TW: bullying - abuse

𐬾 𐬿

Friday, October 30th.

"Did you hear the good news? Marcus is hosting a Halloween party tomorrow." Some girl in the corridor said and I gripped my tote bag onto my shoulder tighter. Was that so..?

"Great! I'm definitely going to this one, I missed Josh's party last time." Another girl said to her friend as they walked arm-linked down the corridor and around the corner.

I cleared my throat and walked up to my locker, entering in my pin to unlock it. As soon as I opened it up, a piece of paper slipped out and floated to the floor. I stared at it and then down to each end of the corridor, not seeing anyone who looked to be the culprit. Well this definitely wasn't mine so someone must've written it for me.

I bent down and retrieved it from the ground, turning it around to see large ink of the words, 'MEET IN BATHROOM ASAP'. It didn't say who it was from but I had a rough guess, seeing that it was the same handwriting of Angel's. Now sitting next to her in English had its perks.

I missed them a lot, so much. These past few days without them have been absolute hell and I had never felt so empty inside. I folded the piece of paper in my shaky hands and closed my locker door, starting to make my way to the girls bathroom. I was curious for what they had to say but also a little sceptical. What if it was a trap? Would they really pull something like that on me? I guess I didn't know them so well seeing as they faked the whole friendship from the start.

I walked down the many corridors and passed by the hustle and bustle of kids as they chatted and gossiped, occasionally looking at me before they looked away or even smiled.

That was weird.

I came to a halt in front of the door and felt my anxiety rise up and up. I closed my eyes and breathed in, immediately getting knocked to the side by some girl who was walking passed me, "move!" She said and I shuffled along the corridor more, opening my eyes in a snap. I gulped when I saw it was Charlotte, she was standing so, so close to me right now and I thought I was going to pee myself. I was confused on why she was standing there and I was even more confused when she pushed open the girls bathroom door and ushered me in by the darkness of her eyes. I followed her order, my body starting to shake.

"I'm glad you're here." She said a second later and as I walked in deeper to the bathroom, I paused, seeing Stephanie, Rachel, and Kimberly standing there too. They had wicked smirks on their faces, well, apart from Rachel who didn't look like she was enjoying this at all.

The realisation hit me.

My stomach dropped and I turned around, trying to escape, but that wasn't possible because Charlotte grabbed ahold of my wrist and pushed me back into the middle of the bathroom. I gulped.

If anything was going to happen to me, there were security cameras watching and they'd be caught in a second. Hopefully.

I looked up to my best friend right as of right now, stomach dropping even more when I saw that there was something covering the camera. Completely covering it.

"Say a word, and you're finished. You hear me?" Charlotte seethed, pointing up at the camera. She didn't want me to say their names? She came to stand in front of me, persuading me to say yes. I found myself nodding and grasping onto my waist as tight as possible. I had no idea what was going to happen but whatever it was, I hoped it hurt less and I wanted to run out of here right now.

"P-please, d-don't do this." I said looking at Charlotte and then to the girls behind. Rachel gulped and her eyes watered. Why were her eyes watering? What was going to

ha—

It was as if the world stopped, everything stopped, I paused, I froze, and I stood there watching Charlotte swing her fist back, and I watched and felt her punch me directly in the eye. At the collision, it sent me flying back onto the floor, my body shaking. I cried into my lap as I was shrivelled up in a ball on the floor, my cries echoing which made Charlotte grab me by the front of my top and pin me against the cold wall, staring at me with nothing but darkness clouding her features.

"Pussy," she laughed and her knee met my stomach, making me hunch over and cough. I think I was coughing up blood because my mouth tasted mentally and cold.

"P-please s-stop." I cried, my vision completely blurry. I wanted someone to come in right now, anyone. I wanted to be saved, I wanted to be in my mom's arms. "D-did I d-do something?" I asked. She had always had a problem with me the more I hung out with them everyday, going out with them on the weekends and after school.

