Living in a Broken Dream
Bruises
A week later and they kept their promise. Whenever I was on my own, they would terrorize me by pushing me into lockers, pushing me onto the floor, and the worst, pushing me into the boy’s toilets. I was surprised no one had seen the cuts and bruises on me yet. I sat in the girl’s toilet at lunch, picking out the grass that they had put in my hair. I could feel the bruises developing on each of my arms where two of them had picked me up and dragged me outside so the third could put grass and twigs in my hair, then dangle me over the school’s trash. I was thankful that I had brought a hoodie today or my friends would ask questions. After fifteen minutes later, I finally got all the stuff out of my hair. I picked up my bag and made my way to meet everyone for dinner. I placed a fake smile on my face and sat down next to Alex. He put his arm around me and pulled me towards him. His hand was right on one of my bruises and just that slight pressure made me hiss under my breath and wince.
“What’s up with you?” he asked looking concerned.
“Nothing” I said turning my head away. He left it there but Jack had been watching the whole thing. I gave him a weak smile, he gave me one back. I ate my dinner quietly, nodding in the appropriate places. Dinner finished and I went to my locker to get my maths book.
“I’ll meet you in Maths Alex” I said giving him a kiss on the cheek. I didn’t wait for his reply, I just walked off. I got to my locker, and just as I opened it, it was slammed shut by sandy haired boy.
“So you got all the stuff out your hair then?” he questioned sniggering with the other two.
“Yeah” I said quietly and backed away slightly.
“Oh no you don’t” The one with curly hair said as he pushed me on the lockers. I smacked my lip against it and felt a sharp pain. I raised my hand to touch it and saw the deep red liquid on my fingers.
“Anna!” someone shouted. I looked up to see Jack and Emily walking towards me.
“Hey Jack” sandy said to Jack waving. He waved back and I tried to hide my newly busted lip with my hair. They started talking with Jack and Emily while I got my maths book.
“Cya around Anna” said sandy, giving my arm a hard squeeze, where my bruise was. I winced and nodded, feeling the tears stinging my eyes.
Jack, Emily and I watched as they turned around the corridor.
“Well, shall we go?” Jack asked holding onto my bruised arm.
“Ouch” I hissed under my breath and one of the tears left my eye.
“Well shall we- hey what's wrong? Why are you crying?” Emily asked.
Jack pulled me towards him and gave me a hug.
“Anna, why is your lip bleeding?” asked Jack seriously as he pulled me away to look at me
I shook my head, steadying my breath.
Emily held onto my arm, and again, I winced I pain. She pulled the sleeves of my hoodie up slowly and gasped when she saw the fresh bruises that now resembled handprints.
“When did this happen?” asked Emily softly, brushing hair out of my face.
“T-Today” I stuttered
“...Alex didn’t do it did he?” asked Jack quietly
That made me give a quiet laugh, “No Jack, he didn’t” I said as I looked up at the two of them. They both had a look of relief on their faces but that was soon replaced with concern.
“Did, did those three boys do it?” asked Emily
I stayed quiet and looked down.
“Anna, tell us” said Jack quietly
I looked up at them both and sighed
“Those three boys did it”
“You just wait!” Jack said through clenched teeth, his normally pale skin a now light pink.
“Jack, no!” I said grabbing his arm
“Anna, you have bruises all over your arms and a bleeding lip” he said angrily.
“Just leave it Jack, please don't get into trouble” I begged
He stayed quiet and finally exhaled through his nose
“Fine, but you aren’t ever going to be alone”
“Okay Jack. Okay. Let’s get to lesson “
It was later that night when Alex found out. I hadn’t taken my hoodie off all night, and I forgot about my arms. When he’d asked me about my lip in maths, I told him I fell over and he bought it. Everyone was in bed and I needed to do the washing up, Alex volunteered to dry. Suddenly he dropped the plastic cup he was holding and looked at me
“Alex, what's wrong?” I asked as I looked at him, then I caught on, he was staring at my arms.
“Anna what the hell happened?” he said seriously and he dried his hands to touch them
“Nothing” I said quickly
“Obviously not” he scoffed. He stood me in front of him and slowly pulled off my top. I stood with a vest top on and he gasped.
