DEAD

P U P P E T

The next day of school Abbey walked inside the school and thought about what Blake had told her about Valentine. She was in our class? How come she never noticed her? Well, it wasn't her fault, she hadn't noticed a lot of people. As she entered her class, expecting to be the first kid she noticed another person in the class, it was a girl, she sat in the back and was wearing a sweater, the hood covering her face.

"Oh hello." Abbey looked at the girl, she didn't seem to hear Abbey call out to her.

"What's your name?"

"I'm not allowed to talk to you." The girl didn't look up at Abbey, she just spoke to her.

"Are you Valentine?" Abbey questioned her, having an idea of who she might be. The girl didn't answer, she just stayed silent and looked at her desk.

"You are, aren't you.."

"And if it is... why does it matter to you.."

"I want to help you... everyone wants to.." Abbey sighed. " What did your father do to you yesterday... I heard you scream... when I was walking home the other day... and I'm worried." Valentine looked up at Abbey, revealing a bruise on her face.

"My dad... raped me..."

...

Abbey was blank.

She was scared.

How could someone's father rape them? Valentine seemed so sweet, too sweet to be abused.

"How come you guys don't even try to talk to Valentine."

"Because. she doesn't want us to." Blake responded chewing on a burger.

"But I got to talk to her this morning."

" What did she say?"

"Nothing important." Abbey didn't want to tell anyone about what Valentine had told her, She doubted that Valentine wanted anyone to know. Abbey was lucky to even get that far to knowing about what one of the things Valentine's father did to her at home.

...

Valentine looked at Abbey from a distance, she was confused about why a girl like her would talk to her in any type of way. She regretted telling her the thing that her father did to her yesterday.

"Maybe she thinks I'm lying... Like everyone does..." Valentine sighed and looked down at her hands, slightly covered by the ends of her sweater that she wore. She always wore one, feeling like she's protected by the wool cloth. Her hands were the closest thing you can get to from looking at her skin. Her skin is pale, sensitive, and covered in bruises and cuts from her father. Now, everyone thinks that Valentine is suicidal, that she did that to herself and blames her father for it. Even all her therapists and Counselors believe that it's her too. Except, Miss. Jablenchiky, a sweet German woman that has also gone through what Valentine has went through. Miss. Jablenchiky cared for Valentine like she's her mother.

Valentine sighed and went up to the counselors' offices to talk to her favorite Counselor.

...

Miss. Jablenchiky was waiting for her favorite girl to come up to meet her, she knew Valentine was coming from the email that she sent her.

"Hi, Miss. J... " Valentine waved to the woman.

"Good afternoon dear, what brings you here today?"

"My dad."

"What about him now?" Miss. Jablenchiky asked.

"He's the devil... but I don't deserve to be in hell."