Masks

I watched the Prep walk down the hall laughing a laugh that I knew as fake, for it mimicked my own. She strode down the hall, skirt hiked up tan legs bouncing gracefully, I wanted to slap her. She didn't know that I knew, I was just a loner in the corner. Just a worthless life.

She split from the rest of the group and turned down an empty hall. i waited a minute before following her. Turning the corner i saw he look around, I ducked into the restroom. I stepped back out as I heard her bag drop to the ground.

"Here," I said walking up and handing her a tissue.

"Thanks," she sniffled. Looking up at me, she gasped, "Dillon!"

"Yeah, Ashley it's me" I sat down in front of her. Looking down at her ankles, I saw red lines peeking out from under her socks. "That's what I thought."

"What?" she looked at me raising her eyebrows.

"You need to quit," I pointed at her ankles.

"Quit what?" she asked her voice rising a pitch.

I reached over and yanked her sock down, "This!" I pointed at the cuts, and continued, "Not only for you but everyone else, I did the same thing, and A stranger told me exactly what I'm telling you." I shook my head, "It's only a temporary helper. Talk to your friends, Talk to me if you need to, I don't care but you need to quit."

"How-How did you know?" Ashley stuttered, shocked.

"The way you've been laughing and smiling and you keep zoning out in class. You didn't try out for cheer leading or Stu. co., you haven't been you for a while now" I sighed sitting back against the wall.

"Why, do you e-even care, or no-notice for that fact?" she questioned, crying even more, before blowing her nose.

"I've had a bit of a crush on you for a while, and I don't forget my friends," I raised an eyebrow, seeing if she remembered.

"What do you-" she started.

"I mean that we were best friends until the seventh grade, when you became a cheerleader," I shook my head. "We used to do everything together, and now, you don't even talk to me, I'm just the loner in the corner, who you can't even remember being friends with for half your life."

"Wait, did you die your hair?" she asked a light bulb seeming to light up in her head.

"Yeah, I got tired of my blonde, it reminded me of too much of you, so i died it black," I smiled. I was getting through to her.

"Well, I don't care I have new friends now," Ashley hmped, and turned away.

"You aren't living anymore Ashley!" I screamed, not caring who heard.

"Yes I am!" she screamed back. We stood up and she walked up to my face, "I'm breathing , see," she breathed into my face. "Therefore I am alive." She turned on her heal and walked away as students began to pile into the hallway.

"That doesn't mean a thing," I said to myself walking away in the other direction.