Willow's P.O.V.
I must have hit my head or something because it hurts. That and I never take naps and it's still light out. Then I realize I'm not in my house. I don't know where I am. The last thing I remember is walking home past the…. alley. Oh no. Someone's kidnapped me!
"Hey, go tell the boss she's awake now." A voice says.
I open my eyes and groan from the pain in my head. I hear a door open and someone walks through it. He's kind of scary. If kind of means a lot. He's at least six foot and is wearing a suit. He's intimidating me.
"Ah so you finally decided to wake up." The man says. He looks me over and it looks like he…. approves of me.
"W-what do you want with me?" I stammer. Because let's face it I'm scared shitless.
"What do I want? I want you to carry out a job for me. And before you say no let me say you don't have much of a choice." He says before I can shake my head and protest. "I want you to hold onto something for me and when I want it back, I'll send someone to come and get it from you. Deal?" He asks even though he said I have no choice. "And if you try to refuse, we'll just give you a special punishment." He says holding up a syringe.
His two men hold me down and he injects me with whatever substance it was. And I scream because I hate needles.
"Just so you know that was a little fraction of your 'punishment'." He explains to me.
My eyes widen. Did he just inject me with drugs? I'm going to be in so much trouble when my parents find out. Heck I'm not even home right now. So I'm going to be in trouble anyway. Then, I'm blindfolded and picked up. They carry me to a car and bind my wrists together then shut my door.
"Where are you taking me?" I say so quietly I don't think they hear me.
"Shut up and don't move. Or you'll get more of your punishment." One of them snaps.
Well, then I guess I'll just take a nap till we get there.
Where 'there' is I don't know.
***
I wake to voices. And they're talking about me, so I keep my eyes closed.
"How do we get her in with the package without the guardians seeing us? We can't just go through the front door!" One whisper yells.
"We'll go through her window, I guess. It seems easiest." His partner says back in a very relaxed tone which is weird. Like how're you so calm!
"Don't forget her next dose like the boss said." One reminds the other. I'm like wait what dose? Dose of what?
Before I can even move, I feel a prick in my arm exactly where the first one was, and I scream in pain. Like I said before needles are excruciatingly painful and scare me. The fuckers. They did it while I was lost in thought with questions. Damn it they're going to pick me up again. I don't want them touching me. So I do what any normal teenage girl would do in this situation. I knew him where a guy doesn't like to get hurt the most. Just as he was about to pick me up too. Nice.
"I'm up! God don't touch me. Now, you said we're climbing to my window?" I questioned them.
"Yeah so get your ass up there while I help him." He gestures to his comrade on the ground.
I go up to the spot under my bedroom window. Man am I glad that there's a tree near the window. Because if there wasn't this would be difficult. But I climbed this tree all the time when I was younger. I start climbing the tree and when I get to the top, I hear the two men at the bottom, and they start climbing. I open my window and climb through it. When they climb through, I close it because I hate it open.
One of them hands me a package. I look at it with confusion. Then, suddenly I'm reminded of my conversation with that man. He said I had to hold on to this for him. Whatever 'this' is. And the worst part is…. I can't refuse.
"One of us will come by here to make sure you're taking care of the bosses property." He must have seen my horror to this statement because he added, "Once a week. So take care of that or you get more of your punishment. Got it?" He warns gesturing to the package that is now in my hands. I nod and they leave.
Great I bet it's drugs. It's drugs isn't it.
Don't worry about it right now Willow just get some sleep. Tomorrow everything will be fine. Even though they injected you with a mystery substance. Yeah everything's going to be just…. fine….
***
"Willow wake up you're going to be late to school!" My mother is so loud. I swear she shouldn't tell me to be quiet if she won't. Preach what you teach people!
"I'm coming!" Hey if she can yell so can I.
"Willow Jane Wilson! What have I told you about yelling in the house!"
See my point?
"Oh, so sorry mother." I mutter under my breath.
After that lovely conversation with my mother I go to my closet in search of an outfit for the day. Maybe I should pick out an extra outfit just in case the three stooges get any bright ideas. In the end I end up wearing my Linkin Park band tee, black ripped jeans, and black converse sneakers with black laces. Oh and wrist bands to cover my cut marks. It's too hot for me to wear my sweater so I don't. Hence the wrist bands. And now a second outfit, hmm…. How about one of my My Chemical Romance band tee and ripped jeans. No wait now I want to switch my band tees. There, much better.
Time for hell to begin! Again note my heavy sarcasm.
