Between The Lines

Chapter 72: Back To School

Rebecca's POV (1st Person):

The morning light filtered through my bedroom window, casting a soft glow across the room. I stirred, feeling the dull ache of my bruises as I shifted under the covers. Liana was already awake, sitting at my desk with a concerned look on her face.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she said softly, coming over to sit on the edge of my bed. "How are you feeling?"

I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "Sore. Really sore."

She nodded, her expression sympathetic. "I figured. Let's get you ready for school, okay? I'll help."

I wanted to protest, to tell her I could manage on my own, but I was too exhausted to argue. "Okay," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Liana helped me out of bed, guiding me to the bathroom. She ran a warm bath, helping me undress and easing me into the water. The warmth was soothing, easing some of the pain from my bruised body. She left me to soak for a while, returning with a clean towel.

"Feeling a bit better?" she asked as she helped me out of the tub and wrapped me in the towel.

"A little," I admitted, my voice still shaky.

She smiled, leading me back to my room. She had laid out my school uniform, and I sat down on the edge of the bed as she helped me get dressed. Her movements were gentle, careful not to aggravate my injuries.

When I was finally dressed, she guided me to the dresser and sat me down. She picked up a hairbrush and started working through the tangles in my hair.

"I'm going to braid it for you," she said softly. "It'll keep it out of your face."

"Okay," I replied, feeling a lump in my throat.

As she braided my hair, I looked in the mirror and saw the bruise forming on my left cheek. Red marks crisscrossed my skin, a stark reminder of the previous night's events. I lifted a finger and traced around the bruise. I tried to hold back the tears, but they slipped down my cheeks anyway.

Liana caught my eye in the mirror, her expression pained. "We'll figure this out, Rebecca. I promise."

I nodded, unable to speak. She finished the braid and gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "There. All set."

We walked downstairs together, the house eerily quiet. My mom was in the kitchen, her eyes red from crying. She gave me a small, sad smile as Liana and I walked past.

Liana drove me to school, the car ride filled with a heavy silence. When we arrived, she parked and turned to me, her eyes filled with worry.

"Are you sure you're okay to go to school today?" she asked.

I nodded, trying to muster a smile. "I'll be fine. Thanks, Liana."

She reached over and gave me a tight hug. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," I promised, hugging her back.

As I got out of the car, Liana followed and joined me on my side of the car. I accidentally bumped the door into the car parked next to us. I looked up and saw that it was an expensive one. For some reason, I started to laugh, and Liana did as well.

We both started to laugh uncontrollably, the kind of laughter that made your sides ache and tears stream down your face. It was the best we had felt in a long time, and for a moment, all the tension and pain melted away. We were doubled over with laughter when the school bell rang, signalling the start of the day.

"Nice one," Liana managed to say between giggles.

I shrugged, still chuckling. "Hey, at least we started the day with a laugh."