Salvation

1 ∆ green haired weirdo

                Sprinting towards school I plugged my earphones in, breathing in and out rapidly as the realization of the possibility of having my 'parents' called at school because I was late again downed on me. My relatively long brown hair mixed with the green strands as the wind blew it back, cooling my whole face and making me shiver.

Every day I dreaded the moment I'd step in school, receiving odd looks from students and teachers as I covered my face with my hair, looking straight down at my feet. And then the mocking would start.

''Hey, asshole!''

''Green haired weirdo!''

''Waste of space, go burn in hell.''

Worst part; I believed them. But that's because they're right.

Pushes around the corridors and mean words whispered in my ear as they pressed me against the wall, discretely but still with strength, kicking my stomach, pinching my neck and arms, stepping on my feet.

And today was no different.

The daily hours of torturing passed by and I somehow managed to make it one more day. I slowly walked back home, staring at the ground ahead as I listened to music once again, wondering why do people hate me so much.

''I think it's time to give this up.''

How come I haven't yet, it's a mystery I'm yet to discover. Life has been hell ever since I moved in with my mother and my brother. But I manage to get through.

As I feel the cold raindrops hitting my head and sliding down my cheeks I realize it's not only raining, but I'm crying too. Oh the wonders of being me; crying at any time, any place.

I quietly entered a coffee shop in which the smell of cake and doughnuts was stronger than of coffee itself, making me slightly light headed. Nevertheless, I realized I needed a drink otherwise my fingers would turn to ice blocks and fall off my hands, and that wouldn't be pleasant.

Standing in line, I observed the clients on the tables. A lovely couple on the booths next to the window, a lonely guy wearing a suit with his fancy laptop on the table in front of him, three quiet middle schoolers in the back, a large group of friends laughing and chatting on the opposite corner.

Wait, what?

As I took a second look at the group of friends, I noticed one of them was watching me. And that face was way too familiar to make me feel any less uncomfortable.

The cashier called 'next' and I snapped my head back forward and away from that table, and ordered a black coffee, feeling the urge to get my drink as quickly as possible and leave that place.

But it's just my luck. The coffee was taking too long to get ready and I was getting anxious. I could feel him, them, looking at me. I heard their laughs. The ticking of the clock, the roar of the coffee machine, the voice of the suit guy talking on the phone, the couple kissing, the middle schoolers yawning. The manager scolding an employee, the bell ringing as a new client entered the establishment, a dog barking outside, cars passing by, the slight flicker of the light in the corner, my own foot tapping the floor. A chair sliding backwards, footsteps coming towards me...

Just when the barista called my name and I grabbed my coffee, almost running outside as I heard their footsteps and voices and laughter getting louder behind me. The bell rung as I flew the door open and rushed down the road trying to get away. I turned into an empty street that lead to an alley, and from there I stopped trotting.

And they caught up to me.

''Annie, Annie, have you been crying?'' Jack's voice pierced my ears as I felt his hand grasp my shoulder and spin me around, making me very nearly drop the coffee.