Sweet Lies and Bloody Thighs

IV

The cross country coach stood watching the team stretch. She was a stout woman. An extremely stereotypical female coach. Track suit, short hair, and more of a masculine figure. She turned towards me as I approached.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I want to join the team, please," I said quietly. Just talking to her was nauseating. Fear gripped at my chest like an angry wasp. Ms. Burndink looked me up and down. I could see the look of disapproval in her eyes.

"Sorry, but I don't think you're cut out to be in the team. It's hard work, and frankly, you look like you would pass out at the word 'sprint'." She said almost immediately.

"Please, just give me a chance," I begged her. Deciding to join the team was difficult. There wasn't much I could do, but running was something I could. Ms. Burndink stared at me for a second.

"You have one chance. We're doing a relay today. You will be the final stretch for your team," she didn't believe in me. Which was kind of fair. I didn't look like much. I nodded in response and started stretching with the others. After a few minutes the teams were assigned.

Nicole and Jayden offered reassuring smiles. They were either really slow or really fast. Everyone lined up. The starters waited for the signal then took off. Jayden took off like a rocket.

Alright, so they're fast.

Another girl quickly passed her though. Jayden tried her best but stayed just inches behind the other girl. She passed the baton to Nicole. Nicole was quick as well. I quickly noticed the reason the two were just barely behind was because they weren't stretching their legs like they were supposed. They both had stopped just short.

Nicole grew closer and closer. I started a slow trot to get going. My hand held out behind me. Nicole pressed the object into my hand. "Sorry," she breathed.

Once my hand closes around the baton I was off. Ava was a few feet ahead of me. I was catching quickly though. She was fast yes, but she never had any real competition from the other girls on the team. In seconds I streaked passed her. I could hear the confused 'what?' she cried.

I crossed the line first, only slowing down after I crossed. The others trickled in. They were shocked.

"Hm, welcome to the team."

———————

The house was silent. My mom and dad weren't home yet. That or they wouldn't be home at all. I started to clean. If I didn't I would be in a world of hurt. Basically the same world I lived in everyday. Hours passed as I cleaned the house top to bottom. My parents still weren't home.

Guess it's time for a walk.

I hesitated. It was still cold outside and I didn't have anything to protect me. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

The door slammed open. Both of my parents walked in. Yelling immediately filled the quiet space. They were mad.

"It's your fault for not aborting the bitch!" My father yelled. He grabbed me by the arm and threw me to the ground, almost like it was more muscle memory than anything.

"Maybe you shouldn't have gotten me pregnant!" My mom yelled back. They yelled back and forth. Dad kicked me to emphasize certain words of his sentence. He had knocked the air out of me a few times. Breathing was becoming a struggle.

Mom grabbed me by the hair. She screamed that she hated me so much because I looked like him. She hated me, because she hated him. Seconds later I was slammed back into the ground.

All of it seemed like they weren't even meaning to. More like I had just happened to be within reach and they were doing all of this subconsciously.

My nose was bleeding, so was my lip and I had a cut on my cheek. My ribs hurt to the point of not being able to take a full breath. Ringing took over. The only thing I could really see was my own blood on the ground.

"Get the hell out!" Dad screamed at me. He grabbed me and dragged me to the door where he threw me outside. "Don't come back until your bruises are gone!" The door slammed and the screaming continued.

I tried to pick myself up. My arms were weak, my legs threatened to give out. Slowly, I walked, limped, away. What should have taken me minutes took me half an hour.

The large brick wall of the pavilion offered a decent place to stop and sit. Not like I had a choice though. I almost collapsed the second my foot hit the concrete. My back pressed against the cold wall. I was so cold.

Cold, hurt, couldn't breathe, hear or, see very well. I coughed. Blood came up from my throat and landed on the ground next to me.

Please no. No hospitals. Please no hospitals.

Panic clouded my mind. The current struggle to breath became harder. Gasps for air came quick and short. My chest and ribs screamed. I couldn't get enough oxygen no matter how hard I tried.

Someone dropped down in front of me. At that moment I couldn't make out who it was, nor did I care. Trying to breathe was my main concern.

"Heyheyhey, calm down," they said. Hands were placed on my shoulders. I flinched away. Everything hurt. My skin was covered in bruises and cuts. "It's okay! I won't hurt you." I couldn't really tell what they were saying. Whoever it was placed something around me. The wind no longer bit at my exposed arms. Something strong wrapped around me, pulling me close. "Listen to me..."

They spoke. As far as I could tell it wasn't anything in particular. They talked just to talk. To try and hold my attention. Their chest rose and fell steadily. Eventually, I found myself slowly starting to match the breaths they took. It still hurt. I coughed again. Some more blood came up. Not enough that would be concerning. After living my life, I knew when it should be and when it shouldn't.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. There was no way I could speak louder than that. "Please..... Don't take me.... the hospital..... No hospitals..." I struggled to form the sentence. My head rested against their chest. They were warm. Something I hadn't felt in I don't know how long.

My room at home didn't have A.C. or heating. All of my warm clothes had been torn apart. The only time it place I get warmth was school or when my parents weren't home.

"I won't, not yet," he said quietly. Now I could kind of tell it was a guy. Who exactly it was, I still couldn't tell. "Let me take you somewhere safe, okay?"

I was barely able to nod before everything went blank. All I could think about was whoever it was, was warm and I was freezing.