Converse ·· Luke Brooks

Chapter 51

Chapter 51

It was horrifying the next morning to see what I looked like. The first thing I did was go to the showers. I needed one. Badly. I was covered in blood and dried tears. It only made me want to cry more knowing that my own damn Father had put them there. It sucked going into the showers this morning, to clean myself off. As soon as I walked in, all I could here was gasps and whispering of other people. I tried to ignore them as I put my stuff down on one of the sink benches.

I looked up in the mirror, to be greeted by my bloody face. I couldn’t even gasp at the sight of it. I was too in shock. Instead, I bit my lip while wetting some tissues to try and get the dried blood off my face. It covered my nose and mouth, with drip marks covering my neck and the clothes I was wearing from last night. I couldn’t be bothered this morning to change or clean myself up before going to the showers. I was here now to clean myself up and you know what? I didn’t care who would see me like this. I didn’t give a fuck anymore. I was leaving and they would never see my damn face around here ever again.

I cleaned off the dry blood, where I inspected my bruises. There was no easy way to describe my face. My nose was purple and swollen. I was only hoping it wasn’t broken. I don’t think it was, as the throbbing had gone away. My right eye had gone black, and I was trying my hardest to look out of it. My face had swollen up into a tomato. Dry tear marks covered my bruised cheeks from the slapping. Mascara and eyeliner dripped from my eyes, making me look like a raccoon. My eyes were red and puffy, bloodshot. I was mess. I looked like a mess.

I looked down at my shoulders, seeing purple fingermarks on them. It was where my Dad had gripped me to push me into the wall. He had bruised me. I trailed my fingers over them, wincing from my own touch. I tried to turn around to look at my back, taking my shirt off so I was in only my bra. It was bruised to a light purple and blue. It wasn’t as bad as I had thought it was, but it still hurt. I was just happy that it wasn’t as bad as that bruise I had gotten from jumping off the top of Melbourne Shopping Center. I looked at my stomach, seeing all sorts of shades of colours. Purple, blue, green, yellow, black. It made me want to be sick.

“What happened?” Someone finally asked. I looked up into the mirror where I could see several girls standing around looking at me with their mouths open.

“Shit happened,” I choked.

I felt like I was going to cry. Why me? Why did I have to put up with this? Why did I have to put up with the abuse my Father gave me? I have never done anything to deserve this. I had always followed my parents rules. I stayed on their good side. I did everything they ever asked. I tried to be the best daughter I could give them. Sure, I had my moments, but doesn’t everyone? Why was I put on this Earth only to be treated like this? And here I was, moving back to Perth, where I will only get more and more abuse. Is this really what I deserved?

“If you don’t mind, I would really like a shower in privacy,” I said, turning around. All faces stared at me. There were girls who were fully dressed, or only in a towel. They were all staring at me, their eyes wide. It only made me want to cry more.

Some of them nodded their heads, walking out of the bathrooms, while the rest just followed them. Finally, privacy. I took this chance to quickly jump in the shower. I turned the hot water, letting it burn onto my bare skin. It drenched my clothes, which had some dry blood on it. I let my clothes soak before taking them off and flinging them off to the side. I stood under the warm water letting it wash my bruised body. It felt like I was in the shower for hours and hours, of just endless crying.

*

Walking into the classroom was even worse than walking into the showers this morning. Everyone stared. Everyone. All the students look over at me, quickly stopping whatever they were doing. The teacher stopped talking and stared at me. What made it even worse, was that Natalie and Simon were here. They looked the most shocked out of everyone. I held in my tears, despite the constant trembling of my lip.