Chapter 6: Broken

That night was quiet and Faye didn't come down for dinner so I brought her a plate upstairs to find her room empty. I brought the plate back down and packaged it up. "She gone again?" Dad asked and I nodded. Next thing I know he was in her room and nailing the window closed. He went around locking the doors and when my Mom got home she was freaking out. "Why is she acting like this Oliver?" My Dad shrugged and locked the door. "She can sleep outside tonight." He said as he took my Mom's bag and coat from her.

I finished homework locked my window and fell asleep. A scream woke me up and I walked to my sister's room to see my Dad looking out the window right at her in the tree. "You disrespect me, and you embarrass me." He turned the light out and left. I scurried back to my room and opened my window. "Faye take my hand?" She shook her head and walked to the back door. I saw her hand wrapped in a bright pink cast. "It's locked." She glared at me and turned her back on me. I huffed and closed the window. Maybe tomorrow would be worse I thought as I snuck out to the family room.

I didn't say a word as I dropped a blanket from the third floor. "Thanks." Faye mumbled as she picked it up and cuddled back into the chair. I closed the door locking it back. I turned to see Dad standing in the doorway. "Sorry it's just cold out." He smirked and moved to the side letting me pass. I jumped into bed and switched off my lamp curling back under the covers.

The next morning I passed a chattering Faye and a silent one. We boarded the bus and Mr. Call whistled as he saw her arm. "Girl I said sock her one, not break her." I sat behind him as my sister made her way to the back. "She socked me and I guess she punched wrong." I shrugged and he laughed. It was a jolly deep and hearty laugh. "Well that works too." He said as he stopped the bus letting another kid on.

I exited the bus as he stopped at the school. "Good luck today Rocky." He said as I passed him. "Thanks Mr. Call." I said over my shoulder as I walked to my locker. I opened the locker to see silly string spraying out of my locker. "How original." I said sarcastically as I gathered my books and sealing the ones I didn't need in ziplock bags. I went to my first couple classes, and even made it through lunch unscathed. Ninth period I had Liam in my class and today he entered late and sat right behind me. I tried not to let his laughter get to me and ignored him and his friends. The bell rang and I couldn't stand up. "Mr. Belfield?" He turned fromt he half erased board. "Yes Ms. Sterling?" I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "I think Liam glued my hair to the seat." Everyone had already left so he came over and tried to tug it apart gently. When he couldn't remove it he called the principal to hold the busses and to come to his room immediately.

She arrived in about five minutes and let out a gasp. "Who sat behind you?" Mrs. Beads asked, and Mr. Belfield answered for me. "It was Liam Merchant." She nodded before assessing my hair. "We are going to have to cut it." She said with sympathy. My hair I had been growing out for six years to donate was all for nothing as she cut it just above my elbows. She placed chunks of my hair onto the table and as I got up there was even more on the chair. "Sorry about your chair." I said before leaving.

I didn't want to stay in there any longer then possible, and I knew all the buses sat waiting on me. I boarded the bus not glancing back at my sister who I knew probably sat with a shit eating grin on her face. "Let em go." Came over the radio. Mr. Call didn't say a word ad he looked up in the mirror and I held back tears. "Fuck them little shits Paisley." He said and I just nodded waiting for my stop. As he pulled up he stood up in front of everyone. "On this bus there will be no bullying and I am going to the principal tomorrow because in my book watching someone get torn down is just as bad as doing it yourself." He ended his speech in the back of the bus standing in front of my sister. He walked back and opened the door for us. "Have a better night Paisley." I nodded and ran down the stairs.

My sister called my my name, but I ran to my room and changed. She tried to talk to me again, but I ran by her not allowing her to touch me. "I didn't know Paisley!" She yelled and I ran out past my Dad. I grabbed my board and dove into the cold water. I surfed until it was dark and my Dad came out back waving me in. I put back the board knowing it would need a good wax tomorrow. "Wanna talk about it?" I shook my head and walked in grabbing a plate and standing at the kitchen island to eat.

My Mom came in and ran her fingers down my hair. "After you wash it I can fix it up for you." I nodded and she looked at my dad. I placed my plate in the sink and mind linked them both as I went upstairs. "I'll be fine." I showered and scrubbed the sea from my hair. Showered and shaved before wrapping in a towel to go change. My sister was on my bed. "I didn't know he was going to do that, all he told me was that he had a plan." I nodded and grabbed shorts and a tanktop. I slipped the shorts on under the towel, and then put the top on over the towel before unwrapping it.

"You have to belive me Paisley!" Faye whined as I left her in my bedroom and walked down stairs. My mom brushed it and evened it out and added a few layers. "You want feathers?" She asked as she ran her fingers through my hair. "Yes please." She bent some in to my hair. She chose black and white striped thin ones and an orange one with a white end. "You look beautiful strong girl." She patted my shoulder. "Tomorrow your father and I are having a meeting about all this with your principal, and the kids parents that where responsible. Do you want to be there?" I nodded and turned to face her. "Yes because I want them to know they didn't break me."

My Mom nodded and she pulled me in for a hug. "Okay, just watch your emotions, your eyes glowed." I closed my eyes and nodded regaining control. "Better?" She pulled away and smiled moving my hair away from my face. "Much better love bug." I slipped from the stool and walked upstairs.