Willow's P.O.V.
Being stuck in a hospital overnight with a mild concussion wasn't in my top five favorite activities but when I went home the next day, I felt much better so…
Now I'm back in school and it's so bizarre that nothing is happening lately. It's been so calm and boring all day and I don't understand why.
I'm on my way to the cafeteria when someone grabs my arm. I knew it was too good to be true! I knew it!
"Willow. It's me." Dylan?
"Why would just grab onto someone's arm like that?! You scared the shit out of me!!!" I scold him.
"Sorry but I just really wanted to talk to you. Can we go to an empty classroom or something?" I nod.
He leads me into an empty classroom and starts pacing.
When he starts mumbling things I say, "Dylan you can tell me anything. What's wrong?"
He looks up at me walks over and takes a deep breath, "This."
And then he grabs both my arms and his lips crash into mine.
This is not okay. My mind says to pull away, but my body is frozen in place. My heart is telling me this is wrong. I like someone else. Plus my relationship with Dylan is only platonic. I don't have these feelings for him. He's like my big brother. My body finally is over its shock and I push him away.
"What the hell Dylan?!" I say still shocked.
"I-I'm sorry it's just that I-" he starts.
"No just- no. Forget it. I don't like you like that Dylan. You're like a big brother to me. I don't to hurt you by saying this, but I need you to know that. I'm not mad just- I need to process." I tell him. He nods dejectedly and walks out the classroom to lunch.
After I calm down, I walk out to the cafeteria and get my lunch. As I'm walking to go sit down, I see someone's leg in the way. I notice that it's Daniel's leg, so I stop short, quickly kick his foot really hard, and walk away.
As I sit, I realize everyone at the table is staring at me.
"What?" I ask really confused.
"You just stood up for yourself by kicking DANIEL in his leg. YOU. The girl who literally gets beaten up by them whenever they feel like it and don't do a God. Damned. Thing!" Lindsey rants at me.
I blush and look down.
Jackson chuckles and nudges me playfully, "Hey there's no need to be ashamed of it. I probably would have punched him in the face, but you'll get there."
"You would need a dummy to teach her how to punch faces." Lindsey points out.
"But Lindz we have four dummies right here why buy one when we have already have them." I gesture towards Jackson, Jordan, Dylan, and Alexander.
She laughs loudly and agrees with me whilst the boys protest that they were actually smart.
I pretend to think about it and say, "You're right, not all of you are dummies. I apologize Alexander, for my rudeness towards your IQ."
That comment makes him, and Lindsey laugh harder and the other three glares at me playfully whilst I give them an innocent smile.
Soon the bell rings and it���s time for our gym period.
Lindsey and I go change in the girls locker-room while the boys change in theirs.
"So Alexis…. What brain damage do you think poor Willow has now that her head was cracked open?" Heather. God damn it! She needs to learn to shut her fucking mouth!
"She'll probably need to go back to preschool after that…" I can practically hear the smirk in their voices.
"Willow. Calm down. They're just trying to get to you." Lindsey says.
"Maybe her troll of a friend should go with her. Doesn't seem too bright, that one." I am practically fuming and am about to punch them.
"Yeah maybe you're probably right about that… she probably doesn't even know how to dress herself. Maybe that's why they look terrible all the time." Oh no she didn't. You don't mess with Lindsey's style. She'll go berserk.
"Lindsey. Calm down. They're just trying to get to you." I say mocking her.
She glares at me, "Come on lets go before I punch one of them." She says.
"One of them. Why not both of them?" I ask her and she laughs.
We walk out and meet up with the boys still pissed off.
"What's wrong with you two?" Alexander asks.
"Oh nothing just the same old same old. Get to the locker room, go to our locker, get our clothes and change, listen to two bitches talk shit about us, get pissed off, come out here, and then have you guys ask stupid questions." I say sarcastically.
"Let me guess. Alexis and Heather?" Jackson asks. I nod.
Jordan snorts, "Don't worry about them. They probably don't even know how to tie they're shoes and that's why they wear heels 24/7."
We all start cracking up at his insult and head over to the gym teacher Mr. Jones who literally just walked in.
"Alright class! Today we'll be playing a friendly game of dodgeball!" He announces, and everyone cheers.
"Friendly my ass." I mumble, but my friends hear me and snicker.
"Team captains will be selected at random. One boy, One girl." He tells us, and a chorus of groans sound off throughout the gym.
"Oh hush up ! Alright the first team captain is…. Brent!" A bunch of obnoxious guys are hollering for their friend now.
