Wallflower

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I loved when my brother came home. He always looked out for me and wanted to know how I was doing. We always got along, even as kids. After everything happened, we became even closer than before. Then he left, and I was devastated. I remember overhearing him tell my mom that the only reason he had to stay was because of me, but that getting out of our house and taking his mind off of everything was better for him. He couldn't live with us anymore and he couldn't stand hearing about my dad or Faith anymore. Whether he thought about it alone or not was his business, not ours, but he certainly couldn't hear my mom talking about it and crying about it, and it was all too overwhelming for him. And what I remember hearing him say, more like yell, to my mom was, "The last thing I want to do is leave Louisa, especially how she is right now with everything. I want to stay and I want to help and I want to be there for her, but seeing her like this is too much. Seeing her so worked up over it and constantly sad and depressed, having anxiety attacks to where she passes out, and not eating and just crying all the time hurts me to an extent where I have to get away from it. I'm not leaving because you or her, I'm leaving because of me. This is too much all at once."

And he was right. It was all too much. One bad incident after another. It was like a game of tragic dominoes made from my family and I was the last one in the line up.

Me and Zayn finished our English project that next Tuesday and it was due on Friday. Therefore, we had 3 days of class to do absolutely nothing while everyone else worked. The teacher said she was proud of me for actually doing my work and picking such a reliable partner. I told her it was my idea to finish early and she looked shocked. Which, she should've been. I was even surprised myself. I think it was Zayn. He was my incentive to do better and actually do the stuff I was supposed to.

Friday morning I walked through the hall to my locker and Zayn wasn't there yet. As I walked away to head to Janet's locker Lilly stopped me.

"Get away from me, Lilly.", I said trying to walk around her.

"No, wait.", she pushed my shoulder up so I couldn't get away. She was much taller than she was in middle school. We used to be the same height, but I stopped growing. "I heard you and Zayn are pretty close."

"Maybe. So?"

"You guys are nothing alike and he isn't even your type."

"How would you know my type? And we're more alike than you'd think."

"Oh, you're getting braver. Talking back to me now.", she scoffed.

"Because I'm over you. I'm over the petty things you hate me for and I'm just done with the stupid stuff you say."

I walked away from her and she started to clap. "The freak stands up for herself."

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around and walked up to her again. I just looked her right in the eyes and I slowly slid my foot behind hers. It was a chance I was definitely willing to take. I didn't care what she did to me or said about me. In one swift movement I brought my foot back towards me and pulled her leg out from under her, causing her to fall on her butt. She gasped as I smirked to myself and walked quickly to Mrs. Baylor's room.

In English I told Zayn what I did and he was shocked. I just told him how fed up I was with her. Lilly didn't tell the principal or anyone. I knew she wouldn't because all the staff at our school love me and they all give me sympathy for what I've been through. I'd tell them everything she's said to me and she'd be the one getting in trouble.

For a few weeks Lilly never said anything to me or barely even looked at me. I don't think she was afraid because of what I did, I think she was more afraid that she looks inferior to me now instead of the other way around.