Stay With Me

I woke up to the sound of my father yelling. It was nothing unusual but I feel as if after all these years I should be used to it, but I wasn’t.
I rubbed my eyes before I sighed and sat up. The mattress felt cold underneath me.
To the sound of the family war downstairs I got up and got dressed quickly before I tripped down the stairs. To my luck I got to the door without anyone noticing. My dad was too busy pulling at my mother’s hair in the kitchen, making her scream in pain. I could see tears run down her face as she begged my father to stop hurting her but of course he didn’t listen. I opened the door and walked out, making my way to school. Maybe it was selfish to just walk out of it like that without stopping what was happening inside but I knew better than that. I loved my mother but I don’t understand her. She could’ve left him whenever she wanted and not only saved herself but me. She could’ve let us both have a normal happy life far away from here. Every time I ask her why she stays with him she tells me she still loves him and that everyone deserves forgiveness. I choose not to question her ‘cause I don’t want her to be mad with me too.
As I walked down the street I looked through the windows of the houses I walked past. I saw families sitting at their dinner table having breakfast together knowing I would never have that again.
My family hasn’t always looked like this. There was a time where everything was perfect and I was happy.
I sighed as I walked through the doors of high school. I wish I could’ve just stayed in bed. I kept my eyes on the ground as I walked through the corridor hoping people wouldn’t even notice me. You might think it’s a be invisible but when people notice me they make jokes or beat me up.
I got to my locker without anyone noticing. I opened it, took what I needed and headed for the first class of the day.
This is the second school I’ve been to this year and I’ve been bullied in both schools. It was just as bad in the last school as it is in this one and every day looks the same. There hasn’t been a day I haven’t locked myself in one of the toilets and cried during lunch.
Five months ago I begged my mom to put me in another school ‘cause I couldn’t stand the torture I was put through every day. She put me in this school and hoped it would get better but it didn’t. In the beginning I was just that weird new kid who always wore a hoodie so no one talked to me. I guess that made me an easy target for the bullies, those who beat me up.
When my dad found out about the new school he beat my mom up so she was put in hospital before he beat me. He called me ungrateful and said people would never like me no matter how hard I tried.
I snapped out of my thoughts as someone sat down by the desk next to mine.
I looked up at the boy through my bangs. He was beautiful. I haven’t seen him around before and he sat down next to me so he was probably new.
As soon as he sat down he turned to me and smiled.
"Hello, I’m Josh" he said and put his hand out in front of me.
"I’m Oli" I quietly said without shaking his hand.