Behind This Smile

I knew Nicola was going to kill me. Don't know how, don't know when, I just knew. I figured this out because this morning she wasn't at home this morning and her Mustang was gone. Leave it to Nicola to drive a ruined car to school.

I was ready for school, but I was way too early to actually walk home because of Nicola not being here. I walked into the living room and sat next to my dad on the couch. "You look better today," I stated.

He smiled. "See? I told you it was nothing. And yet you continue to be so nosey." He tapped my nose for emphasis.

"So what did Dr. H say?" I asked him.

"There we go again, being nosey," he muttered. "He said that it was a cold and the stomach bug. No worries." He stared off into space.

I glanced at the T.V and saw the news was on. I wasn't really paying attention when my dad said, "You need to get ready for school." I nodded and got up. "And sometime next week you can take those bandages off your hands, okay, Syd?" He seemed slightly remote.

"Yeah, Dad. Okay." I grabbed my backpack and headed for the door before turning around and kissing my dad on the cheek- something I never do anymore. "I love you, Dad," I whispered.

"Love you, too, Sydri." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Go to school, Syd," he demanded, his eyes still shut.

I nodded and walked towards the door and closed it behind me.

--

Once I walked in the school, everyone stopped and stared. I took a deep breath in and stopped in front of my locker, to find it already opened. I raised my eyebrows, confused, and scared to why my locker was open, until I saw Frank with a grin on his face.

"Just to be safe." He grinned even bigger.

I chuckled and grabbed my books. "I see they're all still in here." I smirked at him.

"Yeah, I was going to take your math book, but I decided who needs it?" he joked.

"Yes, I don't know why we learn it. It's not like I'm ever going to use it anyway." I slammed my locker closed and began to turn around but stopped when I saw Nicola and her man whores.

Nicola glared at me. "You're going to regret ever being born," she hissed.

I rolled my eyes and tried to walk past them, but Jake grabbed me by my arm and pushed me into the lockers, my head made an unusual banging noise as he pushed me. I'm not even going to try to lie. I was scared.

Matt, Jake's brother, grabbed my hoodie and pulled me towards him. "What the fuck did you do that to Nicola's car for, bitch?" he spat as he pushed me onto the ground.

"Hey!" shouted Frank. "Leave her alone!"

Every one ignored him and I could feel everybody's eyes on me. Jake started kicking me in the sides and Matt started pulling my hair, and the fact the Frank was trying to get Matt to stop pulling my hair wasn't any better.

"How does that feel, bitch?" Matt and Jake would say.

I couldn't answer from the pain and the sobbing that exploded me. Matt pulled me up from the ground and started slamming me into the lockers.

Jake would occasionally punch me in the stomach or in the face and Nicola sat there and watched.

Tears were streaming down my face, meaning that my eyeliner and mascara probably was, too.

I finally heard Mikey start yelling stop and he pushed Matt off of me, but Jake tackled him to the ground. Frank tried to get Jake off of Mikey and Matt continued killing me.

I realized my sobs were becoming loud and obnoxious. Where the fuck are the teachers?

Matt grabbed me by my hair and started banging my head against the lockers. The pain was undescribible. I begged him to stop and the more I screamed, cried, shouted, hit him, the harder my head goes smashing into all the lockers.

Someone pushed him off of me and yelled, "Goddammit, leave her alone!" I looked up and saw Mikey with Gerard, and I realized it was Gerard who had pushed him off of me.

Mr. Warlock was right behind them. Mikey looked more than mad and Gerard just seemed to feel pity. Not angry, not sad, not happy, just pity.

"What the hell happened here?!" shouted Mr. Warlock. I hadn't stopped sobbing and Mikey bent down and hugged me.

"Oh, my God. Sydri, you're bleeding." Mikey's eyes were wide as he showed me his hand that was basically all covered in blood. I felt my breathing increase and I started sobbing harder. I hated feeling so weak.

I saw Gerard clench his fists and Mr. Warlock made me stand up and sure enough, there was blood splatters on the lockers blood every where on the floor and I felt something wet on the back of my clothes, so there must be blood there, too.

Mr. Warlock ran to get the principal and Mikey grabbed Jake and Matt and pushed them into the wall. "Do you want me to do that to you, huh?!" he shouted.

"I did not mean to..." Matt started but trailed off.

Gerard had no other option and he went over to me. "Do you feel woozy?" he asked, obviously pissed. I wasn't sure at who, though.

I couldn't answer so I nodded and he glanced at all the blood laying on the floor. "Goddamn we're going to have to get you an ambulance." He walked away and I began sobbing again.

Frank handed me his jacket. "Here, put this to your head to stop some bleeding."

I shook my head. "I... don't want... to ruin..." I began in between gasps and sobs but Frank was persistint and he put the jacket to the back of my head and I held it in place.

Mr. Warlock came back with Mr. Jenkins, the principal, and he flipped. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he shouted at Matt, Jake, and Nicola. Nicola merely rolled her eyes.
"You three will be paying for the hospital bill!"

I started sobbing at the mention of "hostpital" and right on cue, the sirens were heard.

Mr. W, Mikey, and Frank took me outside and even police were there. I tried desperatly to stop crying but it was no use. Mikey and Frank got into the ambulance with me and Mr. Warlock said he would call my dad. I nodded in response and cried on Mikey's shoulder the whole way there.