"Of course you did, Willow. That's why we are here." She spoke and it sounded like her voice was laced with venom. Veins were throbbing in her forehead and from her neck and her teeth grinded together. "Those girls don't fucking stop asking for you. Where is she? What happened? Why isn't she hanging out with us? They don't stop, they never shut up."

I gasped for immediate air when her hand enclosed around my neck, pressing it down. My hands instantly flew to her arm that was wrapped around my neck but she had a firm grip, not letting me go.

"P-please," I muttered, gasping for even more air than before.

"Please what?" She asked, dragging this out as much as possible. I couldn't breath.

"I-I'll d-do anything, just p-please l-let go." At my words the pressure on my neck eased but it sent me into a coughing fit and made my chest rise up and down quickly.

"Hey, Lillie?" Charlotte called out, still looking at me with her hand on my throat, not pressing on it. Who was Lillie? My eyes flew to Stephanie who was biting on her nail with her foot eagerly tapping against the floor. We're these code names? How deep in were they? Did they really hate me that much to fake names just to, what? Hurt me?

"What?" Stephanie asked, slowly walking over to me. I couldn't decipher the look in her eyes or what she was thinking. I just wanted to get out of here, as far as possible from them.

"Why don't you give a little parting gift?" Charlotte asked, stepping back with an evil laugh. My stomach twisted and contorted into anxiety. I felt sick.

What was she going to do? Would it hurt?

My eye were so sore, and so were my ribs. I knew my eye was going to swell and bruise but I didn't even want to think about that. I didn't want to think what mom or Cal, or anyone else in this school would think. I couldn't deal with the stress.

Stephanie walked in front of me, gulping herself. She looked at me with a look in her eye, but I closed my mine, face scrunching up. I didn't want to be alive at this current moment. What did I do to deserve such misery in my life? And why?

"I'm sorry.." I heard being whispered in my ear before a loud slap filled the room, my head being knocked to the side. My cheek stung, pulsing and blistering. A sob emitted from my throat and I opened my eyes, tears rushing down my face. Stephanie was standing before me, her hand raised in the air right next to my cheek, and if I was correct here, it looked like her eyes were brimming with tears.

I wasn't able to process anything else because the door swung open and a familiar face appeared. It was Laura.

My eyes stung with tears and my whole body ached.

Laura's eyes widened and she slapped her hand to her mouth, looking at what this was. Stephanie immediately stepped back away from me and Charlotte's eyes were widened in panic.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" Laura shouted as she looked at each and every one of us. Through the tears and stiffness of my body, Laura's eyes met mine properly this time, and I watched as she took me in. My body was pressed up against the wall, heart beating at a concerning rate. "What the fuck happened to you? Did they do this?" She asked, looking at the girls who seemed to be caught-out. I remained silent but the blood on Charlotte's knuckles was enough for her to put together her own assumptions and she raced over to me, pulling me straight into her arms.

Before we could stop them, every one of the girls rushed out of the bathroom, fleeing.

"Don't worry, let them go. We'll go straight to Mr.Henshaw about this." Laura whispered and I was stiff against her body, my head leaning on her shoulder. I hiccuped and cried into the warmth of her body and had just about enough energy to wrap an arm around her.

I cried and cried until I could no more, and Laura stayed right there for me.

She stroked the back of my head before pulling away slightly, her own eyes filled with tears. "How do you feel?" She asked I hiccuped, my face and stomach throbbing.

"I-" I couldn't even speak.

"We're going to the nurses office right now." She said and flung my arm over her shoulder, one of her arms supporting my weight as she took me across the bathroom and over to the door that was being swung open in less than a second by another girl.

Someone from my cheer squad. God sake.

"Emily, grab her other side." Laura instructed and Emily immediately ran to my side, supporting me.

"What happened? Is she alright?" Emily asked, voice panicked. They both helped me out of the bathroom and I kept my gaze down at the floor, avoiding the gasps and whispers coming from every student.

"I don't know. We just need to take her to the nurses office first." Laura said and Emily nodded. I kept silent the whole time and even up until we made it to the nurses office, Trixy rushing from her desk chair to me.

