Help, I'm Alive

After class, the one I had to run to, I walked to my locker, catching a glimpse of Parker. I stopped abruptly, needing to tell him something.

“Hey Parker,” he stopped and turned to me, “I need to tell you something.”

“What?” he asked rudely.

I ignored his rudeness. “Mrs. Lucky isn’t here today, so…I think you get the point.”

He sighed in relief. “Good. Now see you later.”

I started walking to my locker again.

“Why were you talking to that kid?” I heard next to me.

I turned around; it was my friend, Kate. “He was asking me a question,” I lied. I didn’t need to lie, though. I guess I was so used to lying; it became a habit, a bad one.

She scowled. “If I were you, I wouldn’t talk to him ever again.”

I gave her a questioning look. “Um, why do you say that?”

“Haven’t you heard about him?” She looked at me like I had two heads. “He’s a total loner. Then, he has the dumb emo hair. Ugh, and he, like, cuts himself. Like, why would you want to cut yourself? That’s so stupid. People who do that only want attention. I wouldn’t want to be friends or be seen with someone that does that. ”

That hit me hard.

People who do that only want attention. I wouldn’t want to be friends or be seen with someone that does that.

What if everybody found out about me?

Will they think of me like that?

• •

“Emmy, I’m hungry,” Kayla whined later that night.

“Can you wait a bit? I’m trying to study,” I told her, my eyes roaming the words on the page.

“Emmmmmmmy,” she whined again.

I sighed in frustration. “Fine.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

I didn’t want to go to the kitchen. My parents were probably in there, but I had to do it for Kayla.

I quietly crept to the kitchen. I had reached the refrigerator but stood still when I heard his voice.

“Emerald, get me a beer,” my dad slurred.

“Okay,” I said quietly, hoping he would just leave me alone without any problems.

I gave him his beer; he snatched it rudely, grumbling some words.

Relieved, I went back to getting Kayla food.

I was okay, for that night.