Tough Love

Chapter 2

After my next few classes it's lunch time. I walk into the cafeteria that's booming with activity and straight to the lunch line. I look at all the nasty food and decide I'll just skip lunch. 'It'll help me lose weight anyways,' I think sadly. I'm not fat but I'm not skinny. I just can't help but compare myself to girls like Olivia and hate my body afterwards. Water fasting seems like a good option at this point.

I walk out of the cafeteria empty handed and walk towards the door to outside. No, I'm not skipping school, trust me I can't afford to do that with all of the tardies I already have. I just go outside during lunch to get some fresh air and alone time from everyone. But before I get to the doors, someone grabs me and pushes me into an empty classroom.

"Scream, and I'll make you regret it," I heard a deep voice. 'Shit, it's Zach,' I shake out of fear, making sure to do as he says. Zach is one of the popular boys that use me to take their anger out on. He's the worst one though. He's left me at least 3 scars and more bruises than I can count. "Come here," he says angrily. I slowly walk towards him, afraid of what he'll do to me. "Not fast enough!" He reaches and grabs my hair and rips me down to the floor.

"Ow! Please stop!" I start crying. I grab his hands trying to pry them off my hair. I see his hand fly up and without a warning I hear a loud smack echo throughout the room. As soon as I hear it I feel it. My hands leave his and fly to my stinging cheek as tears stream down my face. He bends down, hand still tangled in my hair, and throws my head on the ground. My head hits the concrete floor and he finally let's go of my hair. I lay on the ground, frozen.

"Get up," he orders. I try to pick myself up but I'm unable to due to the hard blow to my head. 'I think I have a concussion," I cry even more. 'How will I explain this one to mom?' "GET UP!" He yells but not loud enough to bring attention to the classroom to people walking by. I try to stand up but fail miserably. 'Please be almost done,' I beg him in my mind.

He's still for a minute. 'I think he's done,' I think gaining some happiness. Out of nowhere, "bitch." He spit on me and drew his leg back. 'Oh I was so far from the truth.' He kicks me in the stomach as hard as he can and I scream from the pain.

"I-," kick. "Said-," kick. "To get-," kick. "Back up-," kick. "You ugly bitch," saving the hardest and most painful kick for last. 'What did I ever do to deserve this?' I cry the hardest I've ever cried. He hasn't ever gone this far, it would only be a couple slaps or punches. I curl into a tiny ball and close my eyes, shielding myself from anything else he decides to do. I sigh out of relief as I hear him leaving. "Fucking hate you," I hear him mutter as he leaves.

As soon as the door closes and I'm alone I start sobbing loudly. 'I just don't understand how someone can be that cruel.' I turn my body to lay on my back. I reach my shirt with shaking hands and slowly lift it up to look at the damage. I cry out as I see my entire torso turning a dark purple color. I rest the back of my head on the floor, making sure it isn't where he bashed my head in. I roll over on my side and put my hands down and try to at least sit up. 'At least I'm not completely useless,' I think as I'm able to sit up and position myself against a table leg.

I look to where I was laying and notice a small pool of blood. I reach to the soft throbbing spot on my head that hit the ground and felt liquid dripping down my forehead. I pulled my hand away to see blood. 'Wow big shock,' I think sarcastically. It's not unusual to be a little bloody after his visits. I just sit and rest for a couple minutes.

*bell rings*

I flinch as the bell rings, signaling lunch is over. 'It's a good thing I have a free period after lunch.' I stay where I am as I hear everyone in the hallway opening and closing their lockers to get to their classes. As soon as it's completely quiet, I grab the table top and pull myself up with all of my remaining strength. I barely make it up, my legs weak. I walk over to the Kleenex box slowly wobbling. I grab a couple and drop to the floor where the blood is and start wiping it up. I yelp as I accidentally touch my injured stomach and a couple tears fall. I sniffle and pull myself back to my feet to throw away the evidence. I get to the door and look out the tiny window to see if anyone is out there.