Mute Girl

Ch. 8

There I laid, shaken with dirt and grime all over. I was sopping wet and smelled like a walking disaster, but he also looked terrible. He was extremely wet and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. Even though I only knew him for a little over a week, I had missed him deeply. His hair ran ragged and his clothes were disheveled. I missed seeing his face and hearing his flirtatious voice. He was my knight in shining armor who had come for me. He sat on his knees beside me and towered over my face. Even though I was weak, I pushed myself up and grabbed his neck, planting a firm kiss on his lips.

One week earlier

"Dinner!" My mother shoved a plate of food in my room through the little flap she had installed in the door. It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich again. I had been eating them every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She claimed that it was my punishment. In my opinion, the punishment had gone too far. I had no idea when she was going to let me out. I never thought my mother to be cruel. She only let me out of my room to go to the bathroom which was only twice a day. I hadn't seen my father nor Teresa once since my grounding. Another punishment she said that I deserved was beatings. For one night a week, she would come in my room with father's belt and whip my back. I cried out in pain but she never cared. She didn't talk during and of course, neither did I. I only screamed. I didn't know how much more I could take. I also hadn't taken a decent shower in two weeks and I reeked. Life truly sucked. I dreamt for somebody to rescue me. I didn't think that sneaking out would cause this much chaos. I looked at my watch. It was another Monday. At least Ben should recognize that my absence could be serious. I fell back onto my bed, terrified for the next hour that was to come. The hour of the beatings.

A week had passed since the party and Ben was beginning to worry about me. At first, he thought that I was just too pissed to be at school but then realized something must have been up if I had been gone for this long without so much as a text. Ben's mom drove him to school where he went to Advanced Calculus. He didn't need to go to his locker since he was only there for one class of the day. Something unusual happened to Ben's routine. He was about to walk in the class room when a hand gripped onto his shirt and pulled him into another hallway. It was Justin. He looked terribly distraught. Ben hadn't seen him since the night of the party. He had assumed that Justin and Marie had been corresponding since that night because she sure hadn't tried to contact him.

"What do you want lover boy?" Ben signed to him snarling.

"Have you been in contact with Marie?" He whimpered. Justin looked absolutely pathetic. His eyes had dark circles underneath and his skin looked a bit sallow. So lover boy wasn't texting her. Interesting. Maybe she didn't like him.

"Why, can't take a hint? She doesn't want you lover boy, get over it already." Ben snickered. Even people like him couldn't handle rejection.

"Stop calling me 'lover boy'. I think she's in danger." He signed back gravely. Ben wasn't sure whether to try and believe him but he was correct that it did seem odd that she hadn't shown up to school and wasn't communicating with either of them. Could she really be in trouble?

"Even if she was in danger, why would you care? You literally just met her."

"Why wouldn't you care? You're her friend, supposedly?" Justin retorted.

"Because I know she's fine. She's just pissed."

"I know she's pissed, but she isn't the type of person to hide in her house all day." Justin argued.

"You don't know anything 'lover boy'!" Ben shoved Justin up against the wall. But Justin easily overpowered Ben and turned them around so that Ben was the one pinned against the wall. Seizing the opportunity to use his arm, Ben threw a punch at Justin's face. By then, people had begun to crowd and chant. Phones were already whipped out, trying to record the fight. Nobody even attempted to butt in and stop the fight. None of the teachers were there so the two were both placed in an awkward situation. The first bell rang. A few people stayed to watch fight while most of the students left for their first class. Not long after the bell rang, Justin let go of Ben.