How To Save A Life

Connie's Revenge

The corridors were full again, the way I preferred them. I'm not saying I like them this way. I ducked and dived through the clusters of Cliques, hood right over my face so that nobody would see me. The black clothes I wore really helped me disguise myself in crowds. By the time I was at the English room, I was a few minutes late, and as I could see, so was Aiden. But it was seconds before he emerged from the crowds.
His coy smile caught me by suprise, his confidence falling at his feet like he had just clumsily let it slip through his fingers. At first he looked like he was trying to find his words.
"Hey." he said finally, the smile never once leaving his face. I smiled and waved back, trying not to be too over excited. I indicated for him to follow me, as I weaved between people. I turned a second later to find that he was following. I carried on til we got to the library, and I felt him bump into me. I tumbled to the side a bit.
"Sorry!" He spluttered. I smiled and looked into the library.
"So, a bookworm aye?" I nodded, walking to my favourite area by the history section though, the...
"Science?" He questioned, looking over the array of science related books in front of me. He turned to look at me.
"So you're a bookworm who is also a lab geek?" I looked down hoping that he wouldn't judge me. I sheepishly glance I look at him to see him nose deep into one of the books. The concentration that was fixated on his face was beautiful, his tongue poked out of the side of his mouth as he read through the lines running up the page. for a moment, it was all quiet, us just standing this corner of the library until I heard a voice.
"She was acting so stupid. She must be trying so hard to make a friend." I grabbed Aiden by his bag and pulled him to the history section, and pushed him down. I puts my finger to my lips as he was about to reply.
"Freak. Why does she still want sympathy for it? I mean, it was, like what, 4 years ago now? She should just cut the act, she hasn't gained anything and never will." in the corner, Connie and her posse gather by the big window seat, openly talking about their favourite subject, me. I felt a tap on my shoulder as Connie blabbed away. I looked at Aiden.
"I want answers." he whispered, one of his eyebrows cocked up. I gulped, pulling out my phone and typing frantically.
That's Connie. She hates me. She was one of the Cliques in English today.
I watched his eyes scanning the letters on my screen.
"Why does she hate you?" I shrugged my shoulders, not letting my eyes look guilty. I'm not telling him why now. I hope he understands I haven't told anyone this.
I let Aiden read the book he found while I look at my phone blankly and hope that she will leave soon. Aiden doesn't look like a stupid boy, especially with his glasses, so keeping little things like this to myself won't be easy.
After a few more minutes, the third lesson bell rings, and Connie leaves. I turn back to Aiden. I wave my hand to grab his attention, and he looks up.
"Hum?" His innocent eyes meet mine and I indicate having a watch.
"Oh right. See you at lunch I guess. Here?" I nod and we split ways at the library door.
As I walk down the corridor and down the stairs to the ground floor, it all seems to quiet. It didn't take me that long to get Aiden out of his book did it?
I feel suddenly cautious, too scared to turn this corner. But as I do, nothing happens, so I sigh with relief. But I was wrong.
I feel a sudden mass of weight land on my back and I smash into the floor. I try to push myself up but the mass is too heavy. My heart starts to beat, rushes of adrenaline pumping around my body as a hand grabs my calf and pulls me down to an empty hallway. A dead end. I turn to look at the person. I should have said people.
Five people, three girls, two boys stood before me, blocking my exit. I gulped, recognising the faces from Connie's posse. And Connie stood there herself.
"You always wanted to be better than me." She called, circling me in the dull hall. She kicked the back of my knees and I buckled, falling to the floor.
"You were happy to gain sympathy from anyone who supplied it. Even stupid little me. But I've grown up to see what you've become." She squatted of me and pushed her face into mine and screamed.
"A FREAK!" She shoved me and I fell further to the floor.
"Go on, call for help." She teased, looking back to the others and nodding. I lay my head on the floor in defeat.
This is where it ends. I felt my phone being ripped out of my pocket and thrown to the wall. It was bound to have smashed it if made that noise.
Turn by turn, each of the four remaining people took out their anger on me. Kicks to my body, punches to my face, stamps on my legs as wrists. Each muttering words into my ear.
Freak.
Mute.
Pathetic.
Useless.
Unwanted.
Scum.
Freak.
It felt like forever before it stopped. I dragged myself to the wall, watching the group walk off laughing and high fiving. I coughed forcefully, my hand splattered with blood. My face was pulsing, I could feel the blood running down my face, cuts and bruises were littered up my arms and legs, and I'm sure at least one of my ribs were broken. I pulled up my shirt to expose the bright red mark on my side, bigger than my hand. I could almost feel the bruise start to form. I looked over at the wall my phone was thrown at, seeing the demolished plastic lying on the floor, along with my bag, half ripped.
I sat in the corner, salty tears once again rolling down my face, like two dull waterfalls. The shaking of my body made sharp pains fly around my body due to my ribs. I tried I get up, the pain becoming unbearable. I leaned on the wall for support for a second, before shuffling over to my bag and phone. I placed my phone in my bag, and picked it up carefully. What do I do? I can't go to class looking like this. If I walk around, I will scare people looking like a zombie. I have nobody to turn to. I slowly make my way through the school, to the toilet to make an effort of cleaning my self up. As I looked into the mirror, it was worse that I had first hoped. My left eye had already puffed up slightly, a shade darker tithe rest if my skin. My nose was bent, blood still frothing out the end, dribbling down my shirt. My blonde hair was full if crusted blood from my nose, a pathway from my nose to my hair made my forehead a mess as well.
I turned on the tap, wads of paper towels in my hand. How well can I cover this up?