“Can I try something?” he whispered
I nodded my head and felt a pinch in the back of my eyes. He slowly and carefully placed him hands where the bruises were and noticed that they were handprints.
“Who did this?” he asked looking me in the eyes worried. My lip quivered and I fell into his chest crying. He shhed me and calmed me down before asking again
“Anna, who’s hurt you?” he wiped a tear off my face and I decided to tell him
“Three boys from the football team” I whispered, not looking at him. He nodded slowly glad that I had answered him before asking quietly
“Th-They didn’t try anything did they?” he asked me pulling my chin up. I caught his drift and said
“No! No they didn’t do anything like that” I insisted
He nodded again then asked “Did they do that to your lip as well?” I nodded and he pulled me into a kiss. He bent down and kissed each of the bruises on my body that they had made until he kissed me on the lips once more and handed me my shirt.
Before I had chance to put it on, teddy walked in
“Anna, what the hell happened to your arms?” he asked as he looked at Alex angrily
“Teddy, no! It wasn’t Alex who did it” I said as I stood in front of Alex
“Well who was it?” he asked calming down a little
“You’re not gonna like it Ted” I said quietly
“Why?” he asked me
“It was three boys off the football team” I said looking at him. His eyes seemed to change from a nice warm green, to a stormy sea green.
“Who?” he asked me
“I don't know their names, Jack does though”
“Jack knows?” Alex asked sounding slightly hurt
“He and Em found them” I said looking at them both.
“Alex do you need a ride home?” asked Teddy
Both Alex and I looked at him strangely because one minute he’s all angry then offering Alex a ride home
“No teddy, I can walk I live-“
“No, I’ll take you. Let me get some shoes” he walked away and Alex looked at me strangely. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a deep kiss
“What was that for?” he smiled at me
“You’re going home, I'm kissing you goodnight” I said unhooking my arms from around his neck. He smiled at me again and kissed my forehead and touched my bruised arms softly before going to meet teddy outside. I waved them goodbye and wondered why teddy was taking Alex home.
Alex’s POV
I sat in Teddy’s car awkwardly. He drove past my house and towards another end of town
“Er Teddy, you went past my house” I say pointing back to my house
“I know, were off to go and pay the football team a visit” he says. It went quiet again until he broke the silence
“I cant believe she didn’t tell me” he sighs
“I don't think she was gonna tell anyone, Jack only found out because he saw them”
“She never did like to bother people about her problems, but this could have gotten was worse” he says
“What’s up with you?” he asked looking concerned.
“Nothing” I said turning my head away. He left it there but Jack had been watching the whole thing. I gave him a weak smile, he gave me one back. I ate my dinner quietly, nodding in the appropriate places. Dinner finished and I went to my locker to get my maths book.
“I’ll meet you in Maths Alex” I said giving him a kiss on the cheek. I didn’t wait for his reply, I just walked off. I got to my locker, and just as I opened it, it was slammed shut by sandy haired boy.
“So you got all the stuff out your hair then?” he questioned sniggering with the other two.
“Yeah” I said quietly and backed away slightly.
“Oh no you don’t” The one with curly hair said as he pushed me on the lockers. I smacked my lip against it and felt a sharp pain. I raised my hand to touch it and saw the deep red liquid on my fingers.
“Anna!” someone shouted. I looked up to see Jack and Emily walking towards me.
“Hey Jack” sandy said to Jack waving. He waved back and I tried to hide my newly busted lip with my hair. They started talking with Jack and Emily while I got my maths book.
“Cya around Anna” said sandy, giving my arm a hard squeeze, where my bruise was. I winced and nodded, feeling the tears stinging my eyes.
Jack, Emily and I watched as they turned around the corridor.
“Well, shall we go?” Jack asked holding onto my bruised arm.
“Ouch” I hissed under my breath and one of the tears left my eye.
“Well shall we- hey what's wrong? Why are you crying?” Emily asked.
Jack pulled me towards him and gave me a hug.
“Anna, why is your lip bleeding?” asked Jack seriously as he pulled me away to look at me
I shook my head, steadying my breath.