***
After Lindsey and I got to school I got out of the car and started walking to the building. But halfway to the building I was pushed to the ground. Oh no where are my glasses?! I start patting the ground looking for them when I see a tall figure standing in front of them. He steps towards them as I reach out and it seems like time slows my movements, because before I can reach them, he steps on them shattering the glass and breaking the frame. It must be one of the three stooges. No one is coming to help me, so I try getting up. But before I can do anything two people grab my arms and carry me to the back of the school.
"Let me go!" I yell at them. God help me. Don't let me die here. On the school grounds of all places.
"There's no point in screaming. No one's going to help you freak." Oh joy queen bitch and her minions I presume.
"What do you want Alexis?" I say on a sigh. And she has the audacity to smirk at me!
"Oh it's not me who wants to hurt you this time, but I thought why not join the fun?" She says with a smile.
"Then who-" I get cut off when I see my bullies since second grade.
"Hello lame-o" Derrick says with all kinds of 'I hate your guts.'
"Screw you." I snap. I wish I could leave but I'm being held in place.
"Sup freak?" Daniel. A jerk trying to be nice but failing miserably.
"Fuck off." I say. No shame.
Then I see a girl walk up to me. Heather. The bitch that used to be mine, and Lindsey's friend. Until she left us and started bullying me.
"You know she still looks the same except her glasses. Where are they?" She asks curious.
"Well if you haven't noticed some douche stepped on them. But I wouldn't except you to. I mean you are an airheaded bitch." I snarl. Yeah, I cuss. So what? I'm not ashamed.
Then I feel this stinging in my cheek and realize that she slapped me. She's fuming. Shit I pissed her off. And trust me that's not something you want to do.
"You know what Alexis is right. Guys come join the fun." She waves them over to me.
Then suddenly, I'm being pinned to the brick wall by Derrick. He then punches me in the stomach. Hard. It hurts so much! I sink to the ground and let them hurt me until they get bored. I mean it wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened.
After about an hour Heather speaks up.
"Guys we should go before someone finds us. I mean the bell for lunch is going to ring soon and I'm hungry." She whines and roll my eyes then wince. Damn it stupid contacts. I need to take them out later in the restroom.
"Yeah. Okay. See ya later freak." Derrick salutes and turns on his heel heading towards the school's cafeteria. The others follow suit with one last kick to me.
I groan in pain as I stand up. I hold the wall for support as I walk into the hallway and towards the bathroom. When I get there I walk to the sink and wash up. Then I take out my contacts because they hurt like hell. Then I realize I can't see without my glasses. Shit. I take out my phone to text Lindsey.
Me: where r u?
Lindz: cafeteria. Y?
Me: come to the girls bathroom.
Lindz: omw.
After I put my phone away, I slide down to the ground and wait. Then suddenly the door bursts open, and I see my best friend looking around the bathroom for me. When she lands her gaze on me, I shut my eyes because she doesn't know that they're black instead of blue. She rushes up to me and hugs me.
"Willow what happened to you?" She asks in a shaky voice. She's fighting back tears for me. How did I get such a great friend?
With my eyes still closed I hug her back and recount the story. Of how I was behind the school all morning with my bullies. How they beat me up. How they didn't stop until lunch period. As I continue every word makes her hold me closer.
"Willow look at me. I need to see you're okay." She commands me. I shake my head squeezing my eyes tighter.
"Willow Lane Johnson. Look at me right this instant. I want to help you. But I can't if you don't let me." She says softly.
God. That voice it gets me every time. Slowly I lift my head up and open my eyes. For a second, she just stares at me with wide eyes looking into my own. Slowly but gently she lifts her hand up to my face. She caresses my face with her hand not wanting to hurt me.
"Why did you hide this from me?" She questions me.
"I thought they made me look like the reincarnation of Satan. I mean they're black I thought people wouldn't like me." I whisper to her. I feel ashamed of my secret. I never keep secrets from her.
"Well we can talk about it later. I brought your extra supply of clothes that were in your locker." She says while holding up my clothes. She hands them to me.
"Go change. There are still twenty minutes left of lunch." She is very commanding today.
After I change, we head to the cafeteria. I grabbed my lunch on the way here, so we just look for a table. She spots one but Dylan is there. Now don't get me wrong he's cool and all but the three stooges are with him. I just realized I don't know two of their names. I only know Dylan and Jackson. We sit down and just as Dylan turns to greet us; he pauses.
