Two Days Later...

I applied a little foundation on my face to cover up the the maps of beatings and bruises on my face. No one would notice if the face is well overed. Well, I know no one miss me in school. Maybe a couple of teachers for being their favorite student. I left my drunk uncle at home today. His snore that filled the room still angered me. I remembered the first time we met. It felt as if I saw my dad through him but that was an illusion. It turned out to be a big fat lie. An even if he was like the devil in my life, my dad would always be an angel. They're just direct opposite and I wonder why I'm being treated this way. Maybe it's because I'm not his biological daughter. Maybe...

And sometimes, I wonder if he had something against my parents. He despise them so much. I wonder why.

Staring at the road, I wished I would just get hit by a bus. Instead of waking up with the birds twittering, I wished I could stay in bed, feeling the sorrow burning down the last part of me. And maybe, death would finally come to visit me.

Anyway, I got into the public bus that was already filled with passengers. I held myself to the pole and watched the driver as he steered the wheels along the busy road.

The bus stopped at the front of the school gate, I quietly joined other students but I noticed some actually whispering. Staring at me with weird glances but I turned a blind eye to them. Right now, I didn't care what other thinks of me.

Just then, my eyes caught my long time friend and seat mate, Amber Feldman. She glanced over at me but I smiled at her She gave me a dagger luck as our eyes met.
'Did I do something wrong? What's her point exactly?' I rolled my eyes at her and walked into the class.

Mr. Brown, our literature teacher was already in class. To my surprise, Noah was already seated. My heart skipped over its ribcage and then back to its position as our eyes met. Somehow, I didn't feel comfortable around him. I never felt confident enough to face him till now, I just took a seat and pretend to be alone.

I noticed the serious expression on his charming face but I tried not to look.

"Why didn't you come yesterday? He asked.

"And why do you care? " I fizzled with my eyes, focused on Mr. Brown.

"I missed you." He mumbled in an hushed tone. I couldn't help but to turn to him this time. And his grey eyes were fixed to mine.

"Okay class," Mr brown started by clearing his throat. Noah and I looked away, focusing on the lecture.
"As we all know... a novel is an invented prose narrative of considerable length and a certain complexity that deals imaginatively with human experience, usually through a connected sequence of events involving a group of persons in a specific setting." Mr. Brown paused and wrote NOVEL in capital letters on the board.

Just then, I noticed Noah jotting some words based on his explanations. I couldn't help but to wonder how he changed overnight. A small smile formed on my lips as Mr. Brown continued.

"However, the novel is a genre of
fiction, and fiction may be defined as the art or craft of contriving, through the written word, representations of human life that instruct or divert or both. The various forms that fiction may take are best seen less as a number of separate categories than as a continuum or, more accurately, a cline, with some such brief form as the anecdote at one end of the scale and the longest conceivable novel at the other. By now, you all have plenty of time to finish reading 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee, 1960. One good thing about this novel is, it won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and the next year, it was made into an Academy Award-winning film. Harper Lee, believed to be one of the most influential authors to have ever existed, famously published only a novel. Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960 and became an immediate classic of literature. Can anyone tell me what the major lessons from this novel and what it symbolizes?"

It's been a month since He'd asked us to read the novel. My eyes gazed from side to side expecting to see everyone raise their hand but to my surprise, they were all staring down to their desks, avoiding eye contacts with Mr. Brown.

"No one huh? How about you, Amber Feldman."
Everybody turned at her while she was adjusting her red lipstick in her compact mirror. Amber kept on fiddling with with the lipstick as she replied.
"Why would someone want to kill a mockingbird? Duh? Harper Lee must have really loved that specie of birds, that's why she made a book for it. Probably how to kill the bird, to cook and to eat it... Therefore, it symbolizes how to quench people's hunger, economic growth and job opportunities. "

I couldn't help, I just busted out laughing. But I stopped by the grave silence that followed. I looked around and everyone turned to me. Even Noah. He looked confused, I'm sure he never read the book.

"Oh, sorry..." My smile dropped as I wondered why was I the only one laughing. I mean her answer was totally, ridiculously funny and wrong. Mr Brown walked towards me with a smile on his face.

"Sylvia was the only one here who understands why Amber's answer was hilarious. Now, can you explain what the novel symbolizes?"

"To Kill a Mockingbird is one of many given to Harper Lee's classic work. The novel examines racism in the American South through the innocent wide eyes of a clever young girl named Jean Louise, 'Scout' Finch. Its iconic characters, most notably the sympathetic and just lawyer and father Atticus Finch, served as role models and changed perspectives in the United States at a time when tensions regarding race were high. To Kill a Mockingbird earned the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961 and was made into an Academy Award-winning film in 1962, giving the story and its characters further life and influence over the American social sphere."

