I was returning home from the regular school day; study this, read that, getting bullied by the same boy. It was becoming routine for me to arrive back home and immediately go and hide away in my room so that no one can see the bruises that stained my skin.
Today was no different.
Dropping my backpack to my bedroom floor, I sighed heavily and stepped in front of the mirror hanging on the wall. An open wound cut through my right eyebrow as black and blue smothered my eye; my lip covered in dried blood that had only just stopped bleeding as a scrape at my chin was beginning to scab over. My hair was a mess; dirt, pieces of leaves and grass still tangled amidst the dark curls from where I had been beaten to the ground. This was fast becoming my natural look.
I heard the closing of the front door sound out from downstairs. I rushed over to my dresser, reaching for my Yankees cap and throwing the hat over my head, placing it to cover up my face as much as I possibly could. I threw on my hoodie, zipping it up all of the way to refrain my mom from seeing the bruises that continued on down my neck and chest.
"Sal, I'm home!" My mom called up the stairs as I braced myself, soon stepping slowly down the stairs to greet her. "I got takeout!"
"Hey, Mom." I greeted, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She kept her back to me, rummaging through the drawers.
"How was school today?" She asked, distracted.
"Fine." I lied.
"Good." My mom replied, waving her hand in gesture. "Go and sit in the living room, we can have our dinner on our laps and watch TV tonight."
"Thanks, Mom." I smiled weakly, following her suggestion.
I sat in my usual spot on the sofa, taking the remote in my hand and pressing the power button. Skimming through the different channels, I could see the door to the living room swing open, before my mom entered and placed down a tray of Chinese food onto the coffee table in front of me.
"Thanks..." I acknowledged, though my tone was somewhat timid.
"Come on, eat up, Son." She took her seat next to me and I could feel her eyes on me. "Sal, is that--?"
"It's nothing." I dismissed, knowing that she had noticed the markings over my face.
"It's not nothing," She stressed. "Tell me...now, Salvatore."
I knew I was in trouble when she used my full name. I swallowed hard, shutting off the television as I shifted in my place on the sofa, turning to face her. I hesitated, unsure of the reaction that I was going to receive, before I removed the baseball cap from my head, revealing every bruise and scar across my face.
My mom gasped. Horror held in her eyes as a single tear began to roll its way down her cheek. I never wanted to see her this way. I bowed my head, ashamed. "Wh-Who did this to you?"
"No one." I lied once more as her face contorted into anguish.
"Sal..." She breathed shakenly. "...you can tell me."
"Just some boys at school." I shrugged.
"Which boys?" She asked.
"No one you know," I deceived. Lying to my mother, this was a new low for me.
"I'm calling your principal." Mom insisted, reaching for the phone as I pulled the device out of her grasp. "Sal!"
"It'll only cause more trouble." I explained sorrowfully, sniffling softly. "Please, Mom...just let me handle this."
"Okay." She caved, not entirely happy with her decision. "But you tell me if there's anything I can do to help."
"I will, Ma." I agreed, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I promise."
YOU ARE READING
Die A Little
Fanfiction[Book One of Die A Little Series] Full story adaptation of the original 'Boy in the Bubble' one shot. Set in high school, Sal is the quiet kid at the back of the class with a weighing thought on his mind. He's always known that he was different, bu...
