Crippling Love

Chapter 9

*Ding*

'Huh? A notification?'

'Oh, it's Ash! He probably just got home from school. I would if he's popular? If he is he probably won't get how I feel but... I know we're just online friends but I feel like I can trust him...'

Yesterday

'What was really fun~"

"It was."

"Let's play again tomorrow."

Today

"Hey. You weren't online before me like usual. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Let's play."

"Actually... No."

"Really? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Can you... Keep a secret?"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"I'm about to tell you something very personal, so please keep it a secret. Even if you don't know who I am, I don't want my story out in the world."

"Okay... Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"So, I am an orphan. I know nothing about my real parents. I don't know why they didn't want me but others speculate it's because I was not pretty enough."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"You don't know what I look like. Anyway, I was adopted by a man. He seemed very nice so I happily went with him."

"I don't have a good feeling about where this is going..."

"Haha. It was years before he changed. I was adopted when I was eight and he started treating me differently when I turned fourteen."

"What do you mean by... 'differently'?"

"Let me explain. Right around that time I started getting bullied by popular girls because they didn't like my hair. I fought back a lot so they called 'my parents'. They were rich and very good at tricking people so I always got in trouble. The man that adopted me started telling me not to fight back because they're pretty cats and I'm an ugly rat. Rats don't attack cats. Cats attack rats."

"Now that's just mean. You shouldn't have to listen to such lies. I don't know what you look like but you sound like a beautiful person. One of the most beautiful people I know."

"0////0... You're making me blush~"

"Anyway, it took a while but I slowly began to just accept being bullied and not fight back. They also started to leave me alone. Then I turned fifteen and a popular guy started hanging around me claiming to be in love with me. I've tried to turn him down nicely many times but he doesn't give up. He's practically a stalker."

"That's no good. If he doesn't understand you don't like him you need to make it clear in a way he will understand."

"I will. So, all the girls got super pissed. At first, I thought it was only because he was giving me a bunch of attention but it turns out they were also mad I rejected him. So I was in the wrong either way! To say the least, I got bullied again."

"That's... Sad... Just because a guy couldn't understand boundaries you had to suffer..."

"I know...  So everything started to calm down again since I stopped fighting back but they didn't stop completely."

"I just realized I didn't tell you what the man who adopted me does when I get in trouble. He... Beats me..."

"What!?"

"Yeah... He makes me strip down to my underwear and beats me with his belt. If I talk or even wince in pain he ups the pain. For example, if he's already beating me with a belt at full strength and I make a sound he starts beating me with the buckle."

"Oh gosh... I feel so bad... I wish I could hug you!"

"You haven't heard anything yet..."

"So my friend I told you about was being bullied. I stood up for him without fighting. But I found the guys who were bullying them and gave them a taste of their own medicine. I got in trouble and my father got mad he threw me into his car and brought me back to his house."

"I don't like where this is going."

"He did his usual beating thing but I kept wincing in pain because I was already hurt from dumb fan girls defending those boys. His belt broke and I thought it was over so I spoke but he threw a bottle at me. It shattered and I have a lot of the cuts from that..."

"Oh no..."

"It gets worse..."

"It does what?"

"He... tried to violate me..."

"He what!?"

"He had to go on an emergency business trip but he'll be back in a few weeks... I'm scared. I would just kick his ass but if I do I won't have anywhere to go... Plus... I'm scared of him."

"Didn't you say your friend lives close to you? Why don't you ask them for help before he comes back."

"Omg! You're the best! Thank you so much!!! I could just kiss you!"

"O\\\\\\\\O"

"Umm... Well, I gotta go! I'm going to enjoy my freedom, for now, and then ask my friend if I can stay with him."

"Wait... Your friend's a boy!?"

"Oh yeah."

"Are you sure you wanna live with a...boy?"

"Why not? He's kind and trustworthy. He's just a precious cinnamon roll."

"If you say so... No gaming tonight. You should enjoy your freedom. Have fun! o(〃＾▽＾〃)o"

"I will! (๑˃̵　ᴗ　˂̵)و"

'Thank you for my new found confidence, Ash. I'll just ask Asher if I can stay with him for a bit... Now that I think about it their names are pretty similar... If I didn't know Ash I would have probably called Asher... Ash. Oh well no use thinking about that now! I have to celebrate being free from that horrible man!!! Yay~'