"Goodness me, what has happened?" She asked and I groaned out in pain when my body rigged into a certain position that hurt. "Right, let's get you laid down, Willow."

Trixy took me off the girls' shoulders and helped me lie down onto the white sheets, and all I could see was stars.

"What happened?" Trixy asked a minute later, looking at the girls. I closed my eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion come over me. I didn't know if it was okay to close my eyes and go to sleep, but it felt so enticing. I couldn't resist. "No, keep your eyes open sweetie, keep them open for me—"

BAM.

I was out.

🝮 🝮 🝮

As I slowly opened my eyes, my head throbbed with pain. The room was unfamiliar, with plain walls and a few pieces of medical equipment around the room. The lighting was bright, and there was a faint sound of the chatter outside of the room. I was surprised I was even in a room like this rather than with the rest of the patients. How could mom afford this?

I tried to sit up, feeling a bit groggy and disoriented. My body felt heavy, and I couldn't move, every limb in my body was achy and sore. Panic set in, and I started to hyperventilate. I tried to scream, but my voice was weak, barely audible.

There was the beeping of the various medical monitors around me and I yelped when I looked down to find IV lines attached to my skin and the blue and white gown that I was somehow wearing. The sound of the beeping felt overwhelming, especially since I had never heard or was attached to these machines before.

Suddenly, a nurse walked in, noticing my distress. "Hey there, it's okay, don't worry," she said in a soothing voice. "You're in the hospital." I gulped and sat up against the bed frame, finding the pain in my body bearable.

"W-what happened to me?" I scanned around the room for my mom. She wasn't there. Where were they? "Where's my mom?" A tear pricked my eye and the nurse ran to my side, instructing me to breath. When I felt like I could breath normally by myself, the nurse stepped back and grabbed the chart from the end of my bed.

"You suffered a very mild concussion to the head and the doctors have seen to your injuries. We have given you some painkillers to subside the pain but you should feel it starting to ware off so if that is the case, I can give you some more." Her words started to sink in, and I remembered bits and pieces of what happened. The bathroom. The girls. Then nurses office, and here we were now.

"And my m-mom? Where is she?" I asked and the nurse slotted my chart back into its place.

"Your family are waiting just outside for you. Do you want me to let them in?" She asked and my heart squeezed at the idea of then seeing me like this. I didn't know what to say to them.

But they were my family.

But—

"If I may, I know it's out of my hands here, but they'd love to see you. They have been worried sick waiting for you to wake up and I really do think it'll be great for you to at least let them know you're alright." The nurse said and I gulped, eyeing the door. "It's not my decision to make though, and if you'd rather not see them then I am more than happy to keep them waiting outside. As long as you are comfortable with what happens."

I swallowed hard and laid my head further back into the pillow, feeling my heart race which was picked up on the monitor.

"C-can you let them in, please?" I croaked and the woman nodded, shuffling over to the door where she pulled it open and said something to someone. I heard my mom shriek and watched as she ran into the room and caught sight of me, Callum behind.

"Oh my poor baby, what happened huh?" She asked, cradling my face in her clammy hands. I felt my eyes well up with tears and watched from the corner of my eye as the nurse excused herself out quietly. "How do you feel? Do you need anything? I can go to the shop downstairs if you want me to—"

"Mom," I held the hands on my face and pulled them down to interlock our hands together. "I'm fine." I coughed and groaned at the pain in my stomach. Maybe I did need some more meds.

"You don't seem it. What happened at school huh? I was at work and suddenly got a phone call to say my daughter was in first aid passed out. What was I supposed to think, huh?"

Callum inaudibly sat down at the end of the bed, a solemn look on his face, and a tear in his eye.

I searched both of their faces to see how patchy and red their cheeks were. They were crying because of me.

"I'm fine. Charlotte had a weak punch anyway." I tried to joke but it came out a lot more depressing that I wanted it to. My mom's lips turned into a frown and Callum raked a shaky hand through his hair.

