Secrets and School

Chapter 8

I sighed and returned to the dining room with Dad. "Come on Zoe." I said, as she took her plate into the kitchen.

"Alright, bossy." She said, laughing. We went back upstairs and into my room. I was still contemplating taking my binder off. I would keep it on, then she wouldn't find out. She is my only friend, I didn't want to risk her ditching me.

"So then let's try again." We sat down a typed away. My chest felt heavier and heavier as time went on. I felt like crying but I didn't want her to find out. Eight o'clock. Just one more hour.

My back started hurting too and I felt like a crippled old man. I kept fidgeting trying to find a position which caused me less pain but nothing worked. Eight thirty. Not much longer.

We finally found a solution to the computing work. It was a very complex code but we got there. Zoe called her Mum so she could go home. We packed up the work and laptops and waited for Zoe's Mum to arrive. By this time I was in agony. We heard a car pull up and a knock on the front door.

We went downstairs and saw Zoe's Mum talking to my Mum, as Dad had left for work ages ago. "Thank you for having Zoe for , she doesn't get invited to other people houses very often." Zoe's mum said, as we walked up to them. "You must be Jake." Zoe's mum said to me giving me a hug. I nearly screamed from the amount of pressure on my chest, but I kept it bottled up. "You seem a lovely young man."

Zoe and her mum left shortly after. I ran back upstairs to get out of binder. I took a deep breath of relief before I looked in the mirror. Bruises had started to form on my chest. I flinched at the sight. I pulled on one of my brother's hand-me-down hoodies. I looked in the mirror again. Yep, can't see much of what was underneath.

I went downstairs and sat on the sofa. The TV was on a cooking show that Mum was watching. "Binder off?" She asked, looking over at me.

"Yep. Very sore." I said as I tried to get comfortable. The bruises made themselves known in every position. I sighed. Mum looked over at me concerned.

"Will you be alright to go to school tomorrow? Because it will be painful to wear your binder tomorrow." Mum asked.

"I will be fine. I need to keep Zoe company." I said as I shuffled again. I didn't know if I would be able to wear my binder tomorrow. I was in enough pain now without one.