New Girl

Chapter Eight

“Okay... I’ll tell you what really happened. How I got these scars...” Perrie breathed out shakily and the grip around my small hands became almost painful, but I let her have her way. If this was what she needed I would give it to her. “Well, we weren’t really making things in Jonnie’s room new. But the part about the vase is true,” she laughed bitterly and with her other hand she wiped her eyes. “Mum and Jonnie had an argument about god knows so he decided to throw a vase at her. Mum grabbed me by my arm and pulled me in front of her so the vase...” She breathed out again and I brushed my thumb across her cheek.

“Pez, you don’t need to tell me, really,” I smiled sadly at her. She raised her head ever so slightly so she could look at me and a small smile crept upon her face. Although her eyes were puffy and her makeup smudged this smile was genuine and caused my heart to skip a beat.

“I want to...” She murmured and breathed out again, trying to calm herself. “It’s just really hard.” She looked away again, as if she couldn’t look me in the eyes whilst talking about it. She seemed to be ashamed of it and I felt anger building up inside me. Perrie’s mum didn’t leave a good impression on when I first met her but I had never thought she would use her one and only daughter, her own child, to protect herself. If I was a mother I would rather protect my children.

“It wasn’t too bad though,” she said and I gasped. “Not too bad?!” I asked in shock and anger. “This is very bad!”

“Shush!” Perrie looked at me pleadingly and I didn’t care if we would miss sports now. “Please, I don’t want anyone to hear us... Please, Jade...”

I nodded and stroke her cheek again, trying to comfort her a bit. It was hard for me to see Perrie like this but at the same time I admired her for not talking about this ever. She was the strongest person I had ever seen and this was one of the reasons I loved her for –  her flawless body and face and her amazing laughter, those perfect lips and legs, those petite hands and everything else that made Perrie Perrie were just plus-points.

“On the weekend my parents and Jonnie drove somewhere when I was at school, leaving a note that they would be home the next day after midday. They are doing this quite a lot so I knew it already and I always use these days to have sleepovers. Mostly my parents don’t recognize it when I invited the girls over but yesterday they somehow found out... Don’t ask me why.” She breathed out again and more tears formed in her eye. I wanted her to stop but before I could even open my mouth she was talking again, “And they... thought they had to punish me. Mum’s favourite punishment is cigarettes.” Again she laughed bitterly. I flinched as an image struck my mind – Perrie’s mum pressing her fag onto Perrie’s stomach, not minding the screams that escaped the girl’s mouth and again I felt like I had to throw up. “Dad has this belts he hardly wears, and he mostly uses them for occasions like this because they hurt more than the ones he wears more often. When Jonnie... was around fifteen he had made a party when our parents where gone and I remember he wasn't able to rest on his back for a week...”

“Perrie...” I sighed as she didn't say anything for a few minutes. I squeezed her hand and she winced a bit so I immediately let go off her. “Sorry...” I muttered and she smiled a little. “I... I really don't know what to say... You deserve so much better... Why did you never tell anyone? Someone could've helped you...”

“I like the life I have in school... I don't want to give it up for something I hate... Please, Jade, you told me you wouldn’t tell anyone, please,” she whimpered and I felt my heart breaking into a million pieces. I felt so useless, so... I had no words for it, I was overwhelmed, but in a bad way. I was so extremely sorry for her!

“I won’t Perrie, I promise,” I whispered and pulled her into a hug to calm her down. Her sobs were filling the air and the tears streamed down both our faces as I tried to comfort her – which wasn’t really easy since I could’ve needed comfort too.