“Yeah, I think you can,” Jameson says. He’s the jock Lex got pissy about the other day at lunch.
“What?” I ask him.
Jameson walks into my room, pushing me backwards.
“What are you doing? Get out!” I scream but then his fist swings in my direction, hitting me in the side of the face, and the last thing I hear is the door being slammed shut.
Everything hurts as I start to wake up. I’d hoped it was a nightmare. But the pain in every bone of my body tells me itwasn’t. I grit my teeth as I force myself to get up and walk into my bathroom.
The reflection in the mirror is one I’ve seen on my mother more times than I care to remember. I made a promise to myself that it would never happen to me. That I would be smarter than she was. And now, here I am. Looking just like she does most weeks.
I shower again. I’ve already taken three showers but it’s not enough.
I throw on a pair of sweats and one of Lex’s hoodies I stole from him a few months back and pick up my phone. I could call him. He would be here. He would help me. He would also take one look at me and kill the person who did this.
I can’t let him see me like this. I can’t derail his life. I’ll get over this eventually. I’ll be able to move on. But if Lex does something, he’ll get kicked out of school. He won’t get into college and it will ruin his future. I refuse to be the thing that ruins him.
My phone dings with a message.
Lex:
Where are you? You weren’t at breakfast.
Me:
Something’s come up with my mom. I had to leave school. Talk later.
Lex:
Want me to come with you?
Me:
God no. The last thing I want is for you to see where I come from, Lex.
Lex:
I don’t care where you come from, Addi.
Me:
I’ll call you when I get home.
It’s a lie. I have no intention of calling him. I have no intention of ever coming back to this school. Slowly, I pack all of my clothes into the one duffel bag I arrived with. I leave my books. I’m not going to need them.
I’m about to walk out when I stop. I can’t just leave without saying goodbye to him. Walking over to my desk, I rip a piece of paper out of a notebook and write a letter to Lex. I know he’ll eventually come looking for me.
Folding the paper in half, I write his name on the front and then stand. I’m not going to cry. I’m going to get the hell out of here, and when I get back home, I’ll think about what happened to me.
Four hours later, I’m back at the trailer park I never wanted to see again. I open my mother’s door, praying she’s alone. Thankfully, I find her sitting at the dining table by herself and looking oddly sober.
“Mom?” I question.
“Addison?” My mom’s eyes roam up and down my body. “No.” She shakes her head. “No! What happened? This wasn’t ever supposed to happen to you.” She stands and comes over to me. When her arms wrap around my back, I finally let the tears go. I finally let myself fall apart.
“Shh, it’s going to be okay,” Mom says, but it’s not.
How am I ever going to be okay? Not only have I ruined my chance of getting into college, I’ve lost Lex. The one good thing that I had in my life. And what hurts the most? The fact that he’s going to hate me.