Half Human

Chapter 1, An Unblessed Child

What makes up status? Wealth? Acquaintances? Family? To be blessed? To be blessed. . . I just wish I had gotten lucky enough for that. If I did, maybe I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now.

Rocks get thrown at my head, occasionally being thrown hard enough to bruise or break skin. Sticks get smacked across my back and legs. Every time they hit me it stings. It's almost like getting stung by 10 wasps in the same place. Even though I try to walk away from them they follow me, picking more things up on the way to throw. Once they get bored they chase me to a corner and beat me. Dust being kicked up every time a kick lands.

Sometimes I wonder if I was popular would the roles be reversed? Would I take pleasure in making someone else feel awful? Would I have anything I wanted? Would I be blessed?

My eyes wander the cloudy baby blue sky as I slowly start to lose consciousness. My head thumped along with my heartbeat and pain tingled almost every part of my body. I feel like throwing up.

"C'mon, let's go guys," Cassidy, I think, told her friends. My eyes slowly drifted towards them. They were truly walking away this time. I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief but my ribs hurt too much. I want to go home. My vision blurred as I watched three human shaped blobs walk away from me. One a golden color, a dark brown one to her left, and a silver one to her right.

"Deidamia! There you are!" I could recognize her voice anywhere.

"They really got you this time. You need to wait for me after class so that I can keep you safe," scolded my best friend, Zillah. She helped me sit up and waited for me to catch my breath. We sat in silence trying not to breathe in dust Cassidy and her friends kicked up.

I tried not to cry while Zillah wipes blood from my split lip and wipes it off on her pants.

"You don't have to keep saving me like this, Zill," I mumble.

"If I don't save you, who will make sure you get home in one piece? After all, I owe you. You have been there for me all of my life, even when I couldn't be there for you. So now it's my turn to make it up to you, 'kay?" Zill smiled as she stood up and held her hand out to me. I took her hand and stood up trying to keep it as painless as possible for myself.

"I'm not able to have you over today again, D. I wish I could though but my mom says I can't have you over every day of the week. She thinks it's going to make your Aunt worried about you."

"It's alright," I wish I could tell her it wasn't.

We started towards the nearest sidewalk that led home. The relentless heat of the summer sun combined with the humidity made it hard for me to breathe. It's only my second week into sophomore year and it's off to a great start. Things seemed to pick up exactly where it left off last year minus the couple other incidents after school let out. When school ended it was almost like a breath of fresh air. If I wanted to, I could spend a week away from my aunt. She's not much better than Cassidy but Zill doesn't know that and she won't find out.

Zillah talked the majority of the way home. She talked mostly about "cute" boys in our grade, I have no interest in them. She's basically in love with almost every guy she meets. I roll my eyes and giggle as she describes one of the guys she met as a dreamy kind of handsome.

"Maybe you'll have to introduce me and get a second opinion," I joke.

"D, I'm serious this time! He's hot! And he's new," Zillah swoons.

Eventually when we made it to my house Zillah insisted on coming inside and helping me clean up. Reluctantly I agree because Thea isn't home to tell me no.