It Started With A Wrong Number ✯

15. Shattered

"You little bastard!"

A yelp escapes my lips as Mom's hand connects with my cheek, her ring cutting into my skin.

"Why wasn't my dinner ready?" She spits angrily. As I go to reply, she backhands me again. "You were out getting fucked again, weren't you, you little whore?"

"N-no!"

"Don't lie to me," Mom says, throwing the knife I was using to make her dinner at me.

I yelp again and duck, the knife hitting the wall behind me before clattering to the floor.

Mom lunges at me, her hands gripping my throat. "I wish you were never born, you little whore!"

My heart throbs painfully at that. It's true though. I bet everything would be better if I had never been born. Maybe Dad would still be with Mom and they would still be happy.

But Aaron...

Would he be better off without me? Well, I'm guessing he wouldn't have anyone but Dakota who knew he's gay, but I'm just one person. He can easily let someone else know and replace me. I'm not special, not unique.

Mom suddenly lets me go, making me fall to the floor, and stalks out of the house, grumbling, "I'll see if any friends feel like going out for dinner."

Gasping, I gingerly feel at my throat. With second semester starting tomorrow, how am I going to hide the bruises this will cause? I guess I could wear a scarf or turtleneck. It is winter, it shouldn't look too bad, right?

Pushing myself to my feet, I head upstairs, curling up on my worn down mattress and closing my eyes. It hurts. My body hurts, and my heart hurts.

Why does it feel like no one wants me? Why can't things just go back to the way they were before? ... But if they did, then I wouldn't have my only friends, Aaron and Damon.

Why does life hate me? Did I do something wrong? Was I made just to fall down, down, down into this overwhelming pain?

Why does it hurt so much?

I sniffle quietly, hugging myself as I feel tears welling up in my eyes. Those familiar thoughts start swirling in my mind.

End it.

No one will notice.

No one will miss you.

It'd be so easy. Just reach under my pillow and grab the blade that to be calling me. And it would all be over. No more pain. No more hurting. Just nothing.

No. I promised myself that I would fight longer. I vowed to reach graduation. And I don't want to just give up.

The sound of my phone buzzing draws me from my thoughts. Taking it from my nightstand, I see multiple messages to the Pretty Liars 🤫 chat that was made earlier.

Today 5:30pm

Salvatore: Why do we have to go to school

Salvatore: Why can't we just stay home

Salvatore: I don't like learning