That girl,
The one in the back of the room.
Her gaze, always fixed on that paper pad as she sketched the day away.
She never smiled.
She never spoke.
People talk about her.
Things like:
"Is she a mute?"
"What's up with her?"
"She acts so strange."
She will occasionally glance up to notify the teacher that she was indeed, paying attention.
The other kids had the right to think shes weird, but they're all wrong.
After school we call each other and talk for hours.
She's smart, funny, kind.
Normally I just watch and respect her privacy, as I listen to the bullies.
She told me to stay calm, but I drew the line at what I heard them say next:
"She's such a weakling."
Those assholes know nothing about her.
She's stronger than all of them.
She's been shoved through the ringer over and over again,
but she still gets up in the morning everyday, knowing her sealed fate of darkness.
She's survived the worst fight a human could have and has the "battle scars" to prove it.
And now I watch her, my vision fuzzy, as she stands up for me against the very same guys that called her weak.
I was bruised and had a busted lip, slammed against the locker, but she was still standing.
She fought them away just before running to the nearest bathroom. Thankfully it was a coed bathroom and I ran in after her.
What I saw truly hurt my heart.
She was hunched over a sink, vomiting up blood, both her eyes black and blue.
She looked up at me.
"I'll always protect you." she whispered. I felt a tear run down my face.
"You need to see the nurse!"
"No, no, I'm fine I'l just go to the doctor after school."
"Listen to me!"
"I'll be fi-" As she was walking away, she collapsed.
"NO!"
I picked her up and carried her to the nurse, my eyes full of tears as I explained how this happened. The ambulance came and the paramedics said she had slipped into a coma.
I was done.
What if she never woke up?
The nurse gave me ice for my bruises and I walked back to class teary-eyed.
No one spoke, no one moved. They all just stared.
As I walked to my desk I saw the bully that hurt her. I ran over and punched his jaw.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
My teacher ran over and held me down while I tried to make him feel her pain. I screamed.
"YOU BEAT HER! YOU BEAT HER TO A PULP AND NOW SHE'S IN THE HOSPITAL IN A COMA! YOU DID THIS TO HER BECAUSE SHE WAS PROTECTING ME!!!!!!"
"......."
"YOU CALLED HER WEAK. YOU HURT HER HEART. YOU DON'T NO WHAT SHE'S BEEN THROUGH! SHE'S STRONGER THAN YOU COULD EVER BE YOU ASSHOLE!!!"
The teacher sent me to the office, and my parents picked me up.
No one talked to me. No one came within five feet of me for two weeks.
After school I was gonna go visit my sleeping beauty, I did this every few days.
When I arrived in her room, I looked at her. The only noise in the air was the beep of the heart monitor.
I just looked at her. Watching her lay still in her peaceful slumber. I sat on her bed, but she slowly began to stir.
I watched her face as her eyes fluttered open.
"YOU'RE AWAKE!"
She sheepishly smiled and sat up.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her close.
"I missed you." I whispered to her.
She blushed lightly as I brushed the hair out of her face.
We looked into each other's eyes and I softly spoke;
"Can I kiss you?" She leaned in and we felt sparks fly around us as we melted away from reality.
I will never let go.
