this is me trying (9-1-1: Lone Star)

5

It's the next day. Saffron wakes up and does her usual routine. Once she's ready, she heads downstairs and sees Richard and Ellen in their usual spots at the table.

'Before you can go to school, you can make us a cup of coffee each.' Richard tells her, the moment she walks in. 'You know how we like it.' Saffron nods, places her bag on the kitchen island and gets to work making the coffee. 10 minutes later, the coffee is done. Carefully, she walks over to the dining table, places one mug in front of Ellen and walks to Richard to give him his. Suddenly, she trips, causing some of the coffee to spill over her hand, the rest goes on the floor.

'Fuck.' She hisses in pain, shaking her hand. Tears start filling her eyes.

'You stupid girl!' Richard shouts, jumping up from his seat. Saffron ignores him, quickly walks to the sink and holds her hand under some cool water. 'Did you just ignore me?' Richard seethes, walking over to her.

'I'm- I'm sorry.' Saffron trembles, not looking at him. 'It-it hurts. Really bad.' The next thing she knows, her head whips to the side and pain radiates across her right cheekbone.

'Get the hell out of my sight.' Saffron now looks at him and sees his right hand clenched into a fist at his side. 'Now!' He picks up her bag and throws it at her. 'Don't forget what you promised us yesterday.'

'Yes, sir.' She nods quietly before hurrying out of the kitchen. With her right hand still throbbing with pain, she takes her phone out with her left hand and clumsily texts Ben to say that she'll be walking to school today and that she'll meet him in Alex's classroom, like they normally do if one is going to be at school earlier than the other.

'I don't hear you leaving!' She hears Richard shout. Quickly, but carefully, she puts her phone back into her pocket, her bag on her back and she leaves.

.

Half an hour later, Saffron arrives at the school. She makes her way to Alex's classroom and sees that Alex and Ben are already in there. Alex is leaning against his desk whilst Ben sits cross-legged on one of the student tables. Her eyes are still full of tears and her cheeks are shiny from crying. On top of that, a red mark has started to appear on her cheek. As soon as they notice this, Ben jumps off the table and Alex stands up straight.

'Saff? What happened?' Ben asks, walking towards her.

'It's nothing.' Saffron shakes her head. 'He got angry because I spilled some coffee.'

'Saffron, you know I have to report this right?' Alex tells her, walking to stand beside Ben. 'You came to us on school grounds, if the board get wind that I didn't report it-'

'I know.' Saffron nods. 'You've reported it before, nothing has ever come from it. So, I've given up trying to convince you not to.' Ben looks down at her arm and sees that whilst her left hand is showing, her right hand is pulled up into her sleeves. Saffron catches his looking and sighs. 'He didn't do this.' She pulls her right hand out which is now an angry shade of red. 'The coffee spilled on my hand.'

'Take her to the nurse.' Alex tells Ben. 'I'll warn her you're coming.'

'It's fine.' Saffron shakes her head. 'It hurts like fucking hell, but it's fine.'

'I'm not taking no for an answer, Saff.' Alex folds his arms. 'You need to get it looked at. If the nurse thinks you need to go to hospital, then I'll speak to the principal and accompany you there.'

'I don't want to go to the hospital.' Saffron mumbles.

'Did you run it under water?' Alex raises an eyebrow.

'Only for like a minute.' Saffron replies. 'Dad pretty much chucked me out of the house after he did this.' She points to her cheek.

'Please, go to the nurse.' Ben pleads with his best friend. 'We don't know what damage has been done.'