Unfinished & Unpublished Stories

Original Draft; Ladybug Dreams

1

My best friend always came off as a bubbly person in public, but at home she was anything but. She ran away at the age of eleven to live with a man she considered her boyfriend. Her parents were finalizing their divorce and were financially troubled, so they willingly let her into the hands of a stranger. Two years later, she's thirteen and he's twenty five. At first my only concern was their age difference, but as I matured I realized the danger she really was in. Not only could she be sexually assaulted, I started to notice bruises on her. She desperately tried to cover and hide the marks and scars. Everyone else might have been fooled, but I wasn't. The more I tried to confront her about it the more distant and aggressive she became towards me.

I rushed through the thick snow to the nurse's office. I had been sent news that my best friend collapsed in the hall and was taken to the nurse's room. As soon as I got there I hesitated to enter, I was afraid of what might've became of my dear friend. I took a deep breath then barged through the door. She sat on the bed facing me but I couldn't quite see her face. The light coming from the window behind her was blinding. I slowly walked closer to her. Her face was pale with red streaks that started beneath her eyes and rolled off her cheeks. She'd been crying, a lot. "Are you okay? What happened Amy?" I didn't want to bother her with so many questions when she was ill but I had to know. She puts her face in her hands and begins to softly cry. I sat next to her and pulled her hands from her face, then I pulled her in for a comfort hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" she whispers in my ear. It didn't matter what she did, I cared too much for her to ever be mad at her. " It's okay" I respond in a calming tone. She pushes away and breaks up the hug. She looks me straight in the eyes with a guilty stare. "It's not okay... He..." She started crying harder then before. I picked her hands up and held them gently within mine. "He what? What'd he do?" My concern began to worsen. When she finally stopped crying she smiled at me. "He said I can't talk to you anymore if I want to stay with him. I'm sorry." I could tell she was trying her best not to cry. Before I could get another word out the nurse came in with word of her guardian's arrival. It made me uneasy watching her walk out knowing she was returning to his side. "Come on let's go!" I could hear the aggressiveness in his voice as I passed through the hall. Just thinking of the acts that would occur at their home upset me. Without realizing it I had begun to cry.

The next morning was bitterly cold. You could tell it was winter. The glassy snow had a bright shine reflecting off it, it made me think of the day I met Amy. Just like today it was a cold, bitter, and lonely day. Today was much calmer though. We were only seven back then, we didn't know much and we didn't see much. But she still stood up and saved me. A few of my classmates had me surrounded, they took their turns beating on me. They jumped me because of my foreign looks, I didn't understand how kids could be so judge mental at the time. I had given up hope of being helped. The beating continued, even some older children joined in. They had stripped me of most of my clothing and what was left of it was torn. Cold and bloody I lied there in the snow waiting for my death. That's when she appeared. She was a short brunette child. She was shorter than most of them but still managed to push her way through to the center. There she stood and put her arm under mine and lifted me to my feet. She told them the teachers were on their way with the police and that if they didn't scram they'd be done for. They doubted her at first until an older kid said that he'd seen them. No one ever arrived, instead she carried me home. Ever since then we've been friends.

At the school entry gates Amy and him stood embracing each other. It was only an eyesore in my opinion. It irritated me even more knowing Amy and I made eye contact, yet she gave me the cold shoulder. I really can't stand that dude, and they both knew it. That's why he loves to make things difficult between Amy and I.

Amy couldn't avoid me forever even if she wanted to. We had every hour together and she doesn't have many other friends. In first hour she sat next to me, that's when I noticed it. Today it wasn't a bruise, it was a hickey! She was still trying to give me the cold shoulder but I couldn't help but tell her. " Amy.." I whispered but instead of listening she put her earbuds in. That was it, if she wasn't going to listen I myself will do something about it. I couldn't just let her get in trouble and embarrass herself. I stood up then took my jacket off. I put it around Amy's shoulders and took out one of her ear-buds then whispered, "You really shouldn't let people see your hickeys' ." As I was escorted to the hall I looked back to see Amy's flustered face. She looked adorable, she truly was like a little sister to me.