You Are My Happy Ending--- A Short Story

Short Story

"Gosh, you are such a loser," "Why don't you kill yourself, you're useless!" This was my life every day at school. My name is Serenity Morgan, and I'm the girl everyone loves to hate. I'm awkward, shy, and as quiet as the fly on your wall. I'm a sophomore at Hawthorne High School in California. My first love was Axel Kingston, the captain of the football team. We went to a party together one night while we were dating, he put drugs in my drink and raped me. People were watching, videotaping him and laughing as he stripped my un-conscious body and had his way with me. I talk about it like it's nothing, but it's something that has emotionally, and physically broke me and scarred me.

Several months have passed and I have yet to recover from this pain. I was sitting in science class, looking up at the ceiling, and although my professor is at the board, preaching to us about electrons and animal cells, my mind escapes to my own paradise, my own little safe place. I sit under a tall, weeping old willow tree and watch the sun set behind the clouds. There are no worries here... I'm alone. "HEY, what's up?" I heard this voice exclaim as I jumped back to reality. I looked up and caught a glimpse of a pair of dark grey eyes and a wide white smile. I could feel my heart thump fast in my chest, it felt like a herd of wild buffalo was living inside me. I began to question myself why he was talking to me, but I'm not the one to be impolite or tell someone to go away, especially an adorable guy. "Hi..." I said unsteadily, "Do I know you?" He reached his hand out and in all honesty, I felt the sudden urge to intertwine our fingers. I could not dare let myself be a victim of his charm. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply to try and regain my self-respect. "My name is Dakota, Dakota Lark," he replied and glanced down at his hands as if saying "don't leave me hanging." I looked up at the clock and noticed we had two minutes until the bell rung. I grabbed my notebook and stuffed them in my backpack. "Serenity Morgan," I said in a rushed tone, and shook his hand in a quick, yet firm manner. "Pleasured to make your acquaintance, Serenity" he chuckled as we awkwardly sat there shaking hands until it was time for our next class. Watching his lips say my name seemed so intimate, for a minute there I almost thought about hitting him up with a pickup line like "Kissing burns 6.4 calories a minute. Want to work out?" but let's face it, I'm a coward. Hastily, I grabbed my bag about to rush for the door when all of a sudden I was stopped by the same familiar hand on my shoulder. I turned around and was shockingly close to Dakota's face, "you forgot something!" he exclaimed and handed me a piece of torn paper. I was shocked, and felt uncertain with what was written on the paper. "Text me later?" with his number and a little smiley face. I bit my lip to suppress my smile and tucked his number away into my pocket.

The walk home from school seemed to be longer than usual. My mother's friend down the street, Mrs. Michelle, was outside sitting on her puke green porch swing. Her husband was in the front yard mowing grass and bobbing his head to the music playing through the headphones that were wrapped around his neck. Mrs. Michelle's next door neighbor was outside gardening and humming to herself a sweet little tune. The birds were singing in the trees, the flowers were at full bloom and smelled so peaceful: I loved being outside.

I got inside, marched upstairs and threw myself on the bed. I played the moment in science class repeatedly in my head. I was unsure about Dakota, could I really trust him, or my conscience for that matter?" "Serenity? Baby?" I heard a faint, calm voice attempting to wake me. "Dakota..." I replied sleepily, not opening my eyes. "Dakota?! Who's Dakota?!" It was obvious that was NOT a guy's voice, and that's when I opened my eyes to see my mom standing over me. "I... um... didn't mean to call you that. Hi mom?" she sat on my bed and patted the seat beside her, I sighed and scooted beside her.

"So, who's this guy? Dakota?" my mom in a "flirty" voice and playfully punching my shoulder. I rubbed my arm from the sting of her punch and stared at the ground "he randomly started talking to me in science class and gave me his number, and I don't know if I should talk to him again or if I like him and just... why are guys so stressful!!," I fell back onto my bed, grabbed my favorite pink zebra striped pillow and screamed into it. My mom chuckled and sighed her usual "time for a lecture" sigh. "Dear, if this is because of what happened with Axel, forget him! You're a teenager, you have plenty of time to find "the one," "Text him, go on a date, stop living in the past. You're supposed to be living in the moment, right now." She moved my hair behind my ear, I felt better, and I know what I needed to do. "Thank you, mom" I said, and gave my mom a hug. I felt her smile, and we let go of each other. I grabbed my phone and the piece of paper Dakota gave me.

