After finishing breakfast, I quickly made my way upstairs to take a bath and get ready for school. With each step, I felt the weight of the approaching confrontation with my siblings pressing down on me. But I couldn't afford to dwell on it for long.
After some time, I hurried downstairs, eager to avoid any encounters with my siblings. I dashed outside and made my way to the bus stop, my heart pounding with anxiety. Glancing at my phone for a moment, I waited anxiously until the bus finally arrived.
Entering the bus, I found a seat and settled in, relieved to be away from the suffocating atmosphere of home. As the bus rumbled towards school, I tried to push aside the lingering sense of dread that clung to me like a shadow.
Upon arriving at school, I headed towards my locker, hoping for a brief respite from the chaos of my home life. But before I could reach it, Brian appeared out of nowhere, his presence sending a shiver down my spine. Without warning, he shoved my head against the locker with a force that left me reeling.
Brian sneered, "Hey, loser, still alive?" His cronies joined in with mocking laughter, their expressions filled with disdain as they looked at her. Approaching her, one of the goons spat out, "You don't belong here, freak," his words dripping with contempt as he aimed the insult at her.
I slump against the lockers, clutching my throbbing head as pain pulsed through me. As I curled up in agony, one of the goons delivered a harsh kick to my stomach, followed by others joining in the assault.
After enduring their relentless assault, the goons finally leave, leaving me curled up on the floor, my body racked with pain as I fight to stay conscious. Some of my classmates stand by mere spectators to my suffering, while others film the ordeal without lifting a finger to help me.
I made my way to the bathroom, each step sending a jolt of pain through my body as I limped along. The ache was relentless, throbbing with every movement. As I entered the bathroom, Lily spotted me and hurried over, her expression filled with concern.
"What happened, Amelia?" Lily asks, her voice filled with worry.
I tried to hide my discomfort with a forced smile, attempting to minimize the situation. "I'm alright, Lily," I said, trying to reassure her. "It was just a little tumble down the stairs."
Lily scrutinized me with a doubtful look, evidently not buying my reassurance. She firmly stated, "You ought to see the nurse, and I'll go with you to make sure you're alright." Her concern was palpable.
Despite her concern, I shook my head, insisting on handling the situation independently. "I'll be alright, Lily. I can manage on my own. Thank you, though. You should go to your class now, as it starts early," I urged her. With a hesitant nod, Lily departed, leaving me to confront my pain within the confines of the bathroom.
I glanced down at my reflection in the mirror, feeling a knot form in my stomach as I lifted my shirt. The sight that greeted me made my heart sink – a landscape of bruises marring my skin.
Thoughts raced through my mind as I desperately searched for a way to conceal the bruises. I couldn't bear the thought of my parents seeing them and asking questions I wasn't ready to answer. With a determined resolve, I quickly adjusted my clothing, pulling on a hoodie to cover the bruises littered on my body, and headed to class.
I noticed a seat at the back of the classroom and hurriedly made my way there, eager to shield myself from the judgmental stares of my classmates. As I settled into my seat, the teacher entered the classroom and announced, "Alright, class, we'll begin with roll call. Please respond if you're present."
As the teacher called out each name, Ethan, Sophia, Lucas, Isabella, Jackson, the students responded with a confident "Here" one by one. I sat at my desk, my mind elsewhere, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts as I stared out the window, oblivious to my surroundings.
Suddenly, my name echoed through the room, "Amelia, Amelia, Amelia, is Amelia present?" The teacher's voice snapped me out of my daydream. Panicked, I refocused and blurted out "Here" without even realizing it.
Laughter erupted from my classmates, and I felt a rush of embarrassment wash over me. It was clear that I had made a scene of myself, and I couldn't shake the feeling of humiliation that lingered long after the laughter had subsided.
As the teacher finished the attendance, she transitioned into teaching history. I found myself zoning out during her monotonous lecture, the teacher's words fading into the background like a dull hum. I made a half-hearted attempt to focus, eager for the lesson to end quickly.
After what felt like an eternity, the bell finally rang, signaling the start of lunchtime. I gathered my belongings and made my way out of the classroom, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere. But as I walked, a group of popular girls deliberately tripped me.
"Oops, didn't see you there. Are you alright?" one of them asked mockingly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The other girls laughed at my expense.
Jessica, one of the ringleaders, sneered, "Looks like there's some trash lingering in this room. I was going to take it out, but I guess I accidentally spilled it all over the floor."
Humiliated, I bit back the urge to retort and simply hurried away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
I hurried through the hallway, desperate to find a secluded spot where I could escape from my tormentors. The thought of facing them in the cafeteria filled me with dread, so I searched for a place where I could eat my lunch in peace.
As I walked, I decided to head upstairs to the rooftop, hoping to find solace in the quietness there. However, my relief was short-lived when I realized that I had forgotten to pack my lunch.
Sitting alone on the rooftop, I waited for time to pass, hoping for a moment of respite from the torment of the day. But my stomach growled painfully, reminding me of my empty lunch. With a sigh, I decided to head to the cafeteria, hoping to grab something to eat without encountering any of my bullies.
As I entered the cafeteria and began to fill my tray, my heart sank when I spotted Brian making his way towards me, accompanied by his goons. Dread washed over me as I braced myself for another confrontation.
"Hey, bitch, what do you have here?" Brian sneered, his words dripping with malice. "I guess that even freaks like you can eat." His goons laughed cruelly as Brian slammed my tray to the floor.
"Please, I just want to eat," I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear.
"What was that?" Brian taunted, grabbing me roughly and dragging me towards the bathroom. He shoved my face into the toilet as I gagged on the filthy water.
"Just kill yourself already, you don't belong here," Brian spat, pulling my hair viciously. I could do nothing but cry and apologize repeatedly as he continued to berate me.
Finally, Brian shoved me away and walked out of the bathroom, leaving me alone and sobbing on the floor. All I wanted was to escape from this endless misery.
I found myself sprawled across the unforgiving, icy tiles of the bathroom floor, enveloped by a sense of hopelessness that seemed to seep into my very being. Dark shadows loomed ominously, threatening to engulf me in their suffocating embrace, leaving me feeling utterly numb to the world around me.
Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably as I pleaded, "I can't go on like this anymore. I don't want to live." My eyes, once filled with warmth, now seemed to darken, hollowed out by the weight of despair.
With a crazed laughter bubbling up from within me, I traced my nails along my thighs, drawing blood with each agonizing stroke. The pain provided a twisted solace, a fleeting distraction from the overwhelming anguish that consumed me.
As the hours crept by and the final bell rang, signaling the end of classes, I trudged wearily towards home. Exhaustion weighed heavy on my shoulders as I made my way, each step seeming like an enormous struggle. All I wanted was to retreat to the solitude of my room, away from the prying eyes and relentless torment of my family.
With a heavy heart, I pushed open the front door and slipped inside, my movements sluggish and devoid of energy. The familiar sights and sounds of home offered no comfort as I quietly made my way to my room, hoping to avoid any unwelcome encounters with her siblings along the way.
