1 Cold

Cold. The water was so cold it was making my face numb. I grabbed the towel and dabbed the water away gently. Looking up in the mirror I no longer recognized myself. Where was the happy eight year old girl who loved horses and playing outside, and spent every second laughing and being carefree. Where was she? Instead I met eyes with a girl. Her face bruised, lip bleeding, bags dark. It was hard to believe she was me. This was me.

I dared not to look at my back, feeling the damp spot on my shirt, and feeling the intense pain whenever I moved. I just hoped the cut wasn't too deep. After cleaning up the mess covering me, I sat down to start homework. My head throbbed whenever I tried to focus. My vision blurred. My eyes began to twitch, and I could almost feel the broken blood vessels in my eye. I slammed my laptop closed. It was no use. I would have to work on it all before class in the morning.

I winced as I pulled the covers over myself. Luckily, my dad never questioned it when I went to bed early. He was too busy drinking I presume. I closed my eyes, preparing to be set off yet again into the never ending cycle.

The hallways were always so crowded in GlenDale highschool. Yet no one even stopped to help me, or to tell Katie's friend group to leave me alone.

It all started freshman year. I was so eager to make new friends and enjoy the fun new responsibilities of highschool. On the first day I befriended a Sophomore girl named Katie. She was super nice and introduced me to the rest of her friend group. She hung out with four other girls. Everyone seemed extremely accepting and I was so happy. We started to hang out almost everyday, and we would tell each other everything.

Halfway through freshman year, my mom passed away from cancer. That meant I was left with my alcoholic father. I was completely utterly shattered. I ran to my friends for comfort and safety and that's when Katie told me. It was all an elaborate prank. She was never my friend. The year prior a few juniors had made a plan to choose one of the freshman. I was devastated. On top of losing my mom I now had no friends. Katie has made it her goal to torture me. Since she was considered high school royalty, she had a large selection of followers that would obey her every command. Whether that was to slam me against a locker or trip me in the hallways.

There was no point in saying anything. Even if I did tell the teachers, what would happen? Katie and her friends are filthy rich. They could just pay the school to keep quiet. Everyone else knew nothing could be done either. I was trapped.