When I walk into school there's immediate chatter.
"Hey" says Will popping beside me and nudging me a bit. I hold the desire to scream ow. "I knew Lauren was lying when she said they beat you up. You look good as new."
"They did" I say.
"What" his voice is low now.
"They did beat me up I just covered all the bruises with make-up."
His face gets hot. He clenches his hands into fists but he doesn't leave. "Why did they hurt you?"
That's a stupid question. Um, maybe they...HATE ME. I don't say that to him. He's my friend. "I went with them for Laura's birthday and they beat me up when they had the chance. "
I lift up my hand to stroke my hair. He grabs it. "Rowan!" he screams. "You need to go to the doctor. Those bruises aren't normal." He starts pulling to the nurse's office and squeezes my bruises hand. Maybe she can help me.
"Dear, dear" she says. "Those aren't good but I can give you something to numb the pain." She oozes something out of a tube and smears it on my hands. "How on earth did you get these anyway?"
"She got..."
"I fell yesterday down the hill at the park" I interrupt Will.
He doesn't talk again but he looks furious. The nurse also looks at us suspiciously.
"Okay dear just remember to put this on two times a day" she says handing me the tube.
"Thank you" I say. Will and I walk out and he looks at me.
"I'm going to go talk to Lauren."
"No" I say uncurling his tight fist. "You can't hit a girl."
"But she hit you."
"Doesn't give you the right to hit her back." I look at him. "It's fine okay. The worst that can happen is my bruise would get blue."
He hesitates for a moment. "Let's just get to class."
We walk all the way to math and see the smirking face of Lauren.
"Ohh" she says. "You cover up well don't you?"
I ignore her and sit down.
"Did your parents take you I the doctor?"
"Sam" I say. "I'm sorry but I just couldn't tell them."
She looks upset but doesn't argue with me.
---------------
"Man is she ugly or what?"
"Heard all the teachers hate her."
"Hey let's beat her up for being so stupid."
I run and five people are behind me. I run and run until I open my door and lock it. I run upstairs and cry.
I open my laptop and see that Laura posted a picture me and her.
She's so ugly.
More and more hateful comments appear and some have words that if I used would get thrown out of the house.
There's a post from Lauren on my page.
'If anyone talks to Rowan. There idiotic, dorky and a complete nothing because she is nothing. She is useless and not needed. Someone who should just die. I thought she was cool 'cause she was pretty but I was wrong. So don't even stand with two feet within her because she is WORTHLESS!'
I slam my laptop closed. Sink my head into my pillow and cry some more.
Maybe I am useless and worthless. Maybe I should just... die.