"How many girls did this to you? More than one? Mr.Henshaw said the security cameras had been covered and all they could hear was the voices. I don't think I could bare to listen to it." She frowned again and I wrapped an arm around her waist, letting her collapse onto the bed beside me.

"I know who they were and so does Laura." I told her although looking more at Callum when I was saying this. His eyes widened and he stood up, grasping his phone out of his pocket.

"I've got to make a few calls, I'll be back in fifteen." He said and left the room. Mom sighed into my hair and stroked the loose strands away from my face.

"You had me so worried. I'm still so worried." She sighed again and I closed my eyes, feeling the throbbing on my face come back but even harsher now. It was creating a migraine.

"Don't be. I'm alright. You should thank Laura for helping me, and Emily from the cheer squad." I said and groaned loudly when my head pulsated. My mom sat up and rested a hand on my forehead.

"Need more meds?" She asked I nodded. She stood up and grabbed her phone out from her pocket, smiling.

"What is it?" I asked. I thought it was going to be her sneaky lover she hadn't told us about but it wasn't.

"Theo. He's coming up now." She said and shoved her phone back into her pocket. My heart jumped at the idea of Theo being here, but as much as I wanted to see him, I was nervous. "Don't worry sweetie, he was worried sick."

"Was he waiting with you guys?" I furrowed my brows and she nodded, flattering her frizzy hair.

"Yes. But he was getting fidgety so he excused himself somewhere. I told him I'd let him know when you woke up."

I tilted my head, "you have his number?"

My mom nodded and winked. "Course I do. You know that boy's a sweetheart."

I smirked and pulled the white cover up to my chin, hiding the prominent blush I was rocking. "Okay, mom. That's enough." I laughed and she winked again, prancing over to the door.

"I'll be back in a jiffy." She waved and the door closed behind her. Seeing she was gone, I stared out at the window, feeling a sense of relief knowing that I wasn't seriously hurt. However, at the same time, I felt a sense of shame for putting my mom and everyone through this. As I laid in the hospital bed alone, I reflected on what had happened, that was until the door creaked open.

I turned my head to see my boyfriend walking in with a small smile on his face, a small plastic bag with what looked like flowers hanging out at the top of it. Flowers? My heart skipped a beat as I saw him. He looked as handsome as ever, but also concerned and worried for my well-being.

He closed the door behind him and walked over to me, "Hey there," he said, his voice soft and gentle as he came to stand beside my bed. "How are you feeling?"

I tried to smile back at him, but the pain made it difficult to even move my lips. "Better now that you're here," I said, my voice weak and tired. I missed him, even though I was knocked out unconscious for the most part.

He pulled up a chair next to my bed and took my hand, gently running his thumb over the back of it. "Has your mom and Cal been in?"

I nodded slightly and Theo leaned over to pull the cover over me a bit more, then his eyes fell to the IV drips that were attached to me. He licked his tongue across his lips and and cleared his throat, looking back up at me.

He was shaking.

"You're shaking," I whispered and he cleared his throat again, his hand squeezing mine reassuringly.

"I just don't like hospitals." He shrugged and I nodded, a small smile taking place on me face. "Hey, anyway, I got you some stuff from downstairs. Did you know they actually sell teddy bears here?" He stood up and grabbed the bag to put it on my stomach.

I smiled at his frantic-ness and sat up against the bed. With Theo's help, I was comfortable, and was able to explore the goodies he had bought me. When I opened the bag I spotted the most gorgeous flowers: roses.

"You're favourite." He said and I nodded, smiling through the blaze of tears. I set them aside for now and took out a packet of chocolate and candy, along with a white teddy bear with a heart in its hand. "I had to sneak those in," he pointed to the candy, "I wasn't sure if you were allowed to eat anything while your body's waking up, but you could always have them some other time."

I smiled at all the stuff he had bought me and felt a tear slip down my face, wetting my puffy eye. Theo swiped his thumb as it dropped down my cheek and I sniffled.

"Come here." I said, my voice barely above a whisper and he leaned in closer, his forehead touching mine, and I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. "Thank you so much, this is, so kind of you."