Broken Hearted on the Mend

RH's Point of View

Moving to Salem was a big jump especially since my parents weren't around to help me with the change in scenery. They weren't going to join me at all because I was alone. Not totally alone, but I was alone. They were gone forever and there was no way around that. I couldn't bring them back no matter how hard I had tried. It was my fault that they were gone. At least I thought it was. I drove them out of their own house because I was angry. I said hurtful things to the both of them and I could never take it back and express how sorry I was. I was hurting, and I don't know if I'll ever get over my pain.

Today was my first day of school even though it started about three weeks ago. I was to be given a tour and just sit in on a couple of classes to get a feeling of what I would be going through for the next nine months. My parents had been gone for six months and I still cried, but sometimes I didn't know I was crying. All of my friends that I had back in California shut themselves off from me when I stopped talking to them. I was parentless and friendless, and I had no idea where to start to try and bring my life back to the way it used to be.

I now lived with my aunt and uncle and unfortunately I was afraid of my uncle. My aunt had no clue what he was capable of especially when he was drunk. He had come to visit my parents and I when they were alive and when I was up all alone he came down from the guest room and tried to molest me. I smacked him across the face and fought him off, but now that I was living under his roof I wasn't sure what he would do. I was hoping that I would make friends soon so that if he did try something I would have another place to stay for awhile.

Even though I had been in Salem when school first started I had pleaded with my aunt to let me stay home for the first three weeks so that I could get acquainted with the town that I would thankfully only be staying in for one year. I was seventeen now, but my eighteenth birthday was in the spring and once I turned eighteen I was going to use the money that I received from my parents' trust fund to rent an apartment. I only had to live with my aunt and uncle for seven months and then I would be free to do whatever I wanted to do. The first day I entered the house my uncle had followed me up to my room to make sure that I knew the rules. He told me that if I broke a single one then I would be punished severely. He scared me, but I wasn't going to let him know that I was scared.

The first night I went out to explore the historic part of Salem I accidently broke curfew, which was ten p.m., and when I walked in two minutes late my uncle grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall in my bedroom. He smacked me across my face twice leaving two large red marks. After he slapped me he kicked me in the ribs once and then left me there. I was only two minutes late for curfew and my punishment was being beaten. After that night I tried not to break curfew as best I could. Sometimes I never even went out afraid to get beaten again.

I was beaten for leaving dirty dishes in the sink, for not doing my laundry. My punishment for anything I did wrong was being beaten. I did my best to cover it up from my aunt and so that no one would notice it at school. I wore long sleeves, long skirts, jeans, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets. As long as it covered my legs, arms, and sides I was alright. The day before I was to start my first day of school he had beaten me again over something as stupid as leaving my books laying around in the living room. Now I had to make sure that my body was covered. I was afraid that he would stop beating me and start molesting me or worse raping me.

He had threatened to hurt me more if I went to the cops or social services about him hitting me. I kept silent and I don't know when I would be able to tell someone or if I ever could. I walked into the main office of Salem High School Home of the Witches, classy mascot, not really. I knew the whole reason they chose witches as their mascot because Salem was where the Salem Witch Trials were and they figured that they would honor that part of their history. Walking up to the secretary's counter I waited for her to notice that I was there. It took her about an hour and by the time she did look up the bell had rung for first period and I still didn't have my schedule.

"Hello dear, how may I help you," she asked.

"I'm new here and I need a class schedule and a map please," I said not making eye contact.

"Of course, one second," she said.

She walked away from me leaving me at the counter as she went to go get the principal I guess. When she came back she was followed by another woman.

"Hello and welcome to Salem High School. I'm Principal Bennett and I hope you have a good school year. Would you like a tour of the school," she asked.

"That would be nice, but could I have a class schedule first please," I asked.

"My apologies, of course you may get a schedule. Ms. Copper would you please get this young lady's information so that she can get a schedule and then we can go on our tour," Principal Bennett said.

"Of course, ma'am," she said.

She asked me a bunch of questions and I answered them truthfully. The one I didn't answer truthfully was my reason for being here. I had said that my parents made me come and live with my aunt and uncle while they went and did business in Europe. It was still too painful to talk about the true reason I was here. I couldn't make myself speak out the truth. I had been sent to many shrinks to try and get me to talk, but none of them worked. I just stayed silent. The pain was unbearable and every time that I thought about my parents I couldn't help but blame myself for their untimely death.

"Miss Hart if you would follow me we should get the tour started so you can make it to one of your classes today. Tomorrow, when you come to school you will need to carry around a sign in slip for all of your teachers to sign. Once they do then you can start getting assignments. Today when you go to your last period class all you will do is sit in and listen alright," Principal Bennett said dragging me out of my thoughts.

"Of course," I said and silently followed the principal.

"So, your first name, Rhiannon, it's unique," the principal said.

"Yeah what about it," I asked nonchalantly.

"Well, it's beautiful," she said.

"Thank you," I answered.

"What does it mean," she asked.

"Blonde goddess on a pure white horse," I answered.

"Really, that's unique," she said.

"Yep," I stated simply.

"Are you alright," she asked suddenly.

