Honey Stone

Invisibly visible

Another day. Every day the same. The same people, the same walls, the same shit. Honey looked up at the school in front of her and shuddered. How many days were left? Too many and not enough was the answer. Too many because everyday she had to face the taunts and the abuse from her classmates; not enough because no school meant home and home meant Danny.

Danny was her mothers long term boyfriend, if you could class four months as long term but he'd out lasted all the others. As with all the others, he was a total waste of oxygen. He did nothing except sit around drinking and smoking. She could see sometimes that he looked at her in a way that wasn't quite innocent. His eyes lingered on her body and he sometimes brushed closer to her than he needed too.

A shudder ran through her again but this time it was at the thought of the greasy man in her house and his filthy, grime-ridden vest that used to be white but now was a dingy grey. His teeth were rotting and his hair clung to his head in oily strands. Her mother wasn't much help and if Danny ever decided to make a move on her, Honey doubted that she could rely on Angela for help.

Angela was once a beauty but years of abusing her body had taken its toll on her. Her once bright eyes were sunken in her face and the glossy blonde curls were now limp and dull. Alcohol was her only thought, alcohol and sex. Honey supposed that whilst her mother satisfied Danny then she was safe from him.

A bell sounded and Honey joined the crowd and filtered into the main school building. She walked as best she could through the crowded halls, trying to get to her class but she was buffeted from side to side as people shoved her deliberately as she passed.

'Watch it scum.' someone hissed at her as she was roughly shoved to one side. She managed to remain upright but pain throbbed in her arm from the blow. She kept her eyes down and walked on not wanting to see the sneers and mocking looks from the other. Worse than that though were the people that ignored her. She was like vapour to most of the people here. Even the teachers didn't notice her. She turned up and sat in the middle of the class and worked hard. She wasn't brilliant but she was passing and that was what mattered.

The trouble with being mostly invisible though is that no-one noticed what happened to you from the ones that did notice. Honey sat silently in her seat as the teacher rambled on about an upcoming test. Sudden she felt a sharp pain on the back of her neck. Sitting totally frozen in place she could hear the snickering coming from the boys right behind her. This was usual, she refused to react at all. Reacting only made it worse. Another stinging pain came as they flicked something else at her, bits of gravel probably.

Her suspicions were confirmed when, at the end of class, there was more than a small amount of stones on the ground around her seat.

'I will not react' she thought fiercely, repeating the words over and over in her head as she wove off to her next class. The pattern was repeated throughout the morning. she knew that Dave Grady and his gang were responsible. They hounded her every step. By lunch, the back of her neck was raw and stinging. She slipped away from the crowds and sought out the cool quiet of an abandoned classroom. This kept her away from everyone and out of the blazing Arizona sun. She sighed as she locked the door and slumped into a chair.

Running her hand across the back of her neck, Honey hissed at the stinging grazes and knew that the skin hand been broken there. Great, as if she didn't get enough hassle. She knew why. Her mother's behaviour was well known in the remote, dust bowl town. The strings of men, the drinking and the vulgar behaviour had dragged the family down the social ladder. Honey was almost 'poor white trash'. Her clothing came from goodwill and she had no luxuries in her life. All she had was a house that was falling apart around her and two pathetic adults that were drowning her.

Honey had had dreams once, she had ambition. But by high school they had all but been destroyed. Collage was out of the question now and without that opportunity she would be trapped here forever. A bell sounded somewhere and Honey picked up her bag. Her stomach would once have protested at the lack of food but years of practice at being denied regular sustenance meant that she was accustomed to the hunger.

She ghosted silently through the halls and entered the science lab just before be she was marked late. Science could be a nightmare for her. Lots of 'accidents' could occur if she wasn't careful. She groaned inwardly when she saw the glass tubes and flasks set up at every station. Duncan Blaire glowered at her as she approached. He'd been made to work with her despite his protestations and he hated her with a passion.

'Not dead yet?' he growled at her as she slid into her seat at his side. Honey said nothing but hid behind her hair and tried to get through the rest of the day. The two worked awkwardly together, measuring and recording. A sudden movement of his elbow sent her pencil case crashing to the ground. Sighing, Honey hopped off her stool and started to collect her scattered things.

Duncan muttered something derogatory and as she glanced up she saw him grab the metal stand and tip the whole lot over onto her. She just had time to throw her arm up to protect her face before the glass smashed across the table and rained down on her The sound of glass breaking followed by her scream had the whole class turning her way. The teacher bounded over and tutted at the sight of her and the mess she was sitting in.

'What do you think you are playing at, Miss Stone?' he demanded but turned away before she could answer. Duncan didn't move but smiled down, smugly at her. She could feel her arms stinging and a glace at them showed tiny lacerations. The teacher returned with a dustpan and brush and thrust it into her hand.

'Get it cleaned up Miss Stone, then go to the nurses office. Mr Blaire, go join Adam and Kyle to finish your work.

After sweeping up the debris, Honey collected her bag and jacket and dashed to the nurse, thanking her lucky stars that she hadn't been working with anything nasty. She could have been seriously hurt.

The nurse clucked over her as she cleaned the scratches and dressed them 'Was it Duncan?' she asked with pity and concern.

'Who else.' Honey answered sadly as she gazed out of the window at the harsh desert landscape.

'I've told Brian, uh, Mr Oldsman not to put you with him.' she said with exasperation.

'He doesn't care Fi, you know that. Its me, no-one gives a shit about me.' Honey said with no emotion.

'Watch your language Missy' Fiona responded but she held no tone of chastisement in her voice. Honey was a regular in her room and they had a easy relationship that almost bordered on friendship. Fiona was one of Honey's only ally in life.

'Go home Honey.' I know its bad there but you need some distance from here. Keep your head down and don't let them get to you.'

'I just want to get away. I'm working to save some money and as soon as I graduate I'm gone. Just counting down the days.'

'Take care sweetheart and you'll get there.'