Shattered

~Chapter Two~

(Unedited)

Much to my dismay, it turns out that Henry is also in my English, art, and gym classes. And we even have the same lunch period. But I guess I don't really need to worry about it; I just have to make it to the back of the school. I've already swiped a pair of scissors from the office while Mrs. Hendricks was at lunch.

I pull open my locker door and a folded piece of paper slides to the floor. I wonder what class it's from... I unfold it.

Meet me out back. And don't bring the scissors.
-Henry

I freeze. Why does he want to meet me? Do I really look like that easy of a score? And better yet, how does he know about the scissors?

I look around, but no one's paying me any attention and Henry's nowhere to be seen. I don't move until the hallway clears, everyone leaving for the day. Then I quickly stuff my books into my bag, not caring how they go in as long as they fit. If Henry's going to be waiting out back, then I can't do it there and I most definitely am not going to meet him. I didn't want to do it in the girl's bathroom and leave the mess for them to clean up, but I suppose I would've made a mess on the concrete back there anyways. Still...

I slip into the girl's bathroom and check under each stall just to make sure there aren't any stragglers. When I'm sure the coast is clear, I quietly go into the farthest stall away from the door and lock it. I drop my bag on the ground and then slide down

"So this is it, I guess," I mumble to myself. "Eighteen years of wasted time..." I've finally talked myself into ending my life, but now as I'm sitting here on the floor of the girl's bathroom, I'm wishing it didn't have to end this way. Maybe if I had been different they wouldn't all hate me so much and I wouldn't be here... But it's still my fault, I guess. No matter how I spin it, it always comes back to being something about me. And nothing's going to change. Things never change. It'll just be the same thing over and over again: being raped by my brother, abused by my parents, hated by their friends... There really was no point to me being born in the first place. There never was...

"Mai...?"

I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't even heard the bathroom door open or the footsteps on the tiled floor.

"Mai, please, I know you're in here." I recognize the voice; it's Henry, but his voice sounds different. "I just want to help; you don't have to do this Mai."

How does he know?

I eye my backpack, wondering how quickly I'd be able to get the scissors out and get this over with. The noise of any sort of movement would lead him back here. But he's walking back here anyways...

I reach for the zipper on my backpack, but my hands are shaking so badly I can hardly get a good enough grip on it to pull it open. By the time I actually have it open, Henry is right outside the stall, threatening to climb over it if I don't open the door. I ignore him as best as possible as I pull out the scissors. Right as I have the cool metal pressed against my wrists, rough, warm hands wrap around my own. I look up to see Henry crouching in front of me, his light brown eyes wide with shock and concern. His lips open and close as if he wants to say something, but he doesn't. I just feel his warm breath fan out across my face.

I look down and realize he's managed to slip the scissors from my hands. Tears prick my eyes.

I was so close...

I try to pull away from him, but I can't because I'm already up against the wall and because he refuses to let my hands go. I try to grab the scissors back from him, but that only causes him to pull me up against him and wrap his arms around me tightly, keeping me from moving at all.