That Girl

I suppose it may be my red and blonde dyed, scene styled hair, or my nose piercing, or the way I talk or dress, or maybe the fact that I have no friends. My best guess, though, would be because I'm 'That Girl'.

Ever since fourth grade, I've been slapped around by bullies who can't seem to get a grip on their own life. I've been gossiped and teased about my clothes. I used to have a few good friends, but all that went to hell by fifth grade, when my life got worse. I discovered the joy of a period, and my family was splitting apart. I ended up staying with my dad, and my sister Abby went with my mother. I haven't seen them for four years now. Bullies started ganging up on me, throwing literal stones at me at reccess. But, being the crappy and ghetto school it was, no adult did anything about it.

In sixth grade, things seemed to die down. I wasn't getting bullied as much, and my house had a better atmosphere. No arguing, things being thrown or bottles being drank. Finally, some silence. But in seventh grade, things sky rocketed, worse than fifth grade. I gained about ten pounds, which gave people another reason to tease me. I then adopted anorexia and depression. My dad became an alcoholic and would come home from the bar, drunk, and abuse me and his girlfriend.

Then we come to the present, where I am currently in eighth grade and attending therapy. I still don't have friends, or any relationships for that matter, the only person that I can talk to is my dad's fiance, Lia. For the person she is, she deserves much better than my dad.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone to her for help or comfort. She is the shoulder I go to cry on. It's as if she's the only one who cares about me.

Like today, when I came through the door after the first day of school, she was sitting there on the stairs, with a couple of cupcakes and a purple balloon, and a smile on her face.

"Um, hi...?" I said as I took off my boots. "What's all this?"

"I wanted to do something special for you on the first day of school, isn't that okay?" She said as she walked up the stairs with the goodies. I slipped off my backpack and followed her. Den, our husky pup, greeted me as I made my way up the stairs. He's my pride and joy, so innocent and welcoming. He's the only reason I'm alive today, I could never leave him behind.

"Here," Lia pulled out a chair for me at the kitchen table and sat across from it, setting down two red velvet cupcakes and tying the balloon to my chair. I sat down, as if I hadn't done enough of that today. She pushed my cupcake towards me and I stared blankly at it, thinking how I could get out of eating it. Suddenly, the sound of a cupcake wrapper coming off the cupcake stopped.

"You're eating that, Beth." Lia stated. I looked up at her with coldness in my eyes. She knows what I was thinking; I've told her countless times of my anorexia and the struggles I have with it. I slowly grabbed the cupcake to unwrap and painfully eat it. She looks at her cupcake and dives in.

"School was okay," I said.

"Why not good?" Lia asked. I paused for a while, examining every detail of the dessert I held.

"Um... It could've been better, I could've made friends or sat by people at lunch. Teachers could've said my name right or gave a shit about who they sat next to me. But other than that, it was an okay day," I said in monotone and took a bite of the cupcake. "Where the hell did you get this masterpiece? Oh my gosh," I asked in between chews.

"I made the -" She cut off, staring blankly into my eyes. She suddenly jumped up, hand over her mouth, and slammed the bathroom door shut.