Shattered

~Chapter One~

(Unedited)

I don't dare make a sound, for fear of waking my dad up. Jackson grins down at me, but not in any way that I find comforting. He forces his lips upon mine one last time before pulling away, yanking up his pants, and walking out my bedroom door like nothing even happened. I lie there for a moment longer, in the same stunned numbness this always leaves me in. But I force myself up, hearing the bus pull into the neighborhood. I quickly clean myself up to look somewhat presentable before I sprint out the door, grabbing my backpack on the way. I make it to the bus stop just in time, wiping away the few tears that had managed to fall. I slip into the usually empty front seat.

I hug my sweatshirt tighter around me, staring out the window. I cross my legs, feeling gross and violated in the worst kind of way. It still gets to me every time. I've tried to ignore it, to not be a wimp about it, but I can't. It's too much.

I watch the landscape roll by seemingly endlessly. Then the boring terrain takes a turn for the bright side when we reach the outskirts of the city. The school comes into view, sitting amongst old, abandoned buildings that the kids dared each other to break into almost every night, it stands out like a sore thumb. The brick is a stark white, despite its dirty surroundings, and the glass paneling gives it an almost futuristic look. It feels more like a detention center because of the bars on every window. They claim its for our safety, but I'm not so sure anymore.

I get off the bus when it pulls to a stop and walk inside with the sea of moving bodies pressing in on me from all sides. I journey upstairs to the third floor with the other seniors and make my way to my locker. I throw my backpack inside it and only pull out the books I need for my first class, AP Statistics. The thick blue book feels heavy in my sore arms, only another reminder of what's happened to me.

I walk straight across the hall into room 310 and take my seat in the back of the classroom as always. Mr. Dane is at his desk reading today's newspaper. He doesn't bother looking up, knowing I'm always the first one to class.

"Good morning, Mai."

"Good morning, Mr. Dane."

His glasses peer over the top of his paper. "You only call me that when you're stressed." He folds his paper and sets it down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I quickly shake my head. "No, everything is okay."

He's about to say something more, but students begin filing in right before the bell rings.

***

Statistics goes by slowly, but afterwards I'm able to make my escape without being stopped by Mr. Dane. I make a quick stop by my locker before going to AP Chemistry class with my books in hand. No one bothers me, or really notices me for that matter, but I don't mind. I take up my place at the back of the room, the only one of two work tables still with open seats.

Not too long after I pull out my notebook, Mrs. Kinney walks in with a large stack of folders in her arms and her lab coat already on. Everyone takes their seats.

"All right, before we begin going over the procedure for today's lab, I'd like to introduce a new student." She gestures beside her to a boy I hadn't even seen standing there. "This is Henry, a transfer student from the east coast. Treat him kindly and show him school spirit." Then she hands him a folder and gestures towards me. I never had to work with a partner before, more than capable of doing experiments by myself and in nearly half the time of other students. I slide my books closer to me and keep my head down as he sits besides me.