Adopted by Tyler Joseph

8: Poster Girl

Today is my fifth week at school. Nothing had really happened, I've been keeping up in my classes and staying away from Shaun and Lydia.

But it was terrible today. Yeah, maybe I'd get the occasional name call or shove, but today was different.

During lunch time I finished eating early and went to hide in the bathrooms because everyone has been staring and laughing lately.
When I got there, Lydia and her friends were all standing there, smacking their bubblegum and applying their lipstick.

"Looks like the snitch is on the loose today!"
They laugh. I try to walk past them but Lydia grabbed me by the hair.

"Don't you ever snitch on me, slut."
She released my hair and I felt my head in agony. She started laughing.

"By the way, you looked really great in that lingerie." Her sarcasm pierced me, but my confusion blocked that out.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Oh, have you not seen the photos? Just hop into a stall." Lydia smirks.
Once I finally walked into a stall, I saw it; a poster with a cut out of my face on some porn star, with the saying "I'll pay YOU for a good time!"

I couldn't believe this. Why me?
I ripped down the poster and shoved it in my bag.

I burst out of the stall, trying to contain my crying in front of Lydia. I tried to walk out, but she grabbed my wrist, exposing my cuts.

"Aww, looks like we have a slut AND an emo on our hands."
Her friends took photos of me, and I broke down.

"Man, you really are just as pathetic as you look."
Before she could continue, I bitch slapped her into next week. She landed in her groups arms, holding her cheek.

"You're gonna regret that you cunt! Watch your fucking back."

I walked away, proud of myself. The day went on pretty terribly. People called me "whore" "slut" and I even had someone grab my ass, but there was no one around to witness it.
I had to walk home since Tyler was working late. It was no big deal, I didn't live far. I continued walking with my earbuds blasting music until I was pushed from behind and hit the concrete.

"You thought you'd be let off the hook, bitch?"
It was Shaun. I haven't been this terrified in a long time. He crouched down to my level.

"Let's just say Lydia and I have our connections, and that you fucked with the wrong people, whore."
He kicked me in the stomach, over and over and over again until I couldn't breathe, then he opened my bag, put something inside, and left.

The moment he was gone, I sprinted home, not wanting to have him catch up. I dusted off my face, made sure there wasn't any bruises, and walked into the house, trying to hide my limp.

"Mom, dad, I'm home!" I yelled.

"Welcome home sweetheart! Dinner is ready, we made hotdogs!" Jenna chirped.
I barely ate half of a hot dog before feeling sick.

"I'm not feeling well, I'm gonna go rest."
Jenna looked concerned.

"Are you sure honey? What's wrong?"
I felt bad for lying.

"Just girl stuff, making my stomach hurt, but I'll come down and eat when I'm feeling better."
I ran upstairs and just cried. I lifted up my shirt and saw almost every color of the rainbow in bruises on my stomach. I ran a hot bath and slowly laid in it, soaking up he heat. I was left to my own thoughts.

If I told on them they'd beat me...
If I didn't they'd beat me...
If I defend myself they'd beat me...

I got out of the now cold bath, dried off, and got dressed. I watched the ceiling, counting tiles before I remembered; they put something in my bag. I rolled over and opened the front pocked of my backpack to reveal something new.

A bag with razor blades and three bottles of pills in it labeled: "kill yourself".

I put it back and rolled onto my other side.
You know what, I'm gonna put up a fight. I won't let them win.

I grabbed the crumpled up poster and put t in the bathroom cabinet so that no one would see it. I'll keep it as evidence.
I ran downstairs and made some hot cocoa to calm me down. I eventually fell asleep watching TV.