Decoy

I step in the door and hear someone breathe in deeply. I'm smiling, eager to see my best friend after 6 months in England as an exchange. I close the front door and walk through the hallway into where the living room should be. What I didn't know was, that deep breath, was his last breath.... No. No this can't be happening. My knees fall and my head spins. "THOMAS!" I run over to his side and check his pulse. "No please. Please Thomas, please!" Nothing. I stand there frozen, staring at my best friend hanging from a rope right in front of me. I grab the chair from under him, step up on it, and untie the rope. I lower him slowly and step down from the chair. I grab him and hug him. I look down and I can't ignore the note in his hand.

Dear Olivia,
I'm so sorry I have to put you through this. You know what it was like at school and- I just couldn't do it anymore. You've been gone for so long and without you here I haven't been able to cope. They've been worse since you left and I couldn't hold on. Not even for a day. Please tell my parents I'm sorry. I love you liv.
-Tom

8 months earlier:
I walk away from the lockers curious to where Thomas could be. I step outside. It's sunny and warm and there's not really any clouds around. I hear a deep but quiet yell "Ow" and look to my left.
"Oi stop it!" I yell. They look up and drop him.
"Liv it's okay."
"No it's not they're bullying you." They laugh at him and he looks at me in horror. His eyes plead with me to stop. I turn around fuming, and walk over to Ava. Shes sitting on her phone scrolling through instagram. We used to be great friends but we had this argument over something really stupid, I think it was a barbie. She never truly got over that. Ava is actually quite pretty but she has one of the ugliest personalities in probably the whole school. She's loud and very opinionated. She has dark blonde hair, green eyes and clear skin. She doesn't wear makeup or anything, but she has her skirt up as high as possible and acts like she's the queen of everyone. She looks up and starts telling me about the party she's throwing on the weekend and how 'rave' it's gonna be.
"Oh but you're not invited." She says this with a sly grin and then walks off laughing.

I walk back up to my locker and start putting in my combination when I hear Thomas yell my name. I turn to face him and his eyes show how sorry he is. I go up and hug him.
"Let me stand up for you." I say.
"You know I have this theory, and as rude as it is, think that if I let a girl stand up for me, I'm just going to get bashed more." He smiles but I don't return it.
"You need to tell someone." He looks at me in disbelief. "But of course, you're not gonna do that are you?"

Present:
I'm starting a daily routine. It has been two days since his death and I'm sitting on the couch huddled in a blanket crying. The headlines flash on with this morning's news and I hear his name. "Coming up, the truth behind the death of Thomas Shreve. My ears prick up and my eyes bolt to the screen. Mr and Mrs Shreve are both on the TV. Mrs S is crying and Mr S is shoving the cameras away from her. I turn the TV off immediately and start crying all over again. No one is home- mum is at work earning money, Greg (her boyfriend) is out gambling, spending it, and my little sister May is at her friend Ally's house. Mum thought it would be best for her not to be around. Greg is supposed to be here 'comforting' me because mum can't afford to stay home from work with having to feed us all and Greg's gambling problem. Mum searched my room today for any rope or scissors. She really thinks I'm going to leave.

She is always fretting about our safety, May's and mine, but lately she's been... too scared. She comes in my room every twenty minutes to check that I'm okay. I mean if I know how it feels to be put through it, and how much it sucks, then why would I put her through it?All of the sudden I hear a yell. "Open up the door you rat!" It's Greg.
"Coming." I yell in return. I climb out of my warm nest and walk to the door. The knob is cold and I flinch when Greg hits the door and tells me to hurry up.
"You're mum'll be here any minute so sit down. Why isn't the TV on? Are you a prude or something? God sake." He flicks on the TV and changes the channel to the greyhound races. I roll my eyes and cuddle back into my blanket. He was right. Mum gets home about five minutes later.
"Hey sweetie." She walks over to me and kisses me on the cheek. Greg says hi and they have a small conversation about what dog Greg wants to win until mum walks out to the kitchen. She comes back ten minutes later with a toasted sandwich for me. I say thank you and eat it slowly. Once I'm done I go to my room and watch a movie. I can't stand Greg. I don't know what mum sees in him. All he ever does is eat, get drunk or gamble.