"And the girl captain will be…. Willow!" He says and I go pale, eyes wide.
"Come stand up here please." He asks.
We obey and he tells me to pick first.
"Okay. Umm…. How about…. Alexander." I point at him.
He walks up and stands next to me.
Brent looks over the class and chooses one of his jock buddies.
"Jodi." I say pointing at him with a grin.
"I told you not to call me that!" He whines.
Brent chooses another one of his buddies. I have a feeling he'll choose all of them and then go for other people.
"Jackson." I wave him over.
Then Brent breaks his cycle, "Heather." He says smirking at me.
I forgot that Heather always hurt me in dodgeball. I go pale.
"Dylan."
"Alexis."
"Lindsey."
"Daniel."
"Kaitlin."
"Derrick."
"Alexandra." I smirk on the inside. She's really good at sports so I'm happy.
"Patrick."
"Bobbie." She is also very good with sports.
This goes on until there are only two people left. Some kid named Mickey who is awful at gym as a whole. And this new girl named Lexi. And it's my turn to choose.
"Lexi." I point at her.
The other team groans because they're stuck with Mickey. Suckers.
The teacher blows the whistle, and the game starts. Our team gets rid of a lot of people easily. People like Alexis, Mickey, all the nonathletic people. They had a lot of those on their team.
They get Lindsey out first from Heather. Then Kaitlin. Then everyone whose names I can't remember.
It's down to me, Jackson, Alexander, Jordan, Dylan, the new girl Lexi, and Bobbie. The other team is left with Brent, Heather, Daniel, Derrick, and Patrick. I get Patrick out, Lexi gets Brent out, and Bobbie gets Derrick out. But then Heather gets Lexi and Bobbie out. And Daniel gets Dylan, Alexander, and Jordan out and it's just me and Jackson.
He looks at me and we nod as if we know exactly what the other is thinking. He throws his ball, and it hits Heather. She's out! I throw my ball and it hits Daniel as his ball hits Jackson. He's out! We won!
"Wait. Oh my god! Jackson, we won!" I say jumping up and down excitedly.
He chuckles and nods his head, "We did yeah."
The teacher blows his whistle to tell us to go change.
I walk to my locker to get my clothes so I can go to change only to find that my clothes are gone.
I run back out to see Jackson talking to the guys and Lindsey.
"Why aren't you changed yet?" She asks.
"Someone…. Stole…. My…. Clothes!" I seethe.
"What?!" They all chorus.
"That means they have my phone. It was in my pocket! And my favorite P!atd band tee! Lindz we HAVE to find my clothes!" I whine.
"Okay you look outside. I'll look in the locker room. Jackson check classrooms. Dylan hallways. Alexander janitors closets. And Jordan you look in the cafeteria. Alright? Go!" We all ruin off.
As I'm looking outside, I hear Lindsey run up next to me.
"Found…. pants." She pants in between breathes.
"Umm. What's with the holes?" I ask.
"They're probably doing it to all your clothes and leaving them for you to find." She says.
My eyes go wide, "Let's hurry."
I see some people on the soccer field, so I go to see if they're responsible.
When we get there, I hear them giggling and see them holding my phone and band tee.
I gasp just as they're about to cut holes in it, "SCRAM!!!!!" I yell.
They all jump and run off after dropping my stuff. And the scissors.
I run to them and pick them up.
"I could not have gone on without this shirt Lindz this is a miracle!" I shake her.
"Okay! Okay!" I let her go. "You may want to check your phone they were giggling at something on it." She advises.
I nod and unlock my phone. What I find is definitely not something that I would have liked to see.
Me to group chat: I hate u guys leave me alone and never talk 2 me ever again!
Me to Lindsey: I hate u and I never want 2 c u ever again! This friendship is over!
"I can't believe they would do this!" I cry.
"I can't believe they said you never wanted to be my friend ever again!" She yells.
The guys meet up with us outside the locker room where I explain what happened and they get so annoyed on my behalf. It was so nice.
When Alexander offers me a ride home, I'm taken aback but accept it anyways.
We get in his car and he drives me home.
***
When we get to my house, and I get inside the sight I see…. I wish I could unsee.
My dad is abusing my mother. Then I realize he has been drinking because of the beer bottles all over the place and the half-empty bottle in his hand.
My mom is crying, and I know it's now or never.
I need to do something. Even though this is what they did to me I have to help her.
"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!" I scream at him.
He looks up at me, and then my mother, "Go to your room Willow. Now." He commands.
"No." I will defy him until he hurts me instead of her.
