Broken Bones

The Fights

2 Months Earlier

I open my eyes. I'm laying on the floor, again. I roll over with a grunt of pain and remember why. I was coming home from the library and the boys from school, sophomores like me, attack me.

I sit up. I'm behind the trash cans on 9th Street. I try to get up. I can't. The pain is too much. Then I hear the only person nice to me. Elana.

"Anika! Anika I know your here! Please answer me!" She calls out, her voice filled with worry. Elana is a senior at my school. We met at the orphanage when I was 10 and her 13. She was the only one who liked me. All the other kids stayed away from me, thinking I was the child of the devil, because of something I can't change. And Elana saw that. She saw that I didn't want what made me different. She helped me feel normal. She helped me realize that even though my eyes are red, I'm still just the same as everyone else.

Weakly, I call back. "Elana. I'm behind here." I say, too weak to say anymore. I hear the scraping of the trash cans and Elana appears, her face etched with worry. Her eyes searching mine. She bends over me.

"Anika," she says with a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness I found you." She winces as she looks me over. " They really got you didn't they. Ughh, we need a new principal. I guess I'm going to the guidance counselor now. Maybe he'll do something about it. Here let me help you up. We can go to Kaylee's house."

Kaylee was another girl I met when I arrived at the orphanage. She and Elana were best friends. Kaylee took a few months to get used to me but now she's as nice as Elana, but she got adopted two years ago and her adopted parents but her in a "better school" as they call it. Her house is just down the street and luckily, her foster mom taught her a few things about being an EMT.

Elana grabs me under the arm and lifts me up. I put most of my weight one my left foot, letting the weight of my right foot lean on Elana. Unlike me, Elana is strong. She is on the volleyball team, girls softball and basketball teams and does a ton of volunteering at the food bank, where she lifts heavy boxes. She and I walk/limp down the street towards Kaylee's.

When we get there, Elana let's me sit down on the steps leading to her front door. Elana goes and knocks on the door where, thankfully, Kaylee answers. She takes one look at me and Elana's face and immediately beckons us in. I get up, with help from Elana, and they lead me into Kaylee's dad's office. I sit down on the couch and close my eyes.

Maybe we could stay a Kaylee's. I think hopefully. But it won't happen. Her parents don't approve of "scum" like me. It's unfair, really, because Kaylee used to be exactly like me. Alone, mistreated, messy. But they picked her up off the street and took her in and cared for her. This is why we have to be quiet when we come over because of things like this. They would never approve of "scum" like me and Elana on their fancy leather seats. Kaylee is the only decent person in this house.

Kaylee walks over and closes the door quietly. I open my eyes to see Elana and her talking quietly in the corner. After they are done, Kaylee walks over to me while Elana buries her face in her hands. They have always cared for me like a sister. Kaylee looks at me and then sits down gently next to me.

"Can you tell me what happened?" She asked, in the gentlest voice I've ever heard. This was definitely my worst fight. Most of the time I can at least stand on my own.

"Yeah. I was walking to the orphanage from the library when Jake and them came out of the alley. I told them to leave me alone and I tried to walk away when one of his minions trips me. I fell on my face," I gestured to my bloody face. "He dragged me up by my shirt collar and basically threw me into the wall." At this Elana looked up. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. She had been crying. I paused momentarily and didn't resume until she came and rested a hand upon my shoulder.

"Tell us the rest and we will help you. In any way we can," she said, thickly.

"I collapsed, trying hard to breathe, when his other minion picked me up and held me there while Jake punched me in the face and sides. They held a hand over my face so I couldn't scream. When he was done with me he let the other two kick me. Then he said, just before he threw me behind the trash cans, 'That's what we think of the children of the devil.' And after they threw me behind the trash cans, I fainted. I can't remember anything else."

"Kaylee? Is there someone here?" Kaylee starts shoving us behind the couch. It was her mom. And her mom was a bitch to me and Elana.