"Hi Dakota, its Serenity... from science class?" I paused over the send button, this wasn't a life or death situation, but yet I sat there, on the brink of tears, deciding whether or not I should press send, but I did. I sat in the corner of my room, rocking back and forth, until my phone vibrated, and it said "1 new message!" I closed my eyes and pressed open. "Of course, how could I forget such a breath-taking name?! How are you? J" I couldn't hold back no more. The smile that spread across my face was real, and I was beyond happy.

"We texted all night, asking questions about each other, getting to know each other, and he even asked me to go to his football game tomorrow and said that afterwards we'd go eat at a diner!" I jumped up and down in the kitchen the next morning, trying to share the happiness with my mom. "That's great darling, you better get to school or else you're going to be late," my mom replied, sitting at the table and sipping on her cup of coffee. I ran over, kissed her on the cheek and ran out the door. It came down to science class, and to no surprise, Dakota never came to see me. I was overwhelmed with emotions full of depression, sadness, anger... I had let myself believe- wait, what was going on?! I felt someone's hands wrap around my waist and quickly jumped around, struggling out of their grip. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I screamed, tossing my fists around and falling to the ground. "Serenity? It's just me? Dakota..." I saw fear in his expression, and all I could repeat to myself was "Please, stay."

He picked me up, holding my hands and pressed my body against his, hugging me so delicately. "It's ok, it's only me..." he whispered softly and kissed me on the cheek. I had him constricted in my arms, and it was the most comforting feeling ever. The seconds felt as if they were stretching into minutes, and my vision seemed to be warped into a world of tranquility.

That night I came back to the school to watch his football game. I stood secluded in a little spot away from the football field, but still where I could get a clear view of Dakota playing. My mind, my body and my vision were all focused on his movements. My concentration was split when I felt a sudden mind-numbing pain in my side as I fell to the ground. If only I can produce a scream loud enough for someone to hear, but it seemed stuck in the very pit of my throat. "Why are you doing this?" I groaned, lucky to even get that much out. "We HATE you!" a high pitched voice said, "You're useless, and this is your punishment for being a whore and sleeping with my boyfriend," Pain coursed through my body from the painful blows to my head, back, and sides. Could they be talking about Dakota? He doesn't have a girlfriend though? I peered up from the ground and easily recognized Axel's girlfriend, Ariella Singleton, and the other three girls that made up her clique. "I swear Ariella, I didn't-. "

My agonizing, faint screams were left swimming in a heavy taste of iron, was this the start of the end?

"GET ME AN AMBULANCE! NOW! SHE NEEDS TO GET TO A HOSPITAL!" "Hang in there darling, I promise I will save you." I can recognize that voice even when I'm not conscious, it was Dakota, and although I was suffering, I could feel the warmth of his body around me as he held me in his arms. I knew I'd be okay with him by my side.

Being that I was woken up by the sound of a quite heart monitor, and the smell of rubbing alcohol and disinfectant, I knew I was in a hospital. The bed was so uncomfortable, and the hard pillow had made my neck cramp up. I tried adjusting myself but suddenly stopped when I look down to find Dakota laying at the foot of the hospital bed, asleep. I set my hand on his cheek softly and felt the dry, cold tears that I assumed had help him sleep. He was whining in his sleep, and groaning as if he was having a bad dream and I shook him to see if he was ok. He jumped, frightened by his dream and sat up slowly on the hospital bed. "What are you doing here, silly?" I asked him in a calm voice to appear like I was in good health. He lunged towards me, but stopped halfway so he wouldn't hurt me. I shook my head inviting him to hug me and he grabbed ahold of the back of my neck and sat closer. His arms were wrapped around my neck and he buried his face into my shoulder, I could feel him crying, asking God "Why must he do this? What have I done to deserve this?"

"Quiet now sweetheart..." I said softly to him, petting his hair and kissing his head. He looked up at me, staring deep into my eyes "The doctor said you didn't have much time, all your ribs broke, and it ruptured your lungs. You're bleeding internally, Serenity," and he began to desperately plead for help. I picked up his face and held his head to my chest, "Do you hear that? My heart is still beating. In just a day I fell in love with you. It seems impossible, but love has no limits. You have gave me something I've always wanted, and that's trust and love. It does not matter if I die tonight, I will not cry, I will not beg for a second chance because I know that the life I lived was worth it. I've learned lessons the hard way, and sometimes there is no next time, no timeouts, and no second chances. Sometimes it's now or never. Please Dakota, don't be sad, and remember... you are my happy ending."