"Excellent!" A satisfied smile formed on Mr Brown's lips as he gently patted me on the shoulder. "That was exceptional Sylvia."

Suddenly, someone coughed out the word... "Nerd."

I was shocked at the roar of laughter that followed. It sounded as if I just cracked a joke. Or I was a joke.

I just kept quiet, trying to avoid about the agony that was running through me.
I held my hands together as a sudden coldness that ran through me. Noah turned to me looking disappointed but I tried not to look at him until I felt his hand on mine. Noah held my hand from under the desk as if he was concerned. My heart froze to his touch. And once again, I could hear the sound of my throbbing heart and I flinched.

Like seriously? What's funny about that. My heart raced within me as I pulled away from his grip. Life at school and life at home was so tiring for me. I wondered why they were all laughing at me, but not Amber's foolish answer.

"Quiet!" Mr. Brown turned to the class with a serious look. Other students turn to him in the same manner. "Perhaps if you had actually used your brains to read the novel as instructed instead of creating jokes and wearing stupid lipstick, maybe Sylvia here wouldn't have to help you." You're in your final year in high school guys, put that in mind. Mr brown walked out of the class without saying another word.

I turned back to Amber for a while. She gave me an angry look and rolled her eyes at me with her perfect set of teeth, crushing violently at the bubblegum in her mouth. I just placed my note books into my bag and got ready for the next class.

After class was over, I was arranging the books in my locker when the door to my shut at my face. A shaky breath unconsciously escaped from me to the girls standing in front of me. It was Kylie and her two friends, Selina and Cynthia. They wire mean faces and I wonder what their problem was.

"Sylvia, right?"

"Yes, that me!" I turned to them completely, paying attention.

"Good! I heard that your uncle is a druggie. Is it true?" Kylie started.

"No, it's not"

"I heard your parents died on your 8th year birthday. How are you coping with him." Selina added. "Doesn't that make you a nightmare?"

Suddenly, everyone gathered around us to see what was going on. I tried to ignore them and walk away but I head.

"Omg! She's running away!"

Looking up, I noticed that the junior students in front of me chucked, and I felt like a building with legs. I just have to face these girls once and for all else, they would do this again.

"Ummm... Talking about family, I know that you're having hard time staying with your slutty mum who's a pimp!" I snapped at Cynthia and her eyes dropped. I could see tears gathering in her eyes but I didn't care.

"Uh? What did you say?" her lips stuttered as she wore a dumbfounded look. The crowd stopped laughing, whispering if it was true or not.

"You heard me! Oh, and you Selina. Nice eye lens."

"What?!" she went frozen as if her heart suddenly stopped.

Everybody shockingly turned to see Cynthia's reaction Selina 's blue eyes. Low mumbles flowered out of their concern.

"And you, Kylie! I know you're damaged as a person that no guy would ever date you but you just in case you don't know, you have the worse attitude ever! I'm sure everyone around you feels the same!"

"No... This is impossible! How dare you?!" Cynthia busted out in tears.

"You're going to pay for this, I promise!"

In total shock, the three of them stuttered and ran out in embarrassment.
It's good to watch them leave. I heard about their embarrassing lives one day when I was crying at the back of the school library. Well, I never thought of exposing them like this. It made me feel a little guilty but they deserved it.

The students gathered around scattered in no time, I locked my locker and walked to the back of the school library to think for a while. I usually go to the back of the library to get prepared before going home.

Just thinking things over, I remember the grave look Amber gave me earlier on. Would I ever be able to face Amber and expose her secrets too. Especially when she knows everything about me. Too bad, she has joined Kylie's group. She had told them about my parents accident and about Collins. Who knows what how much they know about me already? I did great by exposing those three today right? Or have I just made more enemies? I'm not a bad person, right? What if it gets out that I'm a victim of rape and physical abuse? What if I get exposed?

I sat on a bench feeling remorseful to everything happening to me.
I chewed on my lips allowing the tears to freely flow down my face.
"I hate my life so much. It seems more tough by the day... I'm not strong enough." I hummed the words out, knowing no one was looking.

Just then, I heard footsteps. I turned to look and Noah suddenly appeared from nowhere.

I startled.

"You scared me." Exhaled held breaths poured out of my nostrils, as I froze to the bench like a deer in headlights.