Learn To Love Again

Failing Is The Expectation

     As I was changing into my gym clothes I though of my luck. I never would have thought I could have friends here. I have lived here my whole life. My mother and father used to be so fun to be around, they had been doctors. But when my mom lost her job after stealing medicine from the hospital my dad got up and left.

      I remember it so well. I was seven at the time. He knocked on my door and walked in and sat on the edge of my bed. He smiled sadly at me as I tuned my eyes. It was summer and I already had a bunch of DVDs picked out to watch with them. I had known things had been rough between them for days but didn't know how to help so I grabbed all our favorites and piled them by my door. He took my hand in his and spoke, "I have to leave honey. Your mom and I can't stay together any more. We have gotten a divorce. I want you to know I love you..." tears began to deep into my eyes, even though I was seven I knew how these things work, they fall out of love and move away.

     "No! No you can't!"

     "It's what's best for all of us."

     "Take me with you then!"

     He stood up, "I can't do that, your mom needs you right now. I'll come back for you though. Don't worry honey all of this will work out in the end. I love you."

     With that he left. I had chased after him, yelling and screaming for him to stop. He never did. I never caught up to him either after he got in his car and drove off.

     My mother had appeared at the door. I had run to her. But when I reached her I wasn't greeted  with a hug. She pushed me in the house and slammed the door. "This is all you fault! He never would have left if it wasn't for you! He should have taken you with him but I don't blame him for wanting a stupid child like you!" She frappes me by my shirt collar and dragged me to my room, opened the door all the way and threw me in. "Stay in here, I don't want to see your face!"

     And that's how it's been ever since. He never came back for me. And I no longer waited.

     A girl knocked of the bathroom door. "Um... excuse me... but are you almost done in there?"

     I threw my clothes in my bag and made sure my gym clothes were on correctly and headed out. "It's all yours." I was surprised when I saw who was standing there. It was the new girl. She had just moved here from Seattle. "Oh you must be the new girl." I instantly regretted speaking because I hadn't known if she had already learned I was the school's punching bag and if she wanted a turn.

     I was about to walk away when she said, "Yeah, I am. My names Zoey, nice to meet you."

     "Melody. Good luck today."

     "With what?"

     "The race."

     I waved before turning around and heading to my locker to put my stuff away. It only held my regular clothes because I didn't have a phone or anything to put in there. I was about to walk out to the gym floor when Bethany walked up to me. Hannah and Karen weren't too far behind her. "Well look here, trashy is trying to make friends with the new girl. Let me tell you now, you'll never be as cool as she is, she's going to join our group."

     "I was just saying good luck."

     "Sure you were." She pushed me and I fell to the floor, hitting my side on the bench between the lockers. "Know your place and stay there!" They laughed as they walked off.

     I rolled to the side clutching my right ribs in pain. I couldn't take much more of this. I hope I can ignore the pain enough today to run, thank god this was the last block of the day.