One of the Bullied | ✔

Chapter 20 - What You Did In The Dark

WARNING: SEVERE ZEAN SCENES 

"But- but-" I start.

"I'm sorry, I knew right now was not the moment to tell you." She bursts out. "But you needed to know."

I needed to know? Really?

I mean... I've heard the shouting. And I've heard the doors slamming and I've noticed that my father stays out late and my mother always goes out during the day. But was I expecting this?

"You're, uh going ahead with it?" I ask, my voice shaking a little more than I'd like it to. "I mean, maybe you just need to talk about things, and try and sort things out... And, well, talk."

"We've done all the talking we can do."

"You can't do this!" I exclaim. "You can't do this to me!"

"Zoe, I'm really sorry..."

"NO!" I shriek. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

"Kate, I told you not to tell her!"

"What was I meant to do?"

"NOT. FUCKING. TELL. HER!" My father shouts. I sigh and leave the room as they start to shout again. I bolt up to my room, collapsing on my bed.

They can't do this to me.

They can't do this to me.

They can't bloody do this to me!

I don't deserve this.

I don't deserve any of this.

What have I done to deserve this?

If I were a normal girl, perhaps now I would call my friends and they'd help me through this. Perhaps I wouldn't be covered in bruises in the first place. Perhaps I'd have a boyfriend or someone to lean on.

Sigh.

I can dream, I guess.

¬

"Jean?" I ask, pressing the phone against my cheek.

"Zoe?"

"Yeah." I sigh, pacing around the space in front of my window. "I just wanted to talk."

"Are you okay? From earlier?"

"Something else happened." I sigh. "And no, not really."

"What's wrong?"

"My parents want to get divorced." I say quietly. "I didn't realise things were so bad, and then suddenly-"

"No!" He exclaims. "I've seen your parents, they were fine!"

"I know." I sit down, curling my legs under me, leaning back and leafing idly through a book. "I'm so confused."

"I'm really sorry, Zoe." He sighs. "It must be really hard."

"I could have done without this right now." I mutter, brushing away a couple of tears. "I thought that what happened with Luke and Co. was bad enough. I didn't need this."

"Zoe?" He asks, suddenly a little shy.

"Yeah?" I answer curiously.

"I'll be there in five minutes. I think it's better if we talk about this in person." I smile to myself as he hangs up and put the phone down. I don't want to go back downstairs and have to face my parents.