*Unedited*

*Incompleted*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Monday morning, I kept my head low, my face hidden in a large hoodie. I avoided the boys and tried to stick to the shadows like I used to. Thankfully, I didn't have any bruises yet so nothing I actually had to hide. It was weird thinking that I was doing this exact same thing a few months ago, tying to avoid the boys who had since become my only friends. The only people I could rely on.

I knew it was stupid, I knew they would be hurt and angry with me but I couldn't let my father get to them. Pain shot through my chest as I saw Zack in the back of my class but took a seat away from him. It's what I had been doing to everyone my first 4 periods. I even sat away from Julie in my first period to make sure she didn't try to apologize or something but it didn't really look like she had any intention to.

After the bell rang, I stood up, gathering my books into my bag, and was walking over to the door when a hand grabbed my arm. I gasped and spun around, almost loosing my footing. Zack reached forward to steady me and I looked up to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked and I nodded.

"Okay." He said sounding unconvinced but walked out the door. I slipped out into the hallway but didn't follow. When he realized I wasn't by him, he turned around, his brows scrunched up as he looked at me.

"Are you coming to lunch?" he asked and I looked to the opposite end of the hallway.

"I've actually got to go talk to a teacher real quick." I said and he nodded slowly.

"Do you want me to come?" he asked and I shook my head.

"No, its alright." I replied, every word that I pushed past my lips making the knot in my stomach twist tighter.

"Okay, I'll see you after then?" he asked and I just gave him a small smile and turned around, making my way down the clearing hallway. 'Don't look back' I told myself and this time, I didn't. Instead, I continued to make my way through the school. I tucked myself in a back corner where nobody ever went. I shut my eyes and put my head on my knees.

I didn't want to go home ever again. Feelings were resurfacing, stuff that I hadn't felt in such a long time. 'Enough' I told myself. Its not going to change, you'll only make it worse. This is how it is now. You just need to get through it like you used to. You've gone soft.

I pulled my homework out of my bag and caught up on everything until the bell rang. I stood up and made my way to gym. I stepped into the dressing room and hesitated thinking about the shorts I had to wear.

After most of the girls had cleared out, I grabbed my gym clothes and quickly changed, facing away from anyone that had remained. The shorts fell to right above my knees and pretty much hid all of the bruising as long as they didn't slip up.

I slammed forward into my locker right after I shut it. I spun around with wide eyes to see Sarah standing there with a dark look on her face. I just looked down and tried to slip around her but she grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Look, you don't have to worry about Zack anymore, you can have him." I said, each word sending pangs through my heart. I fought with myself in my head, you don't have to do this, just tell him. No, you have to, for his sake.

Her face twisted into a grin.

"Did he finally break your little heart? I hope you realize all you were to him was a burden." She sneered before whipping round and pushing through the doors into the gym. I blinked back tears and straightened my face. I checked my shorts one last time before stepping into the large echoing room that had been decked out with all sorts of prom decorations a few days prior.

The gym teacher pointed to one side of the room with a disappointed look. I walked over to my team that was thankfully not the same team that Zack, Cody, and Sarah had been put on. I eyed the balls that were in a pile of the middle of the room right as the teacher announced it was dodgeball day. I let out a sigh as everyone prepared for the game and sooner than I had hoped, the whistle was blown and everyone rushed to the front to grab balls and start whipping them at each other.

I hung to the back and eventually when I wasn't paying attention, a ball flew into my leg, making me clench my jaw, trying not to yelp, and walk over to the side of the gym and sit down.

I saw Sarah smirking at me as she picked up another ball and handed it to Zack who just threw it at somebody halfheartedly and then moved away from Sarah who followed and continued to flirt with him. I watched out of the corner of my eye as I saw Cody come and run interference for Zack. My lips itched to turn up but I kept my face neutral.

Eventually, Cody just threw a ball at Sarah who looked at him in disbelief.

"You're out." He said and she scowled. Zack held in his smirk as she huffed at Cody.

"You can't get me out, I'm on your team." She said and Cody smiled.

"Oh honey, you will never be on my team." He said fake flipping his hair and I held in a laugh as he called over to the gym teacher while still keeping a watch out so he didn't get hit.

"She got hit but she's not going out." Cody said and Zack piped in with a quick 'Yeah, she's cheating' as he threw another ball.

"Sarah, I do not tolerate cheating here. Go sit by the wall." The teacher said before turning back to the magazine he had in his hand. Sarah huffed and then stormed over to the wall on the opposite wall from me.

Zack ended up catching a ball and turned to Sarah with a smirk and she started to stand up before he turned to the boy next to her and smiled at him.

The rules were that if somebody on your team caught a ball, they could pick somebody to come back into the game.

"Henry, you're in." he chirped before turning back to the game. I let out a quiet snort as the boy stood up and Sarah sunk back down, her smile turning into a scowl.

Karmas a bitch huh?

*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~**~*~*~*

For like the 6 people who are reading this, comment! Tell me what you think!

XoXo

~awkwardpenguin3