The Sins of Regret

Chapter 1

Mrs. Cultiva turned and smiled, "See, Bridget? If fast food doesn't work out for you, you'll make a fine comedian."

Bridget pulled herself together. To the people around her, she seemed furious. But they couldn't see her eyes water. They couldn't feel her heart pounding with fear. They couldn't hear her thoughts trying to convince her that it was worth it, that it could get better.

*

Bridget jumped when the teacher slammed a note on her desk.

"Go get cleaned up," She hissed. "And don't forget to lock my portable."

Bridget walked outside. Once she got to the portables she ran inside the nearest one and shut the door behind her.

The room contained a couple tables, some bean bag chairs, a big desk and some couches. On one couch was a big duffle bag overflowing with clothes, and beauty products.

Bridget grabbed the duffle bag and went through a small hallway toward a bathroom where she plugged in a straight iron.

She looked in the mirror and lifted her shirt. Her hollow, stomach was splotched with black and purple bruises so intense they showed over her deep brown skin.

She looked up, and looking back at her was a broken-looking shell of a human being. Her hair was knotted and wavy. Eyes, blood-shot with dark circles underneath.

She wondered aloud, "What would would they do if I just showed up to class like this? Blood stains on my clothes, bruises on my face. I could just go to study hall like this, and I know Mrs. Steward wouldn't be okay with it. Then Admin couldn't ignore me. They might even bring Brittney in. Make the spoiled princess answer a couple questions."

With a sigh, Bridget let her hopeful smile fall flat and took the straightener to her hair.

After finishing her hair, Bridget changed out of her dirty capris and ripped blue t-shirt and replaced them with dark wash jeans and a red long-sleeve V-neck. Finally, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was much neater, cleaner. If she smiled, she could pass for a cheerleader.

She no longer looked like someone who had just been whipped. But she still felt just as empty.

Bridget left the bathroom and spread out on one of the couches. She pulled a breakfast burrito out of her duffle and began eating as the bell to start her next class rang.

After she finished eating she grabbed her backpack and walked past the main building to a slightly smaller one. She handed her pass to a woman behind a large desk then strolled over to a group of boys standing in a circle.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." A thin boy with brown hair announced, shaking his head at Bridget. "You're always late to this class."

"But I'm always late with a pass," she said matter of factly.

She in no way resembled the girl she was not even an hour prior.

"Don't change the subject, Trevor." declared a boy, slightly shorter than the first but with his brown hair spiked. He turned to Bridget, "You're gonna solve this for us. If you were gonna hide a body would you use acid in your tub?"

"What's my relationship to the victim?" Bridget asked. Figuring out that she had interrupted a critique on an episode of some crime show.

"She's your ex's fiance."

Bridget paused for a moment, "Ross, sweetie, I need a little bit more than that."

"You two have been feuding for years, and she stole your husband," he continued.