Sometimes, I wish I was good with people, I wish I was able to communicate like others do. I wish I was able to talk to people and have a good conversation, laugh like others do. But I'm just not good at people in general. Strangers being kind to me then maybe I wouldn't have been as I was just surprised or as untrusting when I saw her again.
"Hi!"
I rolled my eyes and continued walking to my first period.
"How was your weekend?"
She's been asking me questions like this constantly since we bumped into each other.
"Mine was amazing, it was my mom's birthday on Saturday and I woke up early so I could make her breakfast in bed; I made her bacon, eggs, pancakes and french toast."
She sounded proud.
It was easy to tune her out after a while, but then again, it was easy to tune everyone out.
She kept talking to me and then of course, of course - "Hey freak!", Matthew - the fucking golden boy of this hell- starts to walk our direction.
Alexandra looked to Matthew and his lackeys, her eyebrows furrowed.
I already knew what they wanted to do, I slowed my pace and just waited, just fucking waited.
Alexandra took her eyes off of them then looked at me - confused, "What are you doing?"
Matthew eventually made his way to us and when he did, he looked at Alexandra and said, "Oooh would you look at this, the freak made a new friend."
Alexandra growls, "Don't you dare call her a freak."
I looked at her in surprise, what is she doing? She needs to leave.
I pull on her sleeve before she decides to do something stupid, she looked back at me, a question in her eyes.
I just shook my head and gestured for her to go to class.
Confusion covered her features and I just sighed, pushing her toward the classroom.
"Listen to your freak friend, she knows what's good for you."
"Hey Mat, how can she listen, the freak doesn't even talk!" one of the lackeys say.
They look at each other and start laughing. I look at Alexandra and motion for her to continue walking.
Her eyes start to water and for the first time in all these weeks, it seems to dawn on her that I've not spoken one word in all our interactions - all of them one sided.
Her lip curls, in saddeness or disgust I'm not sure, but she looks like she wants to say something but the bell rings and I know that she doesn't like being late to class.
She's a good student.
A model student.
I look at her and motion with my head for her to go.
She looks at a smug Matthew, finally resigning and hurriedly leaves.
I sigh in relief, I look around the halls as they start to clear and then to Matthew.
"At least your 'friend' knows when to leave before things got ugly."
He looks to the two behind him, "Get her."
I'm picked up and shoved against the lockers, I try not to let out a grunt.
But the effort was wasted as I suddenly let out a yelp when the air gets knocked out of me.
"You're so pathetic, you know that? You're such a fucking freak." He punctuates as he lands another blow to my stomach and I let out a muffled scream.
"You don't fucking talk."
Another swing.
"You don't have any fucking friends."
Another grunt.
"Nobody knows your damn name."
Another yelp.
"Nobody."
A kick.
"Cares."
A slap.
"About."
And another yell.
"You."
I feel a snap before I hear it.
I let out a strangled sob.
I deserve this.
I fucking deserve this.
I tell myself over and over, until suddenly- "Hey!"
I'm dropped to the floor as the person says, "What are you kids doing?!"
I hear running and a "Get back here!"
Someone's at my side and I don't open my eyes just yet.
I lay there as I try to catch my breath taking gasps of air.
"I'm sorry I took so long, the security guards didn't want to get off their lazy asses."
Startled, my eyes shoot open and sure enough, Alexandra's there - kneeling beside me.
"Can you sit up?"
I continue to stare at her, I thought she went to class?
Waiting for an answer, she still has her eyes on me.
After a while she says, "What? Did you really think that I was going to go to class and let this happen to you?"
I still lay on the floor and just look at her, trying to figure her out.
"Hey", the security guards says, " is she ok?"
"No, they did quite the number on her, she can hardly sit up."
Hearing this, I make an effort to do just that. I hiss at the pain came from my abdomen and then from my lip.
Alexandra helps me sit up and the guard speaks into his walkie for a moment, I can't quite hear him.
I slowly get to my feet, still looking at Alexandra.
She returns my stare with a gaze of concern.
The guard comes between us and says, "Come on, I'll take you to the nurse, they already know you're coming."
Alexandra goes to say something but the guard beats her to it, " I'll write a pass for you, you need to be in class."
He hurriedly does so and she hesitates, like she's stuck.
She gazes at me before finally leaving.
I watch her go.
The guard and I make our way to the nurse's office.
The whole way there, I'm stuck in this state of confusion, with an abundant amount of questions.
Why didn't she just go to class?
Why did she go out of her way to help me?
A couple of others go through my head before I'm left with just one.
Where the hell did this girl come from?
YOU ARE READING
What Lies Beyond the Silence
General Fiction"Can you sit up?" I continue to stare at her, I thought she went to class? Waiting for an answer, she still has her eyes on me. After a while she says, "What? Did you really think that I was going to go to class and let this happen to you?"