"Willow what happened to you?" He asks concerned. I remember that I just beaten up.
I whisper to Lindsey to have her warn them, so they're not surprised at my eyes. Yeah, I kept my head down the way here. She says it's okay to look up and when I do, he stares at me with shock.
"Your eyes-" he starts but I cut him off.
"I know they're weird, creepy, whatever." I snapped and Lindsey rubs my back to comfort me.
"Actually I was going to say they were cool." He states bluntly.
"Oh thanks. I've never even told Lindz here so feel lucky. I'll probably have my contacts by tomorrow so yeah." I shrug.
"Why?" They both say in unison.
"Because I'm bullied enough. My eyes will just be another thing they can ridicule me for." I say.
"But they are your eyes. You choose if they are ugly or not. They don't. You do. And you are beautiful even if your eyes are black." Lindsey and her speeches they always get to me.
I sigh, "Fine no more contacts. But I need new glasses." I say to her.
"Why do you need new ones?" Dylan asks me.
"Because the prescription was too low. Oh and maybe because someone stepped on them this morning and I couldn't see so I don't know who it was." I state.
Then I hear a voice say, "Oh your glasses. Right. Yeah, that was me who stepped on them."
Jackson. I should have known.
"Yeah well thanks to you I can't see anything." I snap.
"Well, I don't really give a shit so…." He trails off and I glare at him.
Dylan on the other hand looks pissed off when he says, "Why would you do that she's done nothing to you! Nothing!"
"Why did you step on them?" I ask him curiously.
He still isn't looking at me, so he doesn't see my eyes when he mumbles, "Because I felt like it."
"What did you say? I couldn't hear you." I ask. Hey it's the truth.
He whips his head up to look me in my eyes and states, "Because. I. Felt. Like. It."
Then I whip my head up and look back at him my black eyes wide. Then his eyes widen to the point I think they'll fall out. His mouth is kind of hanging open a little too. Then the other two of his friends look to see why he got quiet. They see his gaze on me and they look at me. Their eyes also widen to the point of falling out, mouths open. Then out of the blue his two friends start laughing. I feel my eyes start to tear up. I get up from my seat and run out of the cafeteria. I'm holding the tears back. Or trying.
There! The bathroom. So cliché but hey at least the only one from that table that can come in here is Lindsey. So I'm good. I push the door open and go into the corner of one of the stalls and close the door. It's only then that I realize that the tears have already started to fall. I curl up into a ball in my corner and just cry. Waiting for my one and only friend.
Bam!
Wow she's fast. I think to myself. Then I hear banging on my stalls door. It must be her.
"Willow! Come on I know you're in there I saw you." It isn't Lindsey. But the voice sounds so familiar to me. So you know I do the stupid thing and open up without even asking who it is.
The person on the other side is obviously a guy. Probably one from my new table. I can't really see him clearly though. I just hope it's not one of the ones that laughed at me. I mean that is why I'm in here in the first place.
"What do want? Why are you in here? This is the girls restroom if you haven't noticed." I ask I snappy tone.
"Lindsey sent everyone after you after my friends hurt your feelings at lunch. She sent me down this hallway and I was like eh why not look in the girls restroom. Mostly because it's where every girl goes to cry in books and movies." He explained.
"Well you can leave and go tell her I'm fine now." I shoo him away with my hand.
But he just shakes his head, "No you're not fine. You're sad and broken and what just happened hurt you." He says, "But once I realized you thought we were laughing at you I hit my friend upside the head for laughing at you because I felt so bad."
"I bet you want to laugh at them again." I mutter.
"No. I don't want to laugh at them. You know why? Because they're beautiful even if they are black, they shine brightly and they are even more beautiful when they shine." He states this like it's a fact.
Which is exactly what I tell him, "You're stating it like it's a fact."
"Because it is." He whispers.
I feel more tears falling down my face as he looks up. Suddenly, he hugs me and tells me it's going to be okay. My knees buckle and we sink to the ground. He holds me until I'm done crying. I get up and walk to the sink and wash my face and hands. After that I walk over to him and give him a hug.
"Thank you for holding me. I usually don't have that." My voice is shaky.
"Why not?" He asks curious.
"Because Lindsey doesn't live with me and when I cry here, she gets here too late to hold me." I explain to him.
"But what about other friends or your parents?" He questions me.
"She's my only friend and my parents are.... um too busy with work?" I lied about my parents.
He looks at me skeptically then says, "You know you can tell me anything right? Why can't you go to your parents Willow?"
