Silent Lies - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

I wake up to my alarm as usual, groaning when I turn and feel the sharp pain from my ribs. I lay in bed for a few minutes, contemplating everything. I don't wanna go to school.
Despite not wanting to go to school I still force myself to get up, go to the bathroom and do the usual. Shower, change clothes, put on makeup to cover my bruised jaw and black eye the best I can, which still isn't a lot, great, fix the bandage around my ribs, all that.
I slip on my shoes, grab my bag and phone then go downstairs just wanting to get this day over with already. Walking to school exhausts me already, my arms wrapped around my stomach trying my best to ease the pain.
By the time I make it to school the first bell is already ringing, making me head straight to math. I'm surprised to see Ashton sitting in the seat next to mine again. We have a boring lesson throughout all of class so we don't really say anything to each other. I take notes to the point my hand hurts by time the bell rings for art.
"See you at lunch," he says as we walk out of class and I nod. Ashton doesn't really talk much, besides for when he's arguing with Danny or Adrian-or just talking to them in general, also Divine now.
When I walk into art I see we have a sub today. I wish Mrs. Scarlett were here but I'm also thankful she's not so she can't ask questions when I have my head down all of class, attempting to sleep but can't, or about the black eye again. The sub says nothing about me having my head down, says nothing at all really to anyone-he just lets us do whatever.
Walking into lunch is the usual. Adrian, Ashton, and Danny already sitting with Divine at our table. Divine got lunch at school today, different, then she pushes a hamburger towards me as I sit.
"I snuck that for you, so you better eat it," she says and I nod for once, starving.
When I look towards Adrian I get the usual smile from him, making me smile. He's turning out to not be so bad, shocking.
I don't really try talking, or well just nodding my head or whatever, during lunch-not really in the mood to. I finish eating my hamburger, hearing Divine and Ashton talking. They seem to be getting really close.
"You okay, Liv?" Adrian asks, making me nod my head right away, pretending.
Danny speaks up, making me wish he didn't. "What uh...what happened to your eye?" I just shrug, and he doesn't ask anymore but I hear Adrian whispering to him, more like scolding him though I can't make out what he's saying. I'm surprised he's just now asked about it.
I cover my mouth, coughing out of nowhere. It goes on too long, Divine pushing her water towards me. I try to take it but realize it's more than just a cough, something itching its way up my throat. I stand up quickly, everyone at the table's eyes going to me as I rush to the restroom-I hear someone's fast footsteps behind me.
I don't bother shutting the door to the stall I tumble into, my ribs aching as I get to my knees and cough up the blood. I feel someone holding my hair back and right away know that it's Divine.
I take some toilet paper to wipe my mouth, seeing Divine's face written with worry. "Olivia...that was a lot of blood. Are you-no you'll say you're okay. You're not okay, we've gotta get you to the hospital."
I shake my head immediately as I stand, holding onto her arm for support. My eyes water as it seems like she's figuring everything out, her own eyes tearing up.
"Olivia...please. You're coughing up blood. Please..." she begs. "Who's doing this to you?" I shake my head and shove past her, going to wash my hands. "It's your dad, isn't it?"
I pause while looking in the mirror, a tear rolling down my cheek. I dry my hands quickly to wipe the tears, putting back on the fake smile and shaking my head for the millionth time.
"Olivia, you don't just get black eyes or cough up blood casually," she says so softly, making me look down as we face each other. "Let me help you, okay. I've always wondered why all these years you...just please. I'll tell mama and we can take you in to-" I shake my head right away with her mentioning her mom. I force another smile, attempting to reassure her it's nothing.
I regret looking up when I see her face softened, her eyes filled with tears. She sighs, seeming annoyed of my fake smiles and shakes of my head. She knows and I'm scared.
"Olivia..." I push past her again to leave and go back to lunch, another tear rolling down my cheek that I wipe away quickly. I can hear Divine's footsteps behind me again.
Adrian looks up right away as I sit back down, my arms wrapping around my stomach trying to ease everything and thankful for the water in my bag. "Are you okay?"
I nod as Divine sits back down next to me, Ashton and Danny also looking worried. I sigh in annoyance hearing the bell for third block ring. Adrian stands and still looks worried, I hold back from looking at Divine, knowing the look she's going to give me will only break me.
I go to my locker to grab whatever I need, then head to English. It's another boring lesson I don't really pay attention to, zoning out and worrying about Divine. She knows. But as long as I keep up the lies, she can't do much about it.
I walk into physics, seeing Adrian in his now usual seat by mine. I sit and pull out my notebook, for once wishing the day would go by quicker. The seconds seem to be dragging now, slower than ever.
