A Little Bit Tougher

Chapter 3: Janie

The damn alarm clock blared at me but i made no move to shut it off. I had been up for hours, sifting through a bunch of moms stuff. I straightened my back and went in to the bathroom to shower. After letting the warm water roll off my back i got out and examined the scars. They were going to be hard to hide. Especially the ones on my face. 6 lines that traveled from the top of my temple to my collar bone and back around to my back. Thin, deep lines. Whip lines. It wasn't the worst thing he did but it was the most noticeable. I gently touched them and flinched slightly when i felt pain. I opened the drawer to my left and pulled out a bottle of pain killers, taking one and stuffing the others in my bag, knowing that i would probably need them later today.
I pulled my hair into a loose braid to the side, letting it dry and walked over to one of the many boxes in my living room. The hardwood floor creaked slightly as i opened the box and picked out a loose, long sleeved, black blouse, a pair of dark wash jeans, and a pair of black converse. After blow drying my curly black hair, I pinned one side up and let the other side hang over my scars. Applying a little concealer to the scars, my phone buzzed.

Isabella: Do you need a ride? Wait, where do you even live?

Me: No, i got my dads car. I put in an earstud and some small black balls in my ears and put my bags together.

Isabella: Kk. see you soon! :)

I grabbed my keys off the counter and locked the door behind me. The stairs in my apartment building creaked noisily in the almost empty hallway. Mr. Donnelly was petting one of his cats, so i gave him a pretty wide birth. Once on the street i was safe. I had enough room to kick someone in the balls here. My fathers mustang sat on the corner, glistening in the early morning sunlight. I inserted the keys into the ignition and enjoyed the feeling of the old engine rumbling beneath me.
After stopping at the closest Starbucks, I pulled into Garfield High School. Before i opened the door I took one small pill and a big deep breathe. Either people wouldn't recognize me and peg me as the strange, new girl, or they would know me immediatly from the news channels. I decided i needed some artificial confidence and opened the glove compartment. The lighter was the only sound in the car as i lit the cigarette and rolled the window down. I sat in the car for about 5 minutes before i decided i'd had enough of this.
Stop being such a damn coward! I thought to myself. I flicked the cigarette butt on the ground and opened the door. I stepped on the butt and grabbed my bag from the other seat, pulling my phone out of my back pocket. I opened a new text message to Isabella.

Me: Iz, where do you want me to meet you?

She text back almost immediately. Isabella: I'll meet you in the parking lot. Me and cody are pulling in in 3 minutes. Great, i'll have to wait. The longer i wait, the more i'll think. I leaned against the car and pulled out another cigarette. I took this one slow. The facebook icon on my phone blinked at me. I wasn't sure i wanted to look at it. To see what people were saying about me. Aww fuck it. I tapped the logo.
Nothing bad was said, just pity. I hated pity. Worst feeling to get. I got a shit tone of it when my father went to prison. And then i got even more after this incident. That's thing i really hate about my situation - Everybody knows about it. it wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't plastered on newspapers or TV channels. If i didn't have to wear a hoodie to the damn grocery store, it wouldn't be that terrible. If i didn't get emails from every major magazine in the state-wide area asking for an interview. If.... If.... If it didn't happen.
Cody's red pick-up truck pulled up into the spot next to mine. Isabella's red head was out of the car and wrapped around my stomach in seconds. I wasn't gonna tell her that she probably just set me in for another week of recovery.
"Ooooh, I miss you so much!" she said and looked up. I tried to whipe the smirk off of my face but couldn't help it. "Oh, shut up." She looked at my hand, where the cigarette still lingered in between my fingers. "You smoke?" she asked.
I shrugged and brought it up to my lips. "I started about a year ago, i just didn't want you get pissed at me, but i don't really care about your pissery anymore." I said, giving her a look that said something like 'I dare you to tell me to put it out.... Dare you.' she looked back and forth between my fingers and my face. Then she took it between her teeth and took a drag. "What the fuck?" i said.
Cody took it from her and gave it back to me. I nodded my thanks to him. "She's been trying to quite." He said.
"You been treating my girl good?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You think anyone else could get her to stop doing something?" He asked.
"Good, cause you know i'll have to bust your ass if you hurt her." I said and put an arm around Iz and walked towards the front doors. "You smoke?"
"Your absence sent me to a dark place, Jane. A deep dark place." She said. I snickered at her and she lightly socked me in the arm.
"Come on, Iz. Let's go to hell."