Reforming Society •• OneRepublic {2}

Flashback 2: 'Mona

Ramona sat by Lynn at a table near the back of the cold art room. She sat on her stool and kept her headphones in, drawing a curly pattern on the notepad quite diligently. She ignored Lynn and the other two students sitting at the table, who stole glances her direction every once in a while. Stares were nothing new.

She had fled the scene outside as soon as possible. She knew she'd have to deal with Lynn in art at some point, which was sometimes obnoxious to handle, but Addie and Johana had their own classes to go to. Ramona could also very well go somewhere else during her lunch next so she didn't have to see them. She had English with all three and art with Lynn, but she didn't have to deal with them at any other time of the day, fortunately.

But god, what was she saying? They're her friends. They're only trying to help, right?

But their help would get her in more trouble than she already was.

Ramona kept her eyes on her paper. The back of her neck grew warm as she suddenly felt everyone was looking at her, whispering among themselves the insults she heard almost every day she was here. It was almost as if she could already hear them past her music.

"What a freak! I mean, look at her hair! She dyes it weird colors all the time!"

"Hey, look at Wood, isn't she crazy? I hear her parents beat her!"

"I hear she's covered in cuts. What a bitch, she only wants attention."

"I heard she slept with Jonny last week, she's probably a fatass slut too."

It never ended. Each whispered insult that rang in her ears was simply the toll of the Devil's bell, almost a countdown to the day that her father would go too far or she'd cut too deep. It was only a matter of time before the demons waiting to claim her finally caught her in their clammy, black hands.

A small finger lightly tapped her shoulder. Ramona brought herself back to the horrid reality she lived in and took a headphone out. Lynn was looking at her with sparkling eyes.

"Please talk to me." She softly said so the other two at the table wouldn't hear. Ramona did not reply. She didn't even shake her head. She just stared blankly at Lynn a moment before turning back to her drawing.

"Ramona!" Lynn pleaded, voice rising a bit. Ramona shook her head, pursing her lips. She felt they were a bit chapped. Then she became more aware of her ribs. Her hips. Her stomach. Even her arms. God, she was in so much pain.

She wanted to go. Not home, no, but anywhere but here or there. She could probably ditch the rest of her day, though. Her grades didn't matter, after all. She could not make it into college. She would never get a promising career. Her songwriting sucks, that's the closest she's gotten to anything. But the music industry wouldn't want someone like her in there.

The bell rang. She had to decide on whether she wanted to ditch or not, and leave the other three behind at lunch. If she did not decide soon and flee the room, Lynn would get a hold of her arm and drag her to the cafeteria. She got queasy at the thought of entering the room full of talking, staring students.

Ramona decided she'd leave. There was nothing left for her, after all. She missed Spanish, pre-calculus, and mythology already, and she didn't care about chemistry at all during seventh. That was her only class left, she had eighth off. She could leave. She should leave.

So, Ramona fled before Lynn could grab her, as she was packing up her bag. She made herself blend in with the other students filing out of the room, pulling her hood up to hide her very recognizable hair. She heard Lynn's high-pitched voice yell, "Ramona!"