In Over My Head

3rd Person

After a moment, Ever stood tentatively ignoring the sobs coming from the corner. He went over to the mirror and examined the damage. It wasn't to bad, just a new bruise on his right cheek and bloody wound on his neck where the knife had pressed against threateningly.

If he took some asprin it probably wouldn't hurt much in a couple of hours.

"S-sweety, l-let me g-get you some painkillers. Y-you don't have t-to go to school to-today" His mom said trying not to cry anymore, she had a stash of it under her mattress for times like this.

"I'm going to school" He said determinedly and shot her a fierce look, "You need to get a new husband" Then he took off.

He ignored the asprin calling him from the medicine cabinet and marched onward. Ever had just noticed that if he hurt physically he wouldn't hurt much emotionally. And he needed that because it felt like his heart was in a million little sharp pieces that kept stabbing him from inside every time he thought of her.

He hadn't realized that falling in love with someone gave them the ability to easily rip apart your heart. Ever had never been 'in love' and he doubted he would fall for anyone again after this. But the truth of the matter was that he'd let Andy in, and now a piece of her would always be there.

That's why you don't ever really get over your first love. At that time you're too naive to realize that your gonna get hurt sooner or later, it's when your the most vulnerable. And Ever knew a little something about being vulnerable.

When he entered the school the secretary at the front gave him a scathing look as he approached her.

"I need a tardy pass" Ever said looking down to make sure his zipped up jacket covered his neck but he needn't do that; the old lady handed him the pass and waved him away.

They were a bunch of idiots, you'd think by now they'd have called Ever into the office to ask about his constant injuries but no, those bumbling fools just associated them to fights; they'd pegged him as that type of boy already.

It was lunch time so he headed for the cafeteria wanting to skip or go down the street to Subway but he didn't have his mom's car and he highly doubted he could walk for much longer. When he entered no one payed him much attention. He was the freak. The loser. The goth. The emo kid.

Whatever. He didn't give a flying fuck about the nicknames, actually the whole scars thing had earned him quite a bit of popularity at the freak table. They all wanted to know what he used to cover his screams from the self inflicted pain. He'd resisted the urge to say 'Both my parents are in the room. I don't need to hide anything'.

Ever looked around, trying to convince himself that he wasn't looking for her. But his eyes found her automatically. Strangely Andy wasn't at the Popular table like she'd been sitting at for a month or so. She was seated at a booth table at the edge of the cafeteria, next to one of the window.

Her black and purple hair was pulled up into a messy loose pathetic attempt at a ponytail which Ever hated to admit didn't diminish her cuteness. And her usual happy punkish clothes were now replaced with a large black hoodie and ripped jeans.

Andy's full lips weren't in their usual sarcastic smile or bitter grimace either. They were just there. She looked like the life had been sucked out of her.

But then a headache hit him and he needed to sit down now not worry about the girl who had smashed his heart. Ever headed for the freak table rolling his eyes as he passed Jenny Miller who was making out with Billy Hanson. Damn she was desperate.

No one greeted him as he sat down, the freaks were to deeply immersed in talking about a new horror movie coming out next month. He took it as a chance to look around (but not at her).

Ever noticed that Damian looked the same, chatting brightly with his dimwitted friends, Ever had thought something might change now that he got denied sex from a girl. But nope he was the popular 'hottie' as always, he even started flirting with Brittany Barnes.

Lara White was there as well (guess they'd returned from the geek table when Andy left) but she was starring at Ever. Great, he thought looking away. He deeply deeply loathed Lara White's attempts to flirt with him. But she never gave up, that's why he'd taken to flirting with Jenny Miller.

Sure she was a slut as well but she used to be nice back in elementary and she kept Lara away.

Somebody thumped him, he looked up, all the goth kids were staring at him.

"You've got some, ah--" Said one of them pointing at his neck.

Ever reached up and felt the cut there. It was bleeding heavily and dripping along his purple sweater.

Shit.

But at once all the goth kids reached into their bags and brought out band-aids and handkerchiefs simultaneously. "You should really stick to doing it at home and it's best if you leave it covered for a couple of hours" advised one of them sympathetically.

Ever nodded trying to look glad for the help as he grabbed handkerchiefs but he was pissed off. This morning when his dad had started swinging at him and beating him his mom had walked in.

Ever had tried to tell her to leave but she stood frozen. His mom normally tended to doing housework at the opposite side of the house when this was happening, ignoring the screams and then when his dad was done she'd come and care for Ever.

Ever's dad had looked up and grinned wildly at his mom attempting to grab her too. But Ever grabbed his leg without thinking and dragged him down to the floor next to him. His dad spun outraged, "You think you have guts to fight back, boy?" he'd asked with rancid breath.

Ever didn't want to respond so his dad grabbed his throat harshly and dragged him down hard. His dad pulled up into a kneeling position as Ever gasped for breath and then suddenly a knife had appeared in front of him.

His dad had let go of him but brought the knife to his throat, "You think I can't do it, boy? You think I wont kill you?" He'd demanded pressing the blade harder against his throat.

Ever could feel his pulse beat against the knife making it cut him even deeper. Then the man viciously swiped it across his throat yelling, "Do not disobey me, boy, or you'll end up just like your sister". His sister's mental state flashed before his eyes and for a second he believed him.

But the cut hadn't been deep enough to kill him. This time.

Then he snapped out of it and pressed handkerchief against the cut. Ever needed to go to the nurse or at least the bathroom so he stood and made for said bathrooms but a jock stopped him.

The popular table was right in front of the entrance and this time they had noticed him. The jock in front of him was big, blond and stupid looking, "Where you going, emo boy?" taunted the gorilla.

"Restroom, can you move?" Ever asked impatiently.

The jock laughed and other brainless big guys joined him blocking the restroom. "What the fuck do you guys want?" Ever asked.

They laughed again and Ever resisted the urge to thump them, those idiots.

"Did you cut yourself, emo boy?" the gorilla asked staring at his neck and more people looked at the confrontation going on.

"No, I tripped" Ever said sarcastically.

But the dimwit football idiots were incapable of distinguishing sarcasm so they laughed, "You didn't trip, emo boy, you cut yourself, your probably gonna go cut yourself in the restroom" they laughed again like it was a funny thing to say.

Ever didn't want to deal with this, he could already feel the blood seeping through the rag and now everyone had their heads turned towards them. "Can you just move? Or are your itty bitty brains incapable of controlling your gorilla like bodies?" he snapped.

The blond one lost his amused smile and growled whilst the others followed his lead, he moved forward and pushed Ever. He fell back and the crowd laughed.

Before Ever could pick himself up another guy grabbed him from behind and before he knew it he was being pushed and passed from jock to jock like ball.

"Fuck off!" He yelled trying to fight back but they laughed and kept pushing him around.

"You like pain don't you, emo boy? We're just doing you a favor"

"Leave him alone!" A voice suddenly shouted and although he couldn't see because he was way to dizzy he recognized it as Andy's instantly.

He heard a hard "BAM" and then he was dropped. Ever took a minute to steady his vision then stood and found himself in front of a pissed off looking Andy yelling at the blond gorilla who was clutching his stomach painfully.

It made Ever angry, she had no right to try to save him when she's the one that had shot the hardest blow. "I don't need your help!" He yelled at her. She looked back at him with wide eyes. "Just leave me alone!" he exclaimed though not really sure who he was saying that to.

Then he left running out of this place clutching his bleeding throat and hearing his broken heart pound with every step that he took away from her.