Behind This Smile

Sydri POV

I hated walking home. Everyday I see my sister in her blue Mustang drive past me with her and her stupid friends and they laugh while they flip me off. It's also a bit eerie... For me, at least. I mean, I'm a stupid little girl who has to walk home everyday, and just the thought of someone raping me or killing me is scary. But in the most comforting words of my oh-so-loving sister, "You're way too ugly to be raped and your face would scare them off if they tried to kill you, so you're safe."

So of course it scared me when I heard footsteps behind me. I asumed that today was my last day to live, but that part didn't bother me in the least. Naturally, it would've been my nature to run, but I didn't. I was tired and lazy. I didn't look back, either. I figured I would live or I would die. It was bound to happen.

"Sydri!" I heard someone call.

I found it weird that someone was calling my name. I didn't turn to see who it was. Instead, I came to an abrubt stop and almost immediatly, someone crashed into me and we both fell.

I saved my fall with my hands which stung after, and looked at whoever was next to me.

"Your hands are bleeding," Mikey said, grabbing my wrists and looking hand my hands, which were, indeed, bleeding.

I gently pulled my hands out of his grip and stood up. "So they are." I grabbed my backpack and rubbed my hands on my already torn up jeans.

"Is it okay if I walk home with you?" Mikey asked as I started walking again.

"Do you normally walk home?" I asked. "I don't see you."

He shook his head. "No. But I hate seeing you so lonley." He smiled down at me.

I smiled back and bit my lip. "Thanks, but you don't have to walk home. You can get a ride with whoever." I tried to stuff my blood caked hands in my pockets, but it stung too much.

He shook his head again. "No. Gerard said it was okay."

Gerard. The name sounded slightly familiar. "Who's Gerard?" I asked, hoping I wasn't being too nosey.

He rolled his eyes. "My stupid brother."

"Ah, so he's stupid?" I glanced at him.

"Well, not usually. He likes your sister." He sighed then shrugged.

I gagged. "God, he is stupid."

He laughed and pointed to the car that passed us. "That was him." He slightly shook his head. "It's a hopeless crush," he muttered. "She'll never go out with him."

I shifted my backpack to my other shoulder and nodded. "He's probably too good for her anyway."

He glanced at me. "Why are you so sure of that, Sydri?"

"Because, Mikey. Every guy is too good for her. She's not worth anybody's time. Especially mine."

I tried to get my hands in my pockets, but stopped when blood sort of gushed out. I need to stop wearing such tight pants, I thought. I finally figured out that the smart thing to do would put my hands in my hoodie pockets.

"She has a nice car," Mikey said, breaking the short silence that had surrounded us.

"I know. I bought it," I replied in a sour tone.

He stopped walking, causing me to stop also, and looked me straight in the eye and said, "You bought it and she drives it?"

I nodded. "I only speak the truth, Mr. Mikes."

He started walking again. "She's lucky she's a girl. She'd be dead by now," he muttered to himself.

I laughed. "Finally. Someone who sees what I see... A monster."

He smiled. "One question."

"Shoot."

"Is her hair really blond?"

"No. Not at all. But does she get all the shit that I get for dying my hair? No. Her life is..." I paused. I stopped for a second to think of the right adjective. I glanced at Mikey who was staring down at me. "Her life is picture perfect," I whispered.

--

When I got home, I glanced at the blue Mustang and seriously thought about throwing the huge rock in our yard at the damned thing. Instead, I shook my head and walked through my front door.

"Dad?" I called.

"In here," he called from the bathroom.

I walked down the hall and saw my dad leaning over the toliet and puking. "Dad?" I asked. "Are you okay?" I was officially worried.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm fine. Just the stomach bug, I suppose."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Dad, I think you should go see the doctor again."

"No, sweetheart. I'm fine, really." He managed to smile at me. His face seemed too pale and unhappy for my dad who was all about rainbows and butterflies.

"Okay, Dad. I trust you." Did I? Mr. W has got me thinking that I should've gone to the doctor with my dad. "But, Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"If this continues, you're going to the doctor's office again, okay?" I tucked stranded pieces of my hair behind my ear.

"Okay, hon. I'm fine, though. Really."

--

I barged through my sister's door and glared at her. "Where were you when your stupid little friend was molesting me?"

She shrugged. "Depends. He tells me he molests you all the time." She capped the lipgloss she was putting on.

"Screwing another guy, may I ask."

She got up and pushed me out of her room. "You're too good," she said sarcastically. Her "blond" hair rested perfectly on her shoulders as she flipped her hair in the most annoying way possible. "Way...Too...Good," she whispered and slammed the door in my face.

I thought back to what Mikey said about her being dead and I yelled, "You'll go out in style!"