Howling Badboy

The Shackled Girl

You know the gossip that's surrounds everybody, no matter if it's a little or a lot? Yeah,  that little was me, but that of course was outdone by Dakota's lot of gossip. When we stepped into the school together, all hell broke loose. Almost literally.

The demons whispered, but I only caught catches as Dakota and I broke our separate ways. With Dakota... Freak.... Thinks she can be with him... Stupid cow will never be loved. I whirled around to see Holly the school's slut, I mean flirt (I don't really), twirling her fake blonde hair in her witch worthy finger nails beside my locker.

"Could you please move?" I asked nicely. Holly rolled her overdone makeup eyes. I think if she put one more dab of makeup on her eyes, her eyes would collapse. Just a theory. "Could you just move away, to like hell? Give us all a break, cause we all know you're going there anyway. Oh, and cover up those bruises freak." She sneered grabbing my damp hair and throwing me to the ground.

She laugh obnoxiously, and left me laying on the cold hard floor. Clambering up, I made my way into the girls restroom, and inspected the damage. Not much...from right now. The problem was that the bruises and the cuts from Swacker (Serin's baseball bat), showed rather colorfully on my face. Nothing my hair can't cover up, though. Thank God for long hair!

I arranged my hair just right over my bruises and cuts, covering them from view of the judges. I shuffled out of the restroom, and into the bustling hallways of the high school. I picked my way into my first period, and the went smooth enough with just a little bit a trouble. You know, just the casual hair pulling and rude note passing.

Then came art; I shuffled to my seat in the back and waited for Dakota to show. He came in right as the bell rang, typical. Mental eye-roll.

He walked graceful to the seat next to mine and, of course, plopped his happy butt in it. Mrs. Crazy Ideas didn't have anything planned because she's lazy, so we had a free draw art day. I love these days for one simple reason

One: I can draw and express myself however I want.

I can etch my feelings and emotions on the blank paper, until it's no longer blank, but instead has something beautiful on it. To be honest, blank white scares me. I mean it's so bland, like its empty with no life. I feel like it reflects my life, empty of love.

I closed my eyes envisioning what I would etch into history next...got it! I grab dark colors like black, dark gray, white, dark green, so on. The color I grab next was different though, but it was the almost the most important. A bright red. Vividly sticking out against the rest, violent against the earth.

I drew and drew and drew until I had completed it. The canvas was covered in deep, dark trees that seemed to drip from a full moon. But most importantly, the girl. I painted a girl around my age with white hair cascading off the edge of the canvas. She was crumpled, with her hands hiding her face and a tattered galaxy dress. The shadows loomed threatening above and around her. What stuck out against the dark, natural colors was the red that I used to paint shackles on her ankles and wrists, tying her to the shadows that she couldn't seem to escape.

I stared at it a minute before walking away to put my supplies away. I must admit; I did good! I got everything just right; the shadows loomed, the moon leaked, and the girl looked...broken. When I came back though, I saw somebody staring intently at my picture.

"Pilla? Did you draw this?" Dakota questioned. "Well duh. Who else was here? My imaginary friend, Frank? I'm sorry but Frank is on vacation." I retorted sarcastically. Dakota looked at me questioningly, like I was a math problem he couldn't figure out. "Pilla, this isn't... happy. What's wrong? You know you can talk to me I won't tell anybody."

I snorted, "You know, just because it isn't 'happy', doesn't mean somethings wrong. It just means something else is going on, get it right! Ok! So what if it isn't the happiest? Nothing is ever happy!" I started my lecture whispering, and ended it shouting.

Everyone turned around to stare at us. Every single beady, lifeless eye stared at what was going down. God! Do they seriously have nothing better to do!? Seriously, get a life, guys.

"What do you mean 'nothing is ever happy'? Pilla, tell me. Tell me right now!" He looked down at me shouting the last part. He lifted his hand, and it set off a chain reaction. When he lifted up his hand; I reacted by flinching, and my mouth betrayed me by letting a whimper break out of its confides.

He scared me! I know guys that would beat the living daylights out of me for much less. I looked at his expression and I was surprised. And I don't get surprised often.

Instead of anger; I saw pain. Instead of happiness; I saw sadness. Instead of irrationality; I saw regret. What the hells bells!

"Pilla. Why would you think-" the release-from-hell bell rang cut him off, and I wasted no precious time getting out of there.

As I walked to the soul sucking pit, I was terrified. More terrified than I've ever been almost. Yeah, I was scared of the beatings I would get. I was scared. Not terrified. I was terrified of the expression Dakota had when he saw that I was scared of him. I was terrified of what I might do. I'm terrified that I might just fall for him.

I think that, that right there, is the most terrifying thought ever.