Kidnapping the Gang Leader

14 - Presentation

Tuneage: Bathtub - The Front Bottoms

Don't kill me, I apologize for this future chapter. It may not be as good as I wanted it to be, but its emotional to me. Spoiler alert – she's still alive.

***

Art is such a strange thing. It can't be defined in one simple category, yet it means so much to every single person in the world.

Music.

Painting.

Dance.

Theatre.

Whether you deny it or not, art means something and has a special little spot in your heart. Problem of mine was it had too big of a spot.

It was the anniversary, and it took it all in me not to collapse under the weight of the world today. I had missed school for another week after the date, all because of my dear old mother. I know it's because of the date, what today is and everything leading up to today.

I've had to help her function almost everyday. I had to help her shower, help her change her clothes, even help her eat. She became a shell of nothingness, something I'm completely familiar with, but she still managed to hurt me in her drunken stupor.

That was the only time she'd move or speak, when she was all liquored up or high as a kite. That was the only time she would show me any emotions towards me, even if it's anger and resentment. Resentment over my younger sister dying and not I, resentment over my father dying and not her.

In a sick and twisted way, I was glad my sister died. I wouldn't want her to feel the way I felt right now, to go through the pain currently radiating through my blood like electrical currents, pulsing and quivering in shocks.

I held the canvases close to my body, one of me and one of Damien, making my way to my art class. I was early so I could avoid anyone, especially Courtney, because of the fact she knew what today was. I couldn't be angry today, no, instead I was a shell.

I had a black eye and busted lip, burns running along my forearms and my stomach. My mom learned to spell while being drunk and wrote her initials, as if she was branding me her personal pet or something. It was disgusting, and I wanted it off more than breathing air.

"Fern?" I numbly turned to Damien, his eyes staring at me. I couldn't take it, I couldn't take the love and concern shining clearly on his face. I didn't deserve any of it, I would never deserve any of it. "Baby girl, what's going on? You're missing weeks at a time and you barely look alive anymore."

He took a step closer to me, causing me to instinctively take one back. I stared at him blankly, trying to wipe away any remnants of longing or sadness from my own eyes. It didn't seem to work though, because he just stepped closer and closer to me before he stood right before me, his eyes narrowing onto the black eye and my lip.

"Answer me truthfully, is someone hurting you?"

I couldn't answer him, I couldn't bare to lie, so I just turned and left the room as the bell rang, not letting myself feel.

***

Lunch is menial and dumb, besides the whole eating food part. That's pretty cool.

I walked in slowly, making my way through the lunch line. I grabbed a bottled water and an apple, not sure if my stomach could even handle much food today. I sat at my table and watched as Summer and Max sat down in front of me, completely caught up in one another.