Daddy's Little Darlings

On Monday, I go into school with more bruises and cuts and a black eye. I can't find Mum's make-up, and when I do and start applying it, Dad slaps me and says there are plenty of names for girls who wear make-up like that. I wash it off and go to school beaten.
More gasps echo round the form room as I walk in. Hannah, Tasha and Mia rush up to me.
" I tripped up last night," I lie innocently. " Hurt my face."
" Really? Oh, Reilly, who did this to you?" Tasha pleads.
" I told you-I tripped."
" Whatever," snorts Hannah. " You're not the tripping-up kind. You got beaten up-you can tell."
" And you know all this, all of a sudden?" I sneer sarcasticly. " Honestly, I'm fine. Just leave me alone if you're gonna call me a liar."
" We're not calling you a liar!" exclaims Mia.
" Yes, but you're implying it!"
" And that makes all the difference?"
" Yes!" I yell. " Now leave me alone!"
" Fine," says Hannah coldly. " Come on, you two."
They sit down at the front and leave me at the door, alone.
I sit at the back, saying that I want to, in all my lessons of the morning- Art and Music. At Lunch, I head off to the canteen, get my dinner and sit at a side table, on my own. I am reading my vampire book when a shadow falls across my page. I look up, and see Hannah, Tasha and Mia standing there.
" Reilly," starts Tasha gently. " We're sorry about before. It's just....we're worried about you. We just asked. We want you to be safe."
" Yeah. Sorry if we gave you the cold shoulder," Hannah chips in. They all look concerned, they really do care.
" It's Okay, guys. Thanks. I did trip though."
" Hhmmmm," sighs Mia, as if she truly doesn't believe me. " What are you reading?"
The next lessons are Science and Maths, and we are all in different sets for Science and Hannah pulls a sickie and gets sent to the nurse's room in Maths. I get out of Maths late, and I straggle outside. I can see Hannah, Tasha and Mia waiting for me.
" D'you reckon she tripped?" Mia asks.
" No way. Something's going on, she just won't tell us," Tasha says. My heart freezes. They'll find out, I know they will...
" Hey, guys," I say, stepping round the corner. " Shal we go home?"
We start a steady stream of chatter before we run out of things to say. The silence grows cold and uneasy.
" Look, Reilly-" Hannah starts, but I cut her short.
" I heard what you said before. I'm not lying. "
" But you are, Reilly. Why can't you tell us? We're your friends. Friends are supposed to trust each other, and we can't trust you anymore. "
" I can't trust you! You're talking about me behind my back and saying I'm a liar. I'm not lying-I'm telling the truth. It's just your problem you don't believe me."
" Reilly, don't be like that."
" I'm not being like anything! If you can't trust me, I might as well go. I mean, you're probably expecting me to push you under a car now."
I run off home, crying. My friends hate me. They can't trust me, they think I'm lying.If only they knew, if only I didn't have to lie...I would give anything to lead a normal life. Not to have an angry father and dead mother and gay brother. I have nothing against Danny, but this is partly his fault.
I rush down to the park and sit down on my swing, the dampness seeping through my school skirt. I swing miserably for half-an-hour before I see a black-haired figure come towards me.
" Hey," Noel says. " Reilly. Something new?"
" Yes. My friends hate me," I say mournfully.
" Why?"
" I can't tell you."
" Did you steal their boyfriends?"
" No."
" Did you bully them?"
" No."
" Then they can't hate you. That's the only reasons girls hate each other. "
" We're not that simple."
" Aren't you?"
" You're the expert?"
" I should like to think so," Noel grins. " Because I-"
" Have had billions of girlfriends?"
" No."
" Got loads of sisters."
" No."
" Why then?"
" I'm brilliant."
I let out a shriek of laughter that sounds like a sob.
" You! A black-haired boy, wearing the scruffiest uniform ever!"
Noel's tie is tyed round his head, his shirt is un-tucked and streaked with paint, his blazer is tyed round his waist, his trousers are dirty and baggy and his shoes are stained Van's. His hair isn't spiked up today, and lies against his head, flat and fluffy.
" You seem to think so."
" I don't love you, Noel."
" Nobody does. No girlfriends. Not like my brother. He's dated all of them in the school. Marty, his name is. He's fifteen."
" Nice. Black-haired poser, like you?"
" No, he's not. He's got red in his hair, too."
I giggle.
" You'll have to meet him sometime."
" I suppose I will."
We swing in silence for a bit before I say-
" You haven't said anything about my face."
" Do you want me to?" Noel asks, surprised.
" No. I just thought it would be natural instinct."
" Not for me. I'm no-last-namer Noel, social outcast, uncool before being uncool was cool. My natural instinct is the opposite to your natural instinct."
I laugh properly. Noel makes me feel so good.
" I could comment on how pretty it is."
" What?"
" Your face. Your eyes, your mouth, your nose, yuor freckles, your hair, your figure-"
" No," I say defiantly. " No way."
" Reilly....why are you so hostile? So closed, not letting anybody in, not letting anybody thaw you out....it's strange. You've got so many open doors, but it's so hard to read them," he mutters dreamily to himself. I don't answer.
" I'd better go," I mutter, standing up. " Goodbye, Noel."
" I'll walk you home."
" No. Not today."
" Okay. Bye,Reilly. Just tell me if you want me to comment about all that stuff!"
" I will."
I won't though. There's a big reason why I won't let anybody thaw me out. Anybody close to me gets hurt.