𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚

Eight

ARABELLA

I slump against the bathroom door and clutch onto my stomach. I cover my eyes with my arm as sobs rack through me.

After I got home from work, Adam somehow found out about Rico being there and got really mad.

He told me to eat a bunch of food and I didn't question anything but I was very confused. I thought he just wanted to move on from the subject but I was very wrong.

He made me eat a lot so he could kick me in the stomach over and over until I had to go to the bathroom and throw it all up. He knew I hated the feeling of puking.

I guess this was his form of punishment.

My body is littered in fresh bruises and I cry harder than I have in the past month.

I want him to stop. I want this to stop. I just want everything to stop for a moment.

Just one moment.

My heart feels like it's being filled with poison and hurt. I try to breathe in but all I feel is pain.

And not physical pain.

I'm so tired, so tired of this constant beating with Adam. I'm so tired.

I just want the pain to be gone...

⚠️ SH WARNING ⚠️

My eyes catch sight onto a pair of scissors on the counter. My eyes linger on it.

Don't do it.

Its so close though.

You are 8 months clean, don't do it.

I pick my beaten body up from the ground. I want to be distracted from the pain I feel in my heart.

I grab the scissors and I sit on the toilet seat. Don't do it.

I feel a sob rack through me as I lift up my arm that has purple bruises on it.

I lift the scissor and open it up so it shows the blade.

Don't do it.

I feel wetness coat my cheeks and fall onto my arm. I just want to feel something. Something other than mental hurt in my heart.

I bring down the blade and watch the blood ooze from my wrist. Stop it! STOP IT!

I can't.

Cut after cut, I finally stop after I get dizzy. I grab the toilet paper and press it hardly onto my wrist to stop the bleeding.

⚠️SH WARNING OVER ⚠️

I breathe out a sharp breath.

My lifeless and bruised body slumps against the ground and I feel no more tears fall.

I curl myself into a ball as I clutch my broken body.

Maybe he isn't doing this as punishment. What if... What if he does it for entertainment?

Stop. He loves you. Him beating you shows his love.

I'm starting to not believe that.

I'm starting to believe that this isn't love. It was never love.

It. Was. Never. Love.

~

At work, I put on a smile as I take customers orders.

My body aches but I push the pain back as I hear people's conversations in the distance.

Since I had to cover things, I wore a long white sleeve t-shirt and my everyday work skirt but with black leggings underneath. I have my straight red hair into a high messy bun with a few strands out as I tried to cover my freckles since Adam said they look ugly.

I walk into the back room and slowly set myself onto the couch after standing for hours. My eyes attempt to close after getting no sleep at night but I keep them open.

After a few minutes, the bell rings, telling me someone just walked in.

I pick up my body and hiss as I walk to the counter.

I rub my fist against my eyes and try to wake myself up. I have no doubt that I have heavy eye bags and I look like poop.

When I look up, my eyes widen when I see the boys from yesterday. Including Rico.

I tuck some strands of hair behind my ears as I stand behind the register.

"Welcome back! What would you all like to order?" I say with my fake customer voice and they all order the same thing from last time.

I tell them the price and they give me a twenty again as I give them back their change. I watch as they walk back to the same booth but the boy I met when I fell looked at me with worry in his eyes.

As I wait behind the counter, I hear a thud in the back room and I rush to go see what it was.

I gasp as I see Stacy on the ground, holding her ankle.

"Stacy! Are you okay?" I rush to her side and put my hand on her shoulder.

She nervously chuckles and looks at me, "I'm okay shortcake, I just have a twisted ankle and I guess working isn't really the best idea." She sadly laughs and I frown at her.

"Here, I will give these drinks to them. Who are these for?" I grip the trey and I feel my cheeks heat up when I look at the cups.

I know exactly who these are for.

"Um- the group of boys." She nods her head at them I nervously nod before making my way towards them.

When Rico sees me, he raises a eyebrow at me weirdly holding the trey of drinks.

"Um... Here you guys go." I set the drinks on the table and they oddly look at me.

"Where is Stacy?" One of the boys say and I feel embarrassment fill me up.

They didn't want to see you, they want to see her. This isn't your job you stupid ugly fat girl.

"Um, she had a accident." I say shakily. After they are all situated on the table, I turn to leave but a voice yells out.

"Hey! Gorgeous, wanna come sit with us?"
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