The Nerd Effect #Wattys2017

Chapter 12- We Need To Face The Future

It was true though, I was pretty pathetic. I took everything she said seriously, thanks to my family not being there to tell me otherwise. I had my friends to build my confidence, but sometimes they were no better than I was.

I smiled at Olivia and Payton. They were there through everything. They even helped me hide the bruises from Andy's 'punishments'. I shuddered thinking about those. They weren't very pleasant.

"Stop thinking about him." Payton scolded.

"I can't. He's probably at home right now eating MY brownies. That's not acceptable. They are mine..." I retorted.

"Well, let's start reminiscing about our past more. And not the past with him." Liv suggested. Though she made it sound more like a demand.

"Fine, but you have to admit he's a big part of our friendship. He is the reason I met you guys."

Well. Not exactly. Liv was in my 3rd grade class. She acts like she doesn't like me, but I knew all along we would be friends. (Okay, maybe not.) One day, she noticed a mark on my collar bone. My brother hadn't been very abusive before, but one night he just lashed out at me. A lot like the time with the book store.

The second she had noticed, she had marched me straight to the guidance counselor. I had been mad at her at first for ratting him out to anyone, but I soon got over that. We started hanging out a lot more, and I started spending more time at her house to get away.

Now Payton. It had actually been that same night. Payton wasn't in class with me, but she lived across the street. I had known her mom a bit, and had gone there. Her mom had immediately started to like me, and had let me stay the night. Ever since, I was friends with her.

In 4th grade, all three of us were in class together. And in 5th grade we met Rose and Allie. 6th grade was Jacob, and the rest was history.

Only Payton and Olivia know about Andrew because they are the only ones who came over while he was at the house. I moved to Sylvia, Pennsylvania when I was 3 and my parents decided Andy was old enough to go to Boarding School. Me and him got along really well until in third grade where because of his acting out, they decided I wasn't going to go to boarding school. So, he started beating me because of it.

I looked around the cave. So many memories were here. But yet it seemed as if all of them were just slipping away. I guess this is what it felt like when in the abyss of High School, and then almost moving on to college. I mean, my childhood had never been easy but I didn't want to let go. Everything I knew was here, and I wasn't ready to leave it behind.

"Hey, what about that time that Kendra had to speak in front of the entire class? And then she ended up almost passing out?" Payton asked, grinning.

"Oh gods, don't remind me," I reply smacking my hand against my forehead. I had never been good at public speaking.

"We know you're terrible at speaking. For our Junior Project you starting rambling about your old car when the project was on the benefits of classic literature in students." Liv, smiling just like Payton. I smiled at the memory. Sure, it was embarrassing and I still haven't lived it down, but it was an amazing memory. I laughed so hard afterwards, I cried.

"It only happened last year." Payton pointed out.

"Oh god," Liv said having a realization. "We're seniors, and graduation is in two months."

"I'm not ready!" I cried dramatically pretending to faint slightly.

"Please tell me you've started applying to colleges." Payton said, a bit apprehensively.

"Of course!" Liv shouted. "What do you think we are, bloody idiots?"

"Sounding a bit British there, Liv." I pointed out.