I Thought You Meant That You Were Falling Apart

How could he be so shallow? Why would he dare say something like that? I mean, I heard the rumors about him being an ass whole and everything, but I figured he just came off strong and people do tend to exaggerate, but they were dead on. Alex Gaskarth had a cold heart and only cared about himself.

The only sound I could hear was my red converse clanging against the cold cement floor. Everyone else was already in class. Some classroom doors were open and people stared at me as I passed by, quickly turning to their friends to start the newest rumor.

My school should have been named “Rumor High”, because I swear these people live off of cheap booze, cigarettes, and the latest rumor they can get their hands on. They then twist the rumor into something idiotic, or completely unrelated, and then the person they tell does the same, creating a vicious cycle that always ends badly.

People at my school were not only shallow, but they were rich. Their parents all had super expensive designer clothing and of course, the biggest apartments I had ever seen. The kids were brought up that way, so I should have suspected it.

Another problem I faced was that I did not live in one of these huge apartments. I lived in one of the few small houses down by the center of town. Sure, there were other houses in town, but they were all gigantic and reminded me of the type you’d see on some reality show. My house was the laughing stalk of the school. No, scratch that, I was the laughing stalk of the school. Nobody wanted to be seen near me, at anytime of day.

I rounded the last corner before I reached my locker. I put back all the books I had, still in my hands from Geometry class and grabbed my backpack. I slung it around my shoulder and straightened out my red and white stripped long sleeved shirt.

I whipped my eyes that had the tears that were earlier strolling down my cheek hardened onto them. My father was probably already out to one of his favorite clubs, getting wasted and just waiting for my weak self to pound on.

I hated feeling useless, but it was my only option. I had nobody to talk too about it, so why even bother?

I slammed my locker shut and stared down the empty corridor. The blue and white checkered styled flooring was leading me towards the front doors. I pushed them open with a sigh, and walked toward my house.

The best part about being unnoticed was that you could leave school and nobody would really even see you leave or realize you were gone. It was one of many advantages. There were also flaws to being unnoticed. For one, nobody noticed that I usually come to school with a black eyes, or scratches on my face. And on those long nights when I tossed and turned from the hollow loneliness I felt, those were hard. And when I got pounded on by my own flesh and blood, there were no shoulders to vent or cry on. I was completely alone in the world, and I knew that was how it was always going to be.

I reached my house and flung the front door open. My father was not yet home, so I figured I'd lock myself in my room all night and pray he wouldn't find me or break down the door like last time.

I fetched myself a bag of chips and two bottles of water and headed down the hall to my bedroom. I locked the door and threw myself onto the bed, where I cried myself to sleep.

-Time Passes, 1 week-

It’s been one whole week since my "incident" as everyone has been calling it. The gossip had begun to die down, and everyone is finally starting to leave me alone – except for Kaleena and Renee. Talk about bitches.

Couldn’t they just let it go? No, of course they couldn’t. They teased me daily about my scars and always asked me stupid questions about them, which I knew Kaleena knew the answers to. I just couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t told anyone.

So, I decided that I would have to speak to her alone. I knew Kaleena wouldn’t want to be seen talking to me in the hallway, or really anywhere for that matter – so I decided that I’d go to her house after school.

I bit my lip as I walked down her long, curving driveway. I soon was greeted by a huge house, the largest I’ve seen in this section of Maryland. It stood three stories high, and was painted a nice beige color. The shutters and doors were a dark crimson. I stared at the house in awe for a few seconds, before continuing for the front door.

I rocked on my heels a few times, and prayed for the best of luck. I mustered up all the courage I had and knocked on the door. I heard a dog bark and footsteps heading towards me.

The door flung open to reveal a very wasted Alex Gaskarth. Oh, boy.