"They could care less about me." I say bitterly.
At first his face is laced with confusion. Then realization hits and he look at me concern etched into his features.
"Are you abused at home Willow?" He asks softly.
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!
I can't bring myself to speak. I can't speak of it my mom and dad say not to speak of it.
"Willow I can't help you if you don't tell me." He sounds really concerned now.
"My mom says I'm not allowed to talk about this stuff." I reply.
"But I want to help you. But you need to help me help you." He says to me.
I nod my head his to his question. His eyes widen and he pulls me close into an embrace.
"I'm so sorry you have to go through that Willow." He says his voice shaking.
"You can't tell anyone! Got it!" I snap at him. Oh my god mom's going to kill me when she finds out. If she finds out.
"Come on we have class." I mumble.
"I'll get you new glasses." He says.
I turn around and force a smile, "Thanks."
***
I'm walking home today. And oh! Guess what? It's raining again! Yay!
Just when I'm outside the school's gates and on the sidewalk a car pulls up next to me. The person inside rolls down the windows and I see what I think are the three stooges and Dylan.
"Hurry up and get in!" Dylan commands rushing me.
I walk over to the back door and open it to find the two guys who I thought had laughed at me. One gets out and lets me climb in. He then gets in and shuts the door. Then I notice that Dylan's driving and Jackson I think is in the passenger seat. He then gets a mischievous ass smile on his face.
He turns to Dylan and whispers in his ear. Dylan then gets the same smile and nods his head. Suddenly the quiet turns into noise because Dylan put on the cars radio with a CD in it. Then I realize that the song that's playing is one of my favorites, Bleed It Out, by Linkin Park. The music starts playing and I bob my head to the beat. Then the lyrics come on, and I start to lip sync and the boys in the back are staring their jaws went slack. Then I get caught up in the moment and start singing along to the song
I bleed it out
Digging deeper just to throw it away
I bleed it out
Digging deeper just to throw it away
I bleed it out
Digging deeper just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
When I finish that last chorus of the song it's over and all the boys are staring at me. And then I realize that they just heard me sing and slap my hand over my mouth, my eyes wide. Everyone who's ever heard me sing said I was amazing but, I still feel like my singing sucks. Then I realize that we're outside my house.
"Um….I-l'm just gonna go now." I stammer.
"How the hell do you know that song?" Jackson asks incredulously.
This ladies and gentlemen is a stereotype in its truest form.
I roll my eyes at him, "I can't believe this! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't know these songs or bands!" I rant at them.
"Well… how do you know that song?" Dylan asks.
"Well, if my reputation as the schools emo-nerd is still intact then I would say it's because that is the genre of music that interests me." I pretend to ponder.
"What other bands do you know?" Jackson asks me still in awe that I knew the song.
"Well I know…. let's see…. oh! I remember! I know Linkin Park you know that. I know Red, Skillet, Green Day, Twenty One Pilots, Bring Me The Horizon, Nickle Back, Fall Out Boy, 3 Doors Down, Three Days Grace, blink-182, All-American Rejects, The Killers, All Time Low, Sleeping With Sirens, The Offspring, Panic! At The Disco. I like Billy Joel he's kinda old but his music's still amazing. Oh! And I love, love, love My Chemical Romance. They're really good." I pause to catch my breath then continue, "I also like some rap. I like Eminem, Jay-Z. You know stuff like that."
It's only then that I notice how they're staring at me. Awed expressions on all of their faces.
"Well I need to get inside and do my homework so if you," I gesture to the boy on my right, "could move so I could get out that would be helpful."
"Well it would be nicer if you used my name. Because believe it or not my name isn't 'you'." He says.
"Well I can't really use a name I don't know, now can I?" I ask rhetorically.
"You don't know my name, but you know those two? Let me guess you don't know his either." He says gesturing to the other boy.
I shake my head and he sighs, "My name is Alexander and that's Jordan." He introduces.
I nod in acknowledgement and say bye.
I open the door to see my parents standing there looking really mad. Then my mother sees the boys car and gets even angrier.
"WILLOW LANE JOHNSON HOW DARE YOU COME HOW LATE AND THEN HAVE THE AUDACITY TO COME HOME WITH BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!" She demands. But I'm so scared that I don't answer so she smacks me across the face. Then Jackson gets out of the car walks up to me and gives me a piece of paper.
"Willow get inside. Now." My mother says.
I walk inside and prepare myself for the worst beating of my life.