Adrian's quiet for once, not saying one word throughout all of class-surprising me. It feels like an eternity before the bell finally rings. I grab my things and leave class, going to my locker but Adrian's following me. He stops and he looks like he's hesitating to say whatever it is he wants to say, worrying me.
"Are you...you just-I don't know how to asks this." There's no laugh or anything, no nervousness from him. I worry even more about what it is he's asking. I'm thankful for when Divine comes up by my side, not letting him say anymore.
"Want a ride home? Moms picking me up." I shake my head making her frown, I can tell she wants to talk about the things I don't want to talk about.
Divine hugs me and Adrian's still standing there, looking worried, like he knows everything Divine's now figured out.
"I love you," she tells me and I smile, hugging her tighter to try and say it back. She waves as she walks away to leave school.
I look towards Adrian, seeing if he'll finish whatever he was going to ask even though I don't want him to. He scratches the back of his neck, shaking his head like he's forgotten his question. "You wanna ride home?" That's definitely not what he was originally going to ask but I don't care, it's better than what it was probably going to be before.
I shake my head, shutting my locker and see him frown from the corner of my eye. "Well, then see ya tomorrow?" I nod, waving as he walks away now too and I finally walk out of school.
I'm exhausted again by the time I get home, opening the door and seeing dad setting down a beer bottle on the coffee table. He looks up at me, and everything happens too quickly-as usual.
His hands are around my neck and my back hits the wall. I struggle to breathe, trying to kick him but nothing works to get him off of me as my visions covered by black spots.
I wonder if he's finally just going to kill me.
I'm disappointed when his hands leave my neck and I collapse to the ground, coughing-wheezing, trying to get air. I hit my head on the floor, already getting a headache now. My vision comes back fully but I still struggle to breath properly.
I manage to hear him cursing under his breath as he grabs his beer, walking away to upstairs.
Sometimes I wish he would just do it, kill me. He gets so close to it at times I wonder why he doesn't.
I slump against the wall, gaining the ability to breathe regularly back now. But I know there's going to be a mark around my neck now. I'm gonna run out of makeup to use to cover my bruises at this rate.
I don't bother to make him dinner as he's locked himself away now it seems. I go to my room, collapsing to my bed now feeling like shit.
I wake up around 3am after finally falling asleep late-but I slept like shit for the few hours of sleep I got. There's no reason for me to even try to go back to sleep now.
I sit up in bed, my neck killing me along with my ribs of course. I rub my temples, still very much having the headache after hitting my head yesterday.
I struggle to force myself to get out bed for awhile, going to the bathroom and avoiding the mirror. I push my sleeves up to wash my hands, seeing the cuts from last night after locking myself in my room.
I relapsed, again.
Pathetic.
Shut up.
Finally, I look at myself in the mirror. My hair covers most of my neck except the front. I push back my hair and see purple all around my neck. This is gonna be hard to cover. I see my tear stained cheeks after last night, too.
My headache, my aching ribs, and sore, bruised neck all tell me I can't go to school. But still, even if I think I can't go to school I know I have to. How do I skip again? Adrian called school last time and I don't know if he'd do so again. I can't bring myself to call and talk, I just can't. And I can't have dad finding out I've skipped.
I shake my head, splashing water on my face to pull myself together. I take a hoodie from my closet, wearing the same black jeans as yesterday. It'd be nice to dress how I actually want to, but with little money and barely any selection of clothes in my closet I can't.
I wear hoodies everyday, at least when it's cold enough to not be questioned, basic shirts when it's too warm, the same three pairs of jeans or leggings, my one pair of sweatpants I wear to bed most of the time, and the same pair of sneakers I've had far too long.
I pull my hair back into a ponytail, starting to put all the makeup on to cover everything. My black eye is starting to heal a little bit, not much though. My jaws nearly completely healed finally, but still needs some coverup. Then there's my neck. I cover everywhere people would be able to see when my hairs down, covering most of it.
By time I finish getting ready for the day it's nearly 4:30. I grab my backpack and slip on the sneakers, going downstairs and leaving for school. The sooner I get there the sooner I can just rest for sometime.
I make it to the park near school and collapse to one to of picnic tables. I don't wanna go to school. I don't want to deal with it or anything. My headaches gone away some, my neck is still sore though and my ribs are just the usual-they never feel completely good.
I hear my phone ding, a text, and pull it out of my hoodie pocket. It's Adrian.
I don't wanna go to school.
Adrian, 6:03am
Same, I say in my head. Another text comes through from him.
I might skip.
Adrian, 6:04am
Then another text.
Wanna skip with me??
Adrian, 6:04am.
I text back quickly, saying yes. I wonder if he'll call school for me again. We agree to meet at the park again, Adrian saying he's getting ready then will be here again.
It's like he magically fucking read my mind.
Thank fuck.