Maple

Ch5

Maple

I begged the tears not come down, biting my bottom lip with everything I got. My hand really hurts, I think I broke something. But I wasn't tearing up because of the pain, well, at least not completely. It was because I let a girl like Miranda step on my parents' picture. I can't believe that she could be so heartless.

Mr. Steven called after me, but I ignored him. I heard someone behind me apologize to him, saying that we'll be right back. I recognized the voice. It was David. He somehow managed to escape Mr. Steven's bickering; I heard his footsteps as he ran down the hallway behind me.

"Maple!" I didn't stop as he yelled out for me. For some reason, I didn't want him to see me like this. I clutched the photo closer to my heart. Holding back the tears until it hurt, I realized that I didn't know where I was going. I just wanted to get out of here, away from people, away from Miranda and her peers. My hand was killing me. I felt a familiar hand grip my shoulder and bring me to a halt.

"Will you just calm down and listened to me?" he said softly, turning me around. I wanted to tell him to leave me alone, but my throat was clogged with tears. He grabbed the wrist of my uninjured hand, which still gripped the photograph, and led me down the hallway. I tried to shake him off, but he just gripped me tighter.

"Your hand is hurt, I'll take you to the nurse's room" he explained. Finally, I gave up with trying to get away and allowed him to drag me to the clinic grudgingly. The whole time I couldn't say a word incase a sob would escape my throat instead.

We were almost at the room when he asked his first question.

"How long has this been happening?" I searched for my voice, taking an extended amount of time to answer.

"Since the beginning of grade ten" it came out much quieter then I had anticipated, but at least no tears or sobs escaped. 

"That's more than a year ago!" I flinched at the level of his voice. He knocked once before entering and pulling me in after him. The room was empty. He finally let go of my wrist and I rubbed it, then flinched and stopped when I realized that I was rubbing it with my injured hand.

"Have you not thought of telling anybody?" He asked without turning around to face me. Who? I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut as I felt the tears prickling my eyes again. I made no move to escape, I guess my hand hurt more that I thought it did.

When he didn't receive an answer he walked to the cabinet and searched through it before pulling out a roll of bandages. I gave him a quizzing look and he motioned for me to sit down on the bed.

"I think I've seen enough injuries to wrap up your hand, at least till the nurse comes" he explained, pulling up a chair so he could sit across of me. He studied my hand carefully, it was already starting to bruise and swell. He poked the tender skin and I flinched at the pain.

"Okay, I don't think it's broken, but you're going to need some ice" he said after he finished his evaluation. He got up and looked around the room for anything resembling a freezer or a cool box. I took the chance to carefully place my parent's photograph in my shirt pocket, close to my heart.

David found what he was looking for and came back holding a small bag of ice. He placed it on my hand carefully and I held my breath so I wouldn't yell in pain. The tenderness eventually subsided and I took the ice from him and held it myself.

"Now speak" he ordered "If you care so much about your parents then they must care about you, too" I swallowed hard and my eyes began to fill with tears, I knew what was coming. "So why don't you tell them about being bullied? I'm sure they'll help you."

My vision began to blur. There was no way out of this; I had to tell him the truth. I opened my mouth, and then closed it again when no words came out. He helped me many times before, he deserves to know, but it was the first time that I had to tell someone about it, and it was much harder than I thought it was going to be.

"My parents…" I began, my voice croaky and unsure "My parents are dead".  

David's eyes grew as big as saucers; to say he was surprised was an understatement. Before I could stop them, the tears that I had been holding back came rushing down my cheeks. I quickly covered my face with my hand. A sob raked through my body.

I hadn't cried this hard since their death.

David

I was stunned. How could I have been so unfeeling? She had obviously made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it and I had still continued to probe her with questions. And now I'm just sitting here while she's bawling her eyes out in front of me. I really didn't know what to do.

I got over my own idiocy and sat beside her on the bed. I put my arm around her and held her close. I could feel her shaking with each sob.

"I'm sorry" I said, but I wasn't sure what I was sorry for. My own throat constricted and my heart ached. How can I help her? That's when I remembered my own father.

"My dad died of cancer when I was six" I said. She didn't stop crying, but I could tell she was listening. "I don't really remember him much, but my mom does, and I know she still misses him."          

I recounted random memories that I had with him, like the time we went fishing together and he ended up falling into the lake or when it was my birthday and he bought me a remote control plane and I flew in into a tree the very same day. With each story Maple grew quieter, until all I could hear from her was the occasional sniffle.

I moved back to my own chair and proceeded with wrapping her swollen hand. The ice had helped somewhat, but it was starting to go green and purple.

"You can talk to me whenever you want, ok?" I was a novice at comforting people, but anyone would like someone to talk to, I think "If you think that it'll help." She sniffed and nodded. The nurse then walked into the clinic. She looked from me to Maple's tear streaked face, to her half wrapped swollen hand.

"Ok, well done kid, but you have to get to class" she finally said, shooing me out of the clinic.

"Wait-"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you girlfriend." she winked and closed the door shut. Teachers, I thought, rolling my eyes. 

I stood outside the room for a second, hesitating, before walking back to English. I just hope that Mr. Steven doesn't give me detention for being late. I didn't really care; I just had a few words to say to a couple of Barbie Dolls, that's all.

I entered the classroom and everyone turned to look at me, including Mr. Steven. Maple's books was stuffed back into her bag and put to the side. Apparently, the students didn't want Mr. Steven to know about the bullying.

"Glad you could join us" He said, clearly annoyed "take a seat, but I'd like to see you after school, if you please." I grunted and sat down, just as I had expected. As Mr. Steven started teaching again, I turned and searched the classroom. I found the girl I was searching for sitting with her friends at the opposite end of the classroom. I couldn't help but grin when I saw that her cheek was exceptionally red from the slap.

Way to go Maple.