"Lynn go upstairs." She starts to protest but the look I give her makes her obey. Without my dad knowing she gives me a thumbs up. This lets me know she will help me in any way she can.
I know that won't last though, so I don't count on it.
"Willow. You are in big trouble." He growls at me.
Then he walks up to me and raises his hand to hit me. I lift my arms up to my face to block but, he ends up using that as a diversion to punch me in the stomach. After that it's a blur because I'm in too much pain to even pay attention. He kicks me, punches me, he even threw a bunch of the empty bottles at me so hard they broke. Then I slipped into unconsciousness from too many hits to the head.
***
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock playing the most annoying sound in the world. Another day of school. Yay. Note the sarcasm.
As I get dressed, I remember all of yesterday's events. My dad drunk. My mom hurt. Me hurt. How did I get in bed anyways? Probably mom, I guess.
Plain white tee. Check. Black ripped jeans. Check. Black converse. Check. Wrist bands so no one sees my arms. Check. Messy bun. Check. Great I'm all ready to-
What the hell?! Why do I have so many injuries?! Is this all really from my dad?! Oh who am I kidding of course it is.
I have a black eye. No I mean the bruise not my real black eye. I have a split lip. And I have cuts all over my face from the bottles he threw at me. Great. My friends are gonna want to know who did this. Most likely so they can kill the guy responsible. But the thing is the guy responsible is my dad. I mean Lindsey would know but the other guys don't.
"Willow get out or you're going to be late!" My father yells at me.
"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" I yell back.
"Don't sass me young lady!" He shouts at me.
So I grab my stuff and run out before he can see me. I don't want a repeat of last night. His hangovers are almost as bad as him drunk. Today it's raining. Yay! Again sarcasm.
"Hey, need a ride?" It's the guys again isn't it? Isn't it? I turn my head and guess what? It is!
"Um yeah sure." I hesitated there for a second.
"Well hop in then." Dylan says.
So I get in. Not without having Jordan get out though. And getting everything wet. You know because I'm soaked from walking for a while before they got me.
After Jordan closes the door we're off.
Then out of the Dylan asks, "Who wants to listen to music?" We all agree to it.
Jackson then puts the aux cord into his phone and puts his music on. It's MCR. My favorite band of all time.
So I do the only natural and sane thing any person would do.
I squeal like the obsessed fan girl I am.
"I take it you like this song?" He says referring to the song. Which by the way is I'm Not Okay (I Promise).
"No. I don't like this song." I deadpan. They look disappointed by that, so I add, "Because I love the band! I can't just like one song! I like them all!"
They brighten at this and Jackson says, "You scared me there for a second, thinking you didn't like such an iconic band." The others agree with him as another song comes on.
When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band
He said son when you grow up,
Will you be, the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned
He said will you defeat them your demons and all the non-believers
The plans that they have made
Because one day I'll leave you
A phantom to lead you in the summer
To join the black parade
And by the time the song is over we're at the school. We all get out and they all compliment my singing. I blush because…. Well… compliments aren't my thing. I blush too easily.
Then it happens Lindsey spots me, and her eyes go wide as soon as I enter the building. She runs over and gently takes my face in her hands.
"What happened to you Willow?!" She practically screams. Which grabs the guys attention as they look over at us.
They all have different reactions:
Jackson looks ready to murder someone.
Jordan looks like someone just killed his puppy.
Dylan looks like he wants to punch people until he finds out who hurt me.
And Alexander looks at me with this knowing look in his eyes, mad as hell, like an older brother.
I realize it must have been him who found me in the bathroom the other day and I give the slightest shake of my head not to say anything. He doesn't like it but obeys my wishes.
I walk to my locker after convincing everyone that I was alright. Then I hear the sound I hate the most. Well, other than my alarm clock. It's the sound of high heels clicking on the tiled floor. I think three pairs. Probably Alexis and her minions. Again. I turn around only to be slapped in the face. Which hurt like a bitch because of my previous injuries.
"Listen here bitch and listen good. Stay away from the boys or you will have to deal with me. And trust me you don't want that. You know why? Because I have your eternal tormentors on speed dial whenever you deserve it. And by that, I mean when I think you deserve it. Got it?" I nod, "Good. Let's go girls." She slaps me once more for good measure and shoves me into my locker. Then I recover my dizziness and walk to first period.
I get there just in time before the bell rings. If Alexis is gonna be like this, it's going to be a long day. Especially since I have all my classes with at least one, two, three, or all of them. Like gym sixth period I have them in my class with Lindsey. And we sit together at lunch. I just have one thought-
Damn. This is going to be a long day.