Toxic: A Sociopath Novel

Chapter 17

Lyn walked into the house wearing aneon pink jacket that I had never seenbefore. Crazy, she must be, considering thatits seventy-nine degrees outside. I looked ather suspiciously then followed her into herroom. She jumped when she turned andsaw me."Jesus Christ, LeighAnn." She washolding her chest to calm her fast pacingheart.  "What's with the jacket?" Maybe Iwas a little too straight forward, but I didn'tcare. Lyn shrugged."My thyroid doesn't work.""Your who?" Lyn turned to face me."Your thyroid is the nerve in yourneck that controls your body temperature.Mine doesn't work." She did ademonstration of the location. I noticed apack of matches on her dresser and thecuriosity of what she does with themstroked me the wrong way.She rolled her jacket sleeves up and Inoticed bruises all down her arms. I was ata loss for words. The more I paid attentionto her; I also noticed the cuts in perfecthorizontal lines over the bruises."You're one of those?" I blurted out.It took a minute for Lyn to catch on, butthen she rolled her sleeves back down,ashamed."No, no. It's okay." I told her,grabbing her hand. I led us to the middle of her bedroom and we sat on her vintage rug.I turned my arm over to show her the scarsfrom when I used to take a razor to my skin.She looked shocked. I shrugged. "It used tomake me feel good since my mother nevercould." Lyn let my words sink in beforeresponding."Yeah, that's why I burn myself. It'sthe only thing reminding me that I'm stillalive. Would you like me to show you?" Shequestioned. I swallowed hard, but noddedmy head. I wanted to know every grain ofdirt I could about this freak. She got up tograb the box of matches and an applecinnamon scented candle. She lit the candlefirst, and then turned on her ceiling fan."Okay," she started, grabbing anothermatch from the box. She lit it, and thenquickly placed it to her skin, shaking it outbefore it reached the end. "Just like that,easy." I didn't know whether to beimpressed or terrified."Doesn't that hurt?" "Yes, but you get used to it. Do youwant to try it?" I gave into peer pressurelike the way Christopher gives into food. Ipicked out a match and lit it, but I hesitated,throwing the dead bud to the floor after itburned the tips of my fingers."Don't be scared." Lyn commandedas she grabbed her phone and lit anothermatch for me. I grabbed it carefully andquickly shoved it against my tan skin andthrew my head back in pain. Lyn droppedher phone and hurried over to me, coveringmy mouth with the palm of her hand."I wasn't going to scream." I saidonce she removed her hand. She could seethe lie all over my face. I glanced down atthe ugly red mark on my arm."How do you not get caught doingthis?""That's where the candle comes intoplay." I was surprised at myself for actuallydoing this. I left Lyn and her freakish waysalone and ran to the bathroom. I captured a picture of the horrendous, red and brownburn on my skin and posted it to myInstagram, captioning it with: "Sheburned me!" Then I tagged Lyn in itbefore contouring the burn in make-upthen going to lie on the couch and wait forthe comments to roll in."What a bitch.""Who would do such athing?""That's messed up.""Fuck you, Lyn Griffin."The comments from my classmateswere entertaining and I couldn't stoplaughing. The next notification that Ireceived was that Lyn tagged me in a post. Ididn't worry about it too much because Ifigured it was just her talking about howmuch she hated me and wished she couldmove back to Atlanta. Then the post loaded,and I nearly lost it.The post was a video of me taking thematch to my own skin and Lyn used thecaption: "Here's the real story." I knew that bitch was recording me! I tried to report herpost for harassment but it had to gothrough the review process then only gaveme the option to block her, but why would Ido that if this is the only social media I'mnot blocked on and can expose who shereally is?I hated this though, and I banged onher bedroom door demanding she removeit. She ignored everything. I called for Lyn'smom, and she tried knocking on the door aswell and telling her to erase it, but thatdidn't work either."You need to take yours down too!"Lyn's mom yelled."No." I refused."Yes, LeighAnn. You both need to quitwith all this drama. Go get me a cottonswab.""For what?""I need to get in Lyn's room! Shecould be dead!" I rolled my eyes but rushedto the bathroom to fetch a swab. She pulled the cotton off of one end then stuck itthrough the tiny hole in Lyn's doorknob,twisting until it opened. Lyn sat up fromlying down as her mom joined her on thebed. I stood at the door, watching."Let me see your arms." Lyn's momdidn't yell nor did she seem mad. Lynturned her arms to show her. "Honey.." Hermom choked. Lyn bursts into tears."I'm so sorry." They sat there holdingeach other, drowning in each other's tears.They were sobbing loudly, and it almostmade me want to join them. They parted,both with puffy red eyes."They're hurting you this bad?""They don't stop mama.""I'm sorry baby girl. Please let meknow how I can protect you." Lyn huggedher mom and started sobbing again. A boltof jealousy struck my body. Why can't Ihave a relationship with my mother likethat?