Don't Speak, Don't Say A Word

I kept pulling down the sleaves of my hoodie to cover the bruises and burns that littered my thin, pale arms. Most people would consider bruises and burns to be a horrible thing, but to me it was comfort as it meant that I didn't make my mother and father as mad as I could've and it was farther away from being dead. I was sitting near the very front of the bus, somewhere where not many people would even think of sitting as that was closer to the driver. But I didn't have any friends to have fun with or get in trouble with. I was used to that kind of life so that didn't bother me either. What else could you expect from the midget, mute kitten who couldn't even look anyone in the eye at all? No wonder mother and father thought of me as a disgrace. But only if they knew that they were the reason I was like this. The reason I was too afraid to speak. The reason I hoped death would approach soon even though I wasn't even of legal age yet. The reason my life was a living hell.

I gulped, looking around at the scenery we drove by and winced when I felt a wad of paper hit me in one of my tan ears before landing in my lap simply. I glanced down at it shyly, softly reaching out my ugly and scarred hands and un-balling the paper. I felt my eyes widen at the scribbled drawing that I could hardly make out as what appeared to be two werewolves tearing me to complete shreds. Well didn't that make me feel better? I glanced up into the bus driver's mirror that would allow him to look back and check on people only to find two bulky teen boys smirking from a few rows back. I knew from without a doubt that they had to be the boys that had drawn the picture that was currently resting in my tiny lap. Like I said, I was too small for my age and had been called 'freak' numerous times by family members and other kids my age simply because I chose not to dress 'in fashion' or spoke loudly without a care. I was too timid to even mutter a hello to people I didn't know or even smile for more than a millisecond without my face flaring up into a bright and vivd blush. I truthfully was a disgrace.

I let out a small and almost inaudible squeak when the bus came to an abrupt halt, making my eyes quickly shift outside the window to see the large and nice looking building where I would be spending the next few years, except for holidays of course, at. I truly hoped my parents wouldn't want me to come home on holidays and would tell the school to keep me there. But knowing them, they would order me to come home so they would have a punching bag for when they needed to release their anger on something. Who knows what they would do to release their pent up rage while I wasn't at home where they could simply call my name and land a punch to my already ugly face once I entered the room. Like I said, I was used to being pushed around and had already become an expert at using powder and foundation to cover up the numerous bruises so that I wouldn't have to look at them and remember the pain I felt when it took place. I softly stood up, tugging my backpack up onto my back which contained my mp3 player, a few books, and other small items. They had picked up everyone's items in a separate van a few days ago which they took and placed in our dorms so we wouldn't have to do so.

The bus driver gave me a soft and apologetic smile, seeing that I practically leaped from the bus stairs when I saw the other teenage boys walking down the bus aisle and towards me. I wasn't exactly a people person either, always imagining that if they even got within a foot of me they would see the bruises or notice my horrid features before landing another bruise onto me for making them have to look at me in even the slightest way. If they wanted my help, I would give it to them but that didn't mean I would say a word to them either. "Welcome new and returning students!" Read the banner that was hung across the entrance of the large building, a few supervisors lined up at tables to take your name and give you a dorm and your room mate's name. The thought of a dorming buddy made my nerves stand on end. What if they were someone who would get pissed off at me for being a neko?! Or one of the werewolves that had thrown the wad of paper at me on the bus?! Or what if they were one of the kids that got raped at home?! I mean hasn't it been proven that children that have been raped usually end up being rapists as well or something like that?! Maybe I was just being paranoid or just being a little too crazy for my own good. I mean I was a 'flaming homo', 'fairy', and 'butterfly' like my parents had told me numerous times. But wouldn't that mean I should be ecstatic for dorming with another boy since from what I could tell, almost every boy at this school was attractive.

"Is there a Xander Joels here?"One of the supervisors called my name, making me jump before quickly shuffling up to her and rocking back and forth while I waited for them to tell me what they had called my name for. I kicked a rock with my worn out converse, flicking my eyes up once they coughed to catch my attention once more. "From what I can tell this is your first year here. I would dorm you with another first year but we haven't gotten anymore this year, sorry bud. You'll be in room 516 on the third floor of East campus, which is just that way. Ah, here comes your dorming buddy I think."They said, making my eyes then flick over to the way he was looking after taking the key. My green optics grew wide, making me feel surprised that they hadn't fallen out of my head. The boy was absolutely gorgeous, immediately making me feel inferior and not worthy to even be standing in his presence. Besides, there were two other boys at his side which could've easily been his boyfriend, if he even swung that way, and his brother or vice versa. Then again, the shorter boy with a cheesy grin plastered on his face and dark brown hair was hanging off of a male slightly shorter than my apparent room mate and had blond hair with a few other colors dyed into it.

"Xander, I want you to meet your room mate for the next few years at St. Claud's. Myka Pykel."The supervisor smiled, making me blush and look down quickly as I felt the boy's eyes scan my thin, pale, and small body before smirking at me. Something told me that this year was going to be not only the best year of my life so far, but also the worst and most challenging I had ever faced. I was nervous though, always had been and always will be. I was shy, timid, nervous, quiet, mute, and ugly as hell. Yep that was me in a handful. That was me, the tiny neko: Xander Joels.