The Devil Is Teaching Me How To Fight

4. TDITMHTF ml

By the time I got home, it was half past ten and quite frankly, I was exhausted.

Quietly, I clicked open the lock to the front door and crept into the house. I've done this so many times that it was practically second nature.

Despite it only being ten thirty, I was exhausted and so I wrote a quick note to my mum saying that I had been studying at a friends while my phone had ran out of battery, before stumbling into my bed. I was asleep before my head hit my pillow.

Despite falling asleep so easily, my dreams were not so kind. Deep, dark thoughts and memories that I had spent two years trying to suppress resurfaced and swirled around my head in a whirlwind of fear and loneliness. I tried to force my self to wake up, but it was as though a supernatural force was keeping me from leaving my nightmare.

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I woke with a start, jolted awake as though someone had shaken me rapidly. I gasped for breath and felt the covers soaked in sweat. I gingerly sat up and winced when a sharp pain ran up my cheek. Oh yeah...

I yawned and rolled out of my bed, checking my alarm clock. The time read 6 30. Well I guess I'd better start getting ready then.

I pulled on a black tank top and some light blue skinny jeans, and then proceeded to trudge to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

As I started to put some toothpaste on my brush. I glanced up at the mirror. I gasped in shock at the mere sight of my face and dropped my toothbrush. One whole cheek had gone bright purple with the shape of a hand imprinted onto me. I sighed, thank god I kept all my old foundation.

I rummaged around for my old "makeup" kit, and finally found it at the back of the sink cabinet, under a couple of old hand towels.

I squeezed a liberal amount onto my palm and started to rub the stuff into my face, even though it hurted like hell in the process. I looked at my face in frustration, the bruise was still faintly visible.

After around three coats, the mark was finally gone and I almost sunk to the floor in exhaustion. Then I added some mascara and eyeliner, so as not to look too strange and looked in the mirror to see the overall effect. I sighed, I looked plastic.

Slaking my head in defeat, I trudged downstairs to get myself some breakfast. I ended up cooking myself some bacon, an egg, a pile of mushrooms, half a tin of beans and two pieces of bread. What can I say, I'm a growing girl. As I was eating this beautiful creation of a breakfast, Kerri barged into my house and made a beeline to the fridge.

I laughed "why hello there K, I didn't know you lived here and could enter and leave as you wish."

Kerri simply laughed, and replied with her head still in the fridge "I don't live here, I just require your food." And with that she shut the fridge door in disgust. "Nothing, you have nothing"

"I know, I'm sorry for disappointing you, but my mum has made the house go vegan for the week," I gestured at my meal "this is the last of the edible stuff"

Kerri narrowed her eyes and wandered over to my table, looking at me expectantly.

"Look, I'm sorry K, but you wouldn't like this breakfast."

She looked down at my plate with disgust "your right, who eats that for breakfast."

"Hey, its an English breakfast. Don't diss it before you try it, its actually really good."

"Ugh, I can't believe my best friend has to be English."

"Wait a second K, Americans eat this to" I laughed and look at the clock on the. Shit. Only 10 minutes....

I quickly shoveled the rest of my breakfast down, and ran upstairs to brush my teeth and get my bag.

There was no time for brushing my straggly hair, so I whacked it up into a messy bun.

Kerri was waiting patiently in her car by the time I was ready. She was used to me being late.

Kerri turned on the radio as we drove quickly to school.

"You know, you really should work on your punctuality A, its gonna get you into trouble one day"

I absentmindedly nodded my head if only she knew.

We parked in our usual spot, and made our way into the school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we were walking to our first lesson, maths, Kerrie stopped suddenly and squinted her eyes at me. I stiffened in fear.
"Hey, Avery... There's something different about you today, I can't quite put my finger on it." Kerri put her hands on her hips and scrutinised me closley.
A short, nervous laugh bubbled out of me and I subtly angled my cheek away from her sharp gaze. "W-what are you talking about K? What could possibly be different?"

Kerri suddenly snapped her fingers and friend- I let out a sigh of relief- "that's it, your wearing eyeliner today. Damn girl, those eyes be poppin' "

I relaxed and laughed along with her.

Thank the lord she is so unobservant.

When we arrived at the maths corner, we parted ways, and I turned into the classroom, dumping my stuff on the nearest free seat I could find and leaning my head on top of the desk.

But when the teacher walked in and i finally raised my head, I looked to my left to see no other than Josh burning a hole through my face with his glare. I flinched away at this action, and quickly turned round to look back at the board.

As the lesson went on, I could still feel Josh's stare on me. He didn't even bother to copy down the notes.

After about 15 minutes of him glaring at me like I had offended his great ancestors or something, annoyance overcame my fear, and I whipped my head around, "Will you cut it out Steele? What is your goddamn problem?"

Josh simply frowned even more and retorted, "I don't like you. Wilkinson."

I blanched at the fact that he knew new my name but was quick to reply.
" You don't know anything about me Josh, so keep your judgement to your self." I spat back at him. I hate it when people supirioully make judgements on what people's life is like.

"Oh I think I've got you figured out" Josh narrowed his eyes at me, venom leaking from every word he said.

"I really doubt that."

"You think? Hmmmm.... Well let me see." Josh Lent back in his chair, scrutinising me intensely.
"Designer clothes, caked in make up, chewed nails. I'm guessing... Rich white girl who has her parents fawn over her and cater her every need. Thinks the worst thing that could possibly happen to her is that dear daddy won't by her her new designer boots that she just needs. What's that? Daddy issues? Did he deny you one of the zeros added to your allowance every month? Or have they split up? Is that why he buys you all those clothes? Because he spends all his time away from home? Is he-"

"Just shut up!" I all but screamed, earning a stern look from the teacher, before she turned back to reading the latest edition of the times newspaper.

And for the first time since I've seen him, Josh smiles nastily, "struck a nerve have I?"

I don't reply.

When the bell rings, I am extra careful to make sure that my bag slams into his chest when I get up and almost sprint to the door.

*******

Another chapter! Wooo! Thanks for writing and I know it's been a long time... :/
Word count: 1323

Word goal: 1400