"I'm fine," I said a little too quickly.

"You know, you remind me of another student here," she said after a small silence.

"I do," I said startled and actually looking at her.

"Yes, his name is Mr. Cullen and when he came here he seemed just as reserved as you are now," she said.

"Oh, has he gotten any better," I asked curious.

"No, he's still reserved, but he seems to always be sad or angry at something. I'm not sure though," she stated.

I thought about that for awhile. Maybe I wasn't the only one who seemed to have some sort of broken heart or at least dealing with some sort of pain. Maybe I could find him and be able to talk with him about my pain and situation. Maybe not, maybe I should just keep to myself. The tour wasn't long. She showed me the routes to take to get to my classes, which took most of the day. The principal left me in front of my English classroom which was my last class of the day. A class I actually enjoyed. I was constantly either writing or drawing. My uncle hated it when I didn't spend at least a half hour with him and my aunt in front of the television watching his favorite show.

"Alright, Miss Hart that is the end of the tour. I hope you have a good school year and make lots of friends. You're a senior this year correct," she asked.
I just nodded my head.

"Well, then I hope you graduate with honors and give Mr. Cullen a run for his money," she smiled.

Again I just nodded not really caring if I made Valedictorian or not. I was a good student, managed to get straight A's when I wanted to and I could fail all of my classes if I felt like failing all of my classes. I didn't care for physical education, but apparently with this school it was required all four years in order to graduate. Thankfully when I was back in California I had decided to take PE all the way up to my junior year. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have a dance class because that also helped calm my muscles as well as give me a good workout.

This year I would have to just deal with going through regular gym class. I watched as the principal headed back to her office. I could hear voices coming from the classroom inside so they were in some sort of discussion. I waited for the voices to stop, but they just kept going. Since I couldn't put off going into the classroom any longer I opened the door and entered. The teacher, whose name was Ms. Jacobs according to my schedule, looked up at me.

"May I help you," she asked gently.

"Uh, yeah I'm a new student, and it looks like I'll be in your class until the end of the year," I said after I swallowed the huge lump in my throat in order to speak.

"Oh and will you be participating today or just sitting in," she asked.

"Um, I believe just sitting in today. I'll start participating tomorrow after I have my sign in slip for you to sign," I admitted.

"Wonderful. Please take the open seat next Mr. Cullen. You'll sit there for the rest of the year," she said pointing to a muscular guy with dark slightly wavy hair.

His head was down on his arms, but when his name was called he looked up at me and I was shocked to see that his eyes were an odd buttery color. I'd never seen eyes that color before. He was rather pale and stiff. When I walked over to him he immediately raised his hand and asked to use the restroom. I was a little disheartened by his sudden question to use the restroom.

I continued to walk towards my permanent seat for the year, already dreading his repercussions every time that I walked near him or just even sit next to him. I listened to the teacher half-heartedly doodling on stray piece of paper. I looked up towards the window and saw a huge Jeep pull out and the dark haired guy from before was behind the wheel. He had stopped suddenly and I took that as my chance to follow him. I got up out of my seat just as the final bell rang and headed out.

I managed to grab his backpack on my way out. I got into the car that my father used to own, which was a sleek black Volvo S60R. It was a rather fast car and I was normally a speed demon. I quickly pulled out of my parking spot and went after the Jeep. It took about twenty minutes, but I finally found huge tire tracks leading into the forest so I followed them and came to a medium sized white house. It was an old Victorian style home and it was just beautiful.

I saw the Jeep parked just outside the garage. I walked up to it and noticed the keys still in the ignition. There was no sign of the guy from my English class. I went back to my car and grabbed the first notebook my fingers touched from my back pack and a pen. In my neat handwriting I wrote him a note explaining.

Mr. Cullen,

I followed you back to your house because you left your book bag in class. I figured you would want it when you got around to doing some homework. Please don't think I'm stalking you because I'm not. I was just trying to be helpful and nice. If you want to talk to me then you can tomorrow in English class or at lunch. I hope you forgive me for following you home.

Yours Truly,

RH

I didn't want to sign my full name, because I didn't know his name. I was satisfied with the note so I ripped it out of the notebook and laid it neatly on top of the book bag and then took the bag to the Jeep where I left it in the driver's seat. I got back into my car and sped home afraid that I would get beaten again for being late for dinner. I wouldn't put it past my uncle to beat me for being late for dinner either. Dinner was at 5 o'clock sharp and if you were late then you didn't eat for the rest of the night.

I was late once last week and by the time I was supposed to go to bed I was starving. When I had heard my uncle's loud snores I had crept downstairs and snuck an apple out of the refrigerator and went back to my room to eat it. It didn't exactly fill my stomach, but it held me off until morning, which I was grateful for. I made in the house by 4:30 so I had a half hour to memorize my schedule for school and pick out my outfit for tomorrow. Up in my bedroom I lifted my shirt and checked the bruises that peppered my side from the previous night's beating.

They were still pretty black and blue so I would have to wear another long sleeve shirt because the ones on my arms were just like the ones on my side, still really ugly. When I was done examining the damage that my uncle inflicted on me I dropped my shirt and went downstairs to help with the dinner preparations.