I sat in the corner again, eyeing them silently throughout the class. I'll be completely and utterly honest, I missed Damien.