Mackenzie
I woke up on my pull out couch in my trailer with Johnny's arms wrapped around me. I turn to see him still sleeping. I play with his hands until I rubbed my thumb over it. He winced in his sleep... I turn his hand over and see new cuts on his palm. He used to cut but I begged him not to. I stared at the cuts with my eyes wide open. He finally woke up and pulled his hand away.
"Did you cut yourself again?" I asked turning to see his face.
He only nodded.
"Why? You promised me you wouldn't cut any more." I said sitting up.
"Sometimes you go threw so much pain from other people... that you think it's ok to do it to yourself." He said sadly.
"Ugh!!! Johnny what pain are you going threw?!" I ask staring deep into his eyes.
"My girlfriend cheated on me." He mumbled scratching the back of his neck.
I got up and threw a big shirt on.
"That's it? Because Sofia rose cheated on you? What did you expect?! She's cheated on every boyfriend she's ever had!"
I regret saying that because he got mad. He stood up and put his pants on. He walked out of the trailer but I followed him.
"Johnny Orlando! Where the hell are you going?!" I yell at him.
He turns around and walked closer to me.
"Alright fine. If you think cutting yourself because who you thought the love of your life was cheated on you than why should I cut?!" He yelled.
"You shouldn't cut! You have the best life! You're the most popular guy in school! You aren't beaten everyday! Your parents didn't leave you and your sister when you were only in the 7th grade! You don't live with your sister and her boyfriend in a trailer! You don't come home to an empty house! Your only best friend wasn't the 50 year old bus driver from when you were 13 to 17! You aren't bullied at school! You don't feel so insecure about yourself that even this situation makes you feel as if you don't matter! You don't have to do what I do just to feel a little but ok! You live in a huge house in a fancy gated community! You have a huge pool and you have a bunch of friends who care about you! You get all the girls, you don't come home to an empty house every night! You have a great life Johnny! You have a great life compared to the hell i am and have been living for most of my damn life! That is why I cut myself! I have the opposite life that you live! I have been wishing for that life since I was 5 years old! Because even then I didn't have a great life! I could barely afford food! I live where people like you come to make our lives worse. This is where they come and they trash our yard and they graffiti our homes! I bet you ever single one of these people have a story to tell and we will never get to tell it because people like you make a big deal out of nothing, which for some reason deserves all of our attention! You shouldn't cut John! You don't have a real reason!" I yelled.
I hadn't realized people had come out of the other trailers and filmed what I said until they started clapping. Johnny only stood there, staring at me. I turned around to walk inside but now I realized he wasn't staring at me... someone had put up a huge sign with the words slut, fat, ugly, you should die, no one wants you, worthless written over my face on my window.
I stare at it then pull it down. I climb boxes to get on top of the trailer. I hold it for everyone to see.
"This is why I cut!" I yell so everyone can hear. "When you are told bad things about yourself so much eventually you will believe them! This is why I cut! Everyone has a story! All lives matter! This is why I cut!" I hold the poster over my head.
"No one should experience this pain! We matter! I matter! You matter!" I yell. "I am not a slut! I don't care if I'm fat! I'm beautiful! I'm wanted! Im not worthless! I have a purpose! We all do!"
Everyone started cheering.
"And if you don't see that, than you can leave. You can walk right out of my life." I said to Johnny.
He was staring again. I look around and see teen girls and boys even little 12 year olds standing on their own trailers holding up their own signs people left for them that look just like mine.
"I matter!" They all yelled.
Tear stains on everyone's face. Some even wrote I matter across their posters. I did the same. I look back at Johnny who was now standing with Lauren. Both their faces shocked.
"I'm broken!" Someone yelled.
"I'm broken!" Everyone else yelled, me included.
We all show where we cut, mine was on my right arm. Parents in tears about how their kids are treated. Kids in tears because of how they are treated but are also cheering about finally saying something. People ran into the trailer park. When they got closer I realized it was Ruby Brandon Stanley and Lucas.
"What are you guys doing here?" I ask.
Cameras were on me.
"Kenzie get down you have to get out of here."
Ruby said.
"They're coming for you." Brandon said.
I heard motorcycle noises coming closer.
"Get inside!" I yelled to everyone.
Some people only hid, cameras still out. They pulled up and I jump off my trailer.
"You've been a bad girl kenzie." Mark said getting off his bike.
There stood mark Nadia sofia Hayden and Carson ready to beat me. They stepped closer to me and started to hit and kick me Carson and Hayden didn't really do anything. I fell to the ground and closed my eyes but they had stopped. I opened my eyes and saw that all the kids who were on their trailers were standing around me arms linked so that they couldn't get to me. Ruby Brandon Stanley and Lucas joined in. Johnny and Lauren just stood and stared. What surprised me was that Hayden and Carson were in the circle. All at once every one screamed.
"We matter!"
