Pick Me Right up off the Ground
three
I slept through my morning classes that day, and just barely made it to science on time. I skidded into the science lab with thirty seconds to spare, and took my seat between Joel and Benji. I wore a scarf around my neck to hide the bruises and kept a sweater on; which by all means was natural in the cooling Maryland weather, but not for me, the naturally warm girl who was often parading around in a shirt sleeved top and long capris. Joel picked up on that as soon as I sat beside him, not moving as my elbows squeezed in beside him. Stubborn mule.
"Lacey, what's with the get-up? Are you sick?"
Benji chuckled once I had sat down, feigning a shiver. I glared over at him. I had put on a few layers of make up, hiding the bruises on my face. Dad had grabbed my chin this morning because I had forgotten to do his laundry. I bruised too easy for this shit.
"No, I'm just cold."
I replied, faking another shiver. In all honesty I was sweating beneath the sweater and scarf, and it felt like the entire room was too hot. Our teacher waltzed in a few minutes after me, and we began the lesson. Joel casually glanced over at me once or twice during the lesson, and I smiled at him. Benji fell asleep promptly ten minutes into the lesson, and we both - Joel and I - kept an eye on him in case he started snoring.
Once class was over we three headed for the cafeteria; our lunch period had been moved to the second last class of the day. We rarely went to English anyways, so we ditched right after lunch. Joel knew something was up - and that I wasn't cold - when he saw the trail of sweat running down the side of my face, removing the make up in its wake, exposing the slightly purple bruise by my temple.
"Lacey, seriously. What's going on?"
Joel asked me, pulling his packed lunch out of his bag. Benji did the same, but instead of opening it to look in it, he pushed it off the table into the garbage can beside him. I glanced over at Joel and then at Benji, their identical hazel brown eyes never seeming to pierce right through the walls I put up.
"Nothing, I'm just not feeling good."
I lied. Joel continued to watch me before he sighed and turned his attention to the lunch he had packed. When they finished lunch, we all packed up and headed for their car. We piled in silently, and Benji started the car.
Only it wouldn't start.
"Aw fuck, not now,"
Benji whined, trying to coax the ages old car to start. Joel chuckled from the front seat. This was a reoccurring thing. This car wouldn't start nine out of ten times, and we usually had to bum a ride home with Billy or Paul. I started laughing. It was just because we were in this situation all the time, and for some reason I found it funny.
But as soon as the laughing started, the tears started too. I dont know what triggered them, but they came and they came hard. Joel crawled into the back with me and held me tightly against his chest as I cried the make up away, struggling to get out of my scarf and sweater. I couldn't hide it from them any longer. It had been nearly nine years of my lies and hiding and creative subject changes.
"Lacey... what's all over your arms?"
Benji asked softly from the front seat as I clung to Joel, ignoring the stabbing pain in my back as the bloodied welts broke open. I knew they would be able to see the blood on my back, and I was more than glad that we had decided to skip today.
"Lacey... Lacey, please."
Joel whispered, holding me tightly.
"Its my dad. He's been doing this."
"Lacey, what's with the get-up? Are you sick?"
Benji chuckled once I had sat down, feigning a shiver. I glared over at him. I had put on a few layers of make up, hiding the bruises on my face. Dad had grabbed my chin this morning because I had forgotten to do his laundry. I bruised too easy for this shit.
"No, I'm just cold."
I replied, faking another shiver. In all honesty I was sweating beneath the sweater and scarf, and it felt like the entire room was too hot. Our teacher waltzed in a few minutes after me, and we began the lesson. Joel casually glanced over at me once or twice during the lesson, and I smiled at him. Benji fell asleep promptly ten minutes into the lesson, and we both - Joel and I - kept an eye on him in case he started snoring.
Once class was over we three headed for the cafeteria; our lunch period had been moved to the second last class of the day. We rarely went to English anyways, so we ditched right after lunch. Joel knew something was up - and that I wasn't cold - when he saw the trail of sweat running down the side of my face, removing the make up in its wake, exposing the slightly purple bruise by my temple.
"Lacey, seriously. What's going on?"
Joel asked me, pulling his packed lunch out of his bag. Benji did the same, but instead of opening it to look in it, he pushed it off the table into the garbage can beside him. I glanced over at Joel and then at Benji, their identical hazel brown eyes never seeming to pierce right through the walls I put up.
"Nothing, I'm just not feeling good."
I lied. Joel continued to watch me before he sighed and turned his attention to the lunch he had packed. When they finished lunch, we all packed up and headed for their car. We piled in silently, and Benji started the car.
Only it wouldn't start.
"Aw fuck, not now,"
Benji whined, trying to coax the ages old car to start. Joel chuckled from the front seat. This was a reoccurring thing. This car wouldn't start nine out of ten times, and we usually had to bum a ride home with Billy or Paul. I started laughing. It was just because we were in this situation all the time, and for some reason I found it funny.
But as soon as the laughing started, the tears started too. I dont know what triggered them, but they came and they came hard. Joel crawled into the back with me and held me tightly against his chest as I cried the make up away, struggling to get out of my scarf and sweater. I couldn't hide it from them any longer. It had been nearly nine years of my lies and hiding and creative subject changes.
"Lacey... what's all over your arms?"
Benji asked softly from the front seat as I clung to Joel, ignoring the stabbing pain in my back as the bloodied welts broke open. I knew they would be able to see the blood on my back, and I was more than glad that we had decided to skip today.
"Lacey... Lacey, please."
Joel whispered, holding me tightly.
"Its my dad. He's been doing this."