Can't Breathe

Chapter 1

Walking down the halls of VerBane High is difficult for me. Everyone hates me, I know that sounds dramatic but it's true. It's hard to hide from my bullies. It's even harder when I have practically every class with them.

Hi, my name is Adam Wood. I'm mute and there's a reason, but I hate talking about it, ha, talking. My bullies are Alex the captain of the football team, my teachers, the principal, and basically everyone in the school. Except for Nurse Holly, she's really sweet and treats me like her kid. Holly and I are really close, mostly because I'm always in there, but because she kinda went through some of what I went through.

I have French first, I don't like that class, Monsieur Devon keeps looking at me funny, it scares me but I can't say anything about it. I haven't talked in 13 years, I'm 17 right now, when I was 4 there was an accident and it made me stop talking. After everything that's happened to me, I just want to give up, but I have this feeling that I should stay, a little bit of hope that all this crap will go away.

Well, I should pay attention to where I'm walking instead of reliving my past..too late.

"Watch where you're going freak!" Alex shouts and shoves me into the lockers effectively bruising my small side.

"Ew, this POOF touched me!" Alex says making the bystanders laugh, "Watch where your walking slut."

"Oooohhhhh!"

I'm sorry. I sign.

They look at me funny and Alex and his team all punch and kick me to the ground,

"Try doing that gang shit again bitch. Let's go guys." He says walking away with his friends, I can't do anything but lay there, pain spread through my body making me unable to move. The kids walk by me laughing, some kicking me as well. The teachers just stood there trying to stifle their laughs.

Why do they hate me? Oh wait, it's because I'm nothing, just a worthless nobody.

I shake my head slightly and try to push myself up off the ground.

*RING*

Huff, now I'm late to class.

I finally push myself off the ground and unsteadily make myself to class.

I should've tried to eat something. I thought as my surroundings got blurry.

I walk through the classroom door a few seconds before the final bell rang. "Please have a seat." I nod walking to my seat before everything started to go faster and next thing I knew my head slams to the ground.

"Watch it fairy." One of the jocks sneers. The whole class begins to laugh and I just want to crawl in a hole and disappear...

"Okay class, haha, come on, we have a new student today." Monsieur Devon said standing up. I quickly walked to my seat in the back corner near the window. There was a lot of open desks by me, but no one sits in them, I sat there and prayed it wasn't another male student. I have a phobia of males, Androphobia. It's something usually only females have but I can't help it.

The door opens silently and incomes a...male. I begin to shake at the giant figure that came confidently into the room. He's about 6'4" with white hair and...muscles. He starts to scan the room and I put my head down so quick I got dizzy.

"Hello Mr. Night, my name is Monsieur Devon and I'm your French teacher. Please, have a seat anywhere you'd like." I hear the teacher say. I look up slightly and see the giant walking down the aisle farthest from me towards the popular girls. I release a breath of relief and slump into my seat only to hear the chair beside me pull out and someone sits down next to me. I peak at the figure through my lashes and see the giant male. I feel his glare before he looks at the teacher.

"You sure you'd like to sit there Mr. Night?" The teacher asks in disbelief. 'Night' nods his head and pulls out a notebook and pencil and began to write. I felt eyes on me and looked up slightly seeing the class glaring at me. When I looked at the board I saw M. Devon giving me those eyes again. I shake in my seat slightly wishing the ground would open up and swallow me.

Five minutes left of class left and I was sweating, between the feeling of small glances from the giant and the creepy eyes from the teacher my anxiety has gone through the roof.

I can't do this. But I don't wanna go home. I'm so trapped. Maybe Holly came in early? I hope so, I need her.

*RING*

I shoot up and began speed walking to the door when someone grabbed my arm harshly and started dragging me to the bathroom.

No, no, no, no, please.

"We're gonna teach you a lesson." The male holding my arm said squeezing it. He tosses me into the wall with a crack coming from my shoulder.

"Ngh." I groan. He walks over with his buddies and lifts me up by my turtle neck and punches me in the gut. I start coughing violently. He throws me to the ground stomping on my head, after a few kicks his buddies join in and begin to punch, kick, and stomp on my frail body.

*RING*

"Well, it seems like fun time is over boys," He says with a sad tone, washing the blood off his fists, "Stay away from the new kid, if we see you anywhere near him, we'll beat you worse." He says with a sly smirk walking out the bathroom with his friends. I lay on the floor, beaten, bloodied. I start coughing up blood and attempt to get up.

What did I do to deserve this? I think struggling to get up.

Why can't they just ignore me? What did I do to them? I brace myself on the sink and pulled with the little energy I had left up into a standing position. Swaying slightly I slowly shuffled over to the paper towels and grab handfuls before just falling on the floor. I lay motionless on the ground before lifting my body up a little and cleaning the floor.

Last year Adam, this is your last year... I think picking up the used towels and throwing them away. I drag my body into the cell and lean against the wall, my leg limp.

Who am I kidding? I'm leaving before graduation. What's the point? I can't go to college, I'm too stupid and broke. If I don't go to college then... then he'll be around me twenty-four-seven...I'd rather die.

"You okay? Been in there a while." A deep, gruff voice said. I froze in my spot shaking violently. "Hey, skinny twig I'm talking to ya." He says knocking on the door.

No, please, I'm sorry, just leave me alone, I can't take it anymore, please just go.

I begin to hiccup, slapping my hand over my mouth to silence my cries, I hear a sigh. "Kid, why are you scared? What happened?" I start to cry harder hearing him knock again. "Fine, I'll get a teacher."

NO!

"Ngh." I groaned as I tried to stand. I went to open the door to attempt to run but I heard the bathroom door close.

No, he's getting a teacher! I quickly ran out looking back and forth before running, well, trying to run, to the nurse's office. I burst through her door and run to her cuddling into her lap.

"Oh my gosh baby, what happened?" Holly questioned softly.

Some guys brought me to the bathroom and taught me a lesson. I signed to her.

"Who did it, baby?" She asked standing up with me in her arms carrying me into her office before sitting in the rocking chair, rocking me back and forth.

I don't know who they are. They're on the baseball team. I sob quietly burying my face in her chest and curling up more. She plays with my hair and whispers soft nothings to me, slowly I drift off to sleep finding comfort in her hold.

Hey babes. I know this chapter isn't the best but I'm trying, please comment! Hope you stay for book two