Friends are just known enemies

Chapter 2

I wake up to Danny Worsnop yelling about the rock star life. I smile, but then I remember that it's Tuesday and I have to go to school.

You would think that I got used to getting up early and not wanting to go to school, but oh no, I didn't. Not at all.

I lie around in bed until the song finishes, which is way too soon. I push back the covers and rub my eyes. I hum some songs while putting on clothes and quickly brushing through my hair with my fingers.

I don't really care what I look like, there's nobody I could impress anyway. I grab my bag and go downstairs for breakfast. My mom is already up and just put some pancakes on the table.

"Good morning darling" She says merrily and I just reply with a muttered "Morning". As you can probably tell, I'm not really a morning person. Well, I'm not a day person either.

I take one pancake from the pile and pretty much drown it in syrup, before eating it in a hurry. As usual I am late. I hear heavy steps on the stairs and that's the ultimate sign for me to leave, because I avoid my dad at all costs.

I run out of the house and to the bus stop, squeezing in between the doors in the last second. As I walk to the back, everyone stares at me and someone even throws something at me.

I just shoot him, a kid who probably thinks this makes him cool, an angry look, but he doesn't seem to notice. I take out my iPod and shuffle through the songs, searching for one that fits my current mood: Killing spree.

The boy shoots another paper ball at me and I clench my jaw. It's fine, don't get angry. I try to ignore it and turn the volume up a little more. Better.

We finally arrive at school. I never thought I'd be saying this, but one more minute in the bus with that little brat and I would have done something bad. I'm usually not this aggressive, really.

I get to my locker and to the gym without anyone physically attacking me and I'm glad. But then I remember that some of Jason's friends are in PE with me. And of course, since my teacher seems to love seeing me get hurt, we play Dutchball. Great.

Jason's friend (I believe he's called Scott) is in the other team and soon, everybody is just ignoring the play and their main goal is to hit me as many times and as hard as they can.

After one hour of torture I finally get out, my whole body aching. Yey, some more bruises! While walking to my next class, I walk past Jason and obviously he finds it necessary to push me, which results in me tripping down the stairs.

I land on my ankle and shriek in pain. I hold my ankle, feeling it already begin to swell, but of course nobody would help me up or anything.

The bell has rung; I'm late anyway, so I just stay on the floor a little longer. After about five minutes, I push myself up and try to stand on my ankle, but a pain shoots through me and I gasp.

I slowly start to pick up the things that fell out of my bag and are now shattered all over the floor. I consider going to the school nurse, but I have a strange fear of doctors and anything remotely like that, so I decide not to.

Eventually, I walk into maths class twenty minutes late, with everyone staring at me while I limp to the back.

The teacher doesn't even ask where I was or anything, he just continues with some mathematical formula. I don't even pretend to listen, I just want this to be over. Just a few more hours. I tell myself, a few more hours.

I unlock the cubicle door and stare at my face in the bathroom mirror. The black eyeliner all around my eye is an extreme contrast to my pale skin and I look kind of scary, but I don't care.

I've locked myself in here for lunch, just to avoid Jason and his gang. I'm not a coward, but I've had enough for today. I would have left and went home, but I had an exam I didn't want to fail, because that would mean another year in this prison.

So I stayed, eating a snickers that I found in my bag. I know, I'm a really healthy eater. My ankle is now about double of its usual size and I can barely stand on it, but I still refuse to go to the nurse. I practically drag my foot behind me while walking to my locker and getting my things.

Two hours later I finally step outside the building. The math exam was just horrible, but now it's done and I can go home. Well I'm not really looking forward to being home, but it's better than school.

I have another fifteen minutes until the bus leaves, so I sit down on a bench and turn on my music and take out a cigarette. I relax a little, but then I see Jason come out of the front doors. What is he doing here? He never leaves school this early; he always has some practice or whatever.

I hope he doesn't see me, but it's too late. He spots me and comes over, a devilish smile on his face. "You know smoking is bad for you, don't you?" He imitates a concerned, motherly voice.

I ignore him, wishing he'd just go away, but he only steps closer. "Don't you?" He repeats, now in an angrier way.

I still don't show any reaction and he rips the cigarette out of my hand and presses the still burning end on the inside of my hand.

"See? Dangerous" He says while I clench my jaw in pain. I try to get out of his grip, but he's too strong and doesn't let go. Finally, he turns away, laughing and in that moment the bus stops right in front of me. I get in, blinking away the tears welling up in my eyes.

I can't take my eyes off the burned flesh on my hand for the whole ride home. When I arrive at my house, I see a car parked in the driveway, meaning my mom is home. Shit.

She doesn't know about the bullying and I don't want her to. So I just pull up my sleeves, take a deep breath and open the door. I hear my dad shout from the living room.

"Someone get me another beer!" My mom is already running from the kitchen and I use this opportunity to go upstairs without anyone noticing.

I lock myself in the bathroom and let ice cold water run over my hand. I wince at first, but it feels better soon. I get some bandages, but we don't have crème or anything I could use for the burn, so I just tie the bandage around it.

They are going to notice, but I'll just tell them I cut myself or something. They won't question it, they never do. I actually go down for dinner today, but it doesn't last long.

We just sit in silence, as always, my mom desperately trying to have a conversation but my dad's too drunk and I'm too depressed to talk.

What a happy family we are! After reading a bit in the book Alex got me, I curl up underneath the covers and fall asleep, thinking of a better life, without problems.

So this was the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed! If you have any ideas about improvements or how the story could go on tell me :)

Love you all :*

Jay