Saving Hope

Freeing Hope

"Hope, are you okay?" says Trish, trembling with fear. "Hello... Hope?"

"*audible crying*"

Trish walks towards the crying and looks under the door to see my feet and me curled up in a ball.

"Oh Hope..." Trish said sympathetically, while crawling under the stall door to come and hold me.

She didn't ask any questions, she just held me and told me things were gonna be okay. And for a second, I felt like I could breath and slowly the walls started to move farther away and me and Trish got up and left the stall and all I wanted to do was stay in  there, because I didn't want to go home and face my step dad and try to explain to him why I am home early. Well there wouldn't be much of talking if there would be any at all. I also didn't want to go back to the class because I feel like I made a fool of myself running out like that.

"Hope, we have to get back to class, the teacher is worried about you. I mean you've been in here for about 10 minutes."

"How do you expect me to go back in that classroom, after I pretty much ran out of there with the look of terror, and all they know is that some creepy 'hoodlum' kid talked to me and then the next thing they see is me raising my hand and running out"

"Well I mean I can walk you down to the nurse and they can call ho--"

"NO! I can't go home, he won't understand, he won't listen, he'll only hi--... I just can't go home early, you have to trust me on that."

"Hope, what does he do to you? Does he beat you? Is that why you have been walking with a limp all day today."

"Trish please"

"Take off the hat" she said her voice was full of mixed emotions that I couldn't focus on cause I was scared of what was about to happen next.

"Trish please, pleeaase don't make me do this" tears were rushing down my face and I could feel my whole body clenching with fear.

"I am not taking a no for an answer!" She rips off my beanie and moves my hair around to see the bald spot from where my step dad had ripped the chunk of hair out, from when he threw me into where the two walls meet. "Oh... Hope, why didn't you tell me. I could've helped you, I could've gotten you away from that house. I mean you can stay with me and my mom. We have a spare room and we have enough money to financially support taking in another person, and even if we didn't we would figure something out."

"I-I didn't know how to tell you, I mean it has been so long since my dad passed away and everything has changed. I just didn't know the words to say. I mean how do you tell your bestfriend that for years you have been your step-dad's personal punching bag."

"We are going up to the office right now and we are telling them what is going on. And you better not hold back, you better tell them everything. I promise that you will end up staying with me and my mom at our house."

(in Hope's head)

I didn't know what to say, I mean how can she keep a promise that big. Also how am I supposed to tell the principal or whoever I end up talking to about everything about my step dad. I mean what if they don't believe me or what if they just don't care.

(back in reality)

"Hope? Come on, we need to do something about this."

"How do you know?"

"What do you mean, how do I know?"

"You said you'd promise I'd end up with you and your mom? How do you know that I wouldn't end up in foster care or what if those people we are about to talk to, what if they don't care about what is happening to me. I mean my mom seems to not give a flying rat! So who says they will."

"You're right I don't know what exactly is going to happen, but even if you go into the foster care system my mom has her license to adopt and we could adopt you. There is always a way Hope, always a way. Please come with me to the office to tell them because I'm gonna go with you or without you. You are not gonna stay in that house anymore. I won't let you go home today"

"Fine, I guess it is better to go with you and face them at the time they are told instead of being pulled out of another class."

On our way up to the office I looked to my left and saw Jake and he looked concerned with a little bit of confusion. I could tell he wanted to talk to me, but he stayed still by his locker.

We got to the office and I felt like I was about to open a can of hell in my life and it would never be the same. You know I could care less about my step father but I still deeply care about my mom deep down, and I know that if I do this I'll never be able to see her again. And I've already lost my dad. I don't know what I am supposed to do without my mom.

"Hi I'm Hope Harris and I am here to talk to the principal about a personal matter, it is urgent."

"Okay go sit over there and I'll go notify his secretary." she smiled as if she didn't notice that I had been crying. Which made me feel more like everything I was about to say was gonna fall on deaf ears.

But now all there is to do is wait; we wait for the meeting that will change my life forever.