Emily held onto my arm, and again, I winced I pain. She pulled the sleeves of my hoodie up slowly and gasped when she saw the fresh bruises that now resembled handprints.
“When did this happen?” asked Emily softly, brushing hair out of my face.
“T-Today” I stuttered
“...Alex didn’t do it did he?” asked Jack quietly
That made me give a quiet laugh, “No Jack, he didn’t” I said as I looked up at the two of them. They both had a look of relief on their faces but that was soon replaced with concern.
“Did, did those three boys do it?” asked Emily
I stayed quiet and looked down.
“Anna, tell us” said Jack quietly
I looked up at them both and sighed
“Those three boys did it”
“You just wait!” Jack said through clenched teeth, his normally pale skin a now light pink.
“Jack, no!” I said grabbing his arm
“Anna, you have bruises all over your arms and a bleeding lip” he said angrily.
“Just leave it Jack, please don't get into trouble” I begged
He stayed quiet and finally exhaled through his nose
“Fine, but you aren’t ever going to be alone”
“Okay Jack. Okay. Let’s get to lesson “
It was later that night when Alex found out. I hadn’t taken my hoodie off all night, and I forgot about my arms. When he’d asked me about my lip in maths, I told him I fell over and he bought it. Everyone was in bed and I needed to do the washing up, Alex volunteered to dry. Suddenly he dropped the plastic cup he was holding and looked at me
“Alex, what's wrong?” I asked as I looked at him, then I caught on, he was staring at my arms.
“Anna what the hell happened?” he said seriously and he dried his hands to touch them
“Nothing” I said quickly
“Obviously not” he scoffed. He stood me in front of him and slowly pulled off my top. I stood with a vest top on and he gasped.
“Can I try something?” he whispered
I nodded my head and felt a pinch in the back of my eyes. He slowly and carefully placed him hands where the bruises were and noticed that they were handprints.
“Who did this?” he asked looking me in the eyes worried. My lip quivered and I fell into his chest crying. He shhed me and calmed me down before asking again
“Anna, who’s hurt you?” he wiped a tear off my face and I decided to tell him
“Three boys from the football team” I whispered, not looking at him. He nodded slowly glad that I had answered him before asking quietly
“Th-They didn’t try anything did they?” he asked me pulling my chin up. I caught his drift and said
“No! No they didn’t do anything like that” I insisted
He nodded again then asked “Did they do that to your lip as well?” I nodded and he pulled me into a kiss. He bent down and kissed each of the bruises on my body that they had made until he kissed me on the lips once more and handed me my shirt.
Before I had chance to put it on, teddy walked in
“Anna, what the hell happened to your arms?” he asked as he looked at Alex angrily
“Teddy, no! It wasn’t Alex who did it” I said as I stood in front of Alex
“Well who was it?” he asked calming down a little
“You’re not gonna like it Ted” I said quietly
“Why?” he asked me
“It was three boys off the football team” I said looking at him. His eyes seemed to change from a nice warm green, to a stormy sea green.
“Who?” he asked me
“I don't know their names, Jack does though”
“Jack knows?” Alex asked sounding slightly hurt
“He and Em found them” I said looking at them both.
“Alex do you need a ride home?” asked Teddy
Both Alex and I looked at him strangely because one minute he’s all angry then offering Alex a ride home
“No teddy, I can walk I live-“
“No, I’ll take you. Let me get some shoes” he walked away and Alex looked at me strangely. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a deep kiss
“What was that for?” he smiled at me
“You’re going home, I'm kissing you goodnight” I said unhooking my arms from around his neck. He smiled at me again and kissed my forehead and touched my bruised arms softly before going to meet teddy outside. I waved them goodbye and wondered why teddy was taking Alex home.
Alex’s POV
I sat in Teddy’s car awkwardly. He drove past my house and towards another end of town
“Er Teddy, you went past my house” I say pointing back to my house
“I know, were off to go and pay the football team a visit” he says. It went quiet again until he broke the silence
“I cant believe she didn’t tell me” he sighs
“I don't think she was gonna tell anyone, Jack only found out because he saw them”
“She never did like to bother people about her problems, but this could have gotten was worse” he says