The day bleeds

.5.

I unbutton my shirt facing my back towards the mirror seeing blood dripping down my back and coming out of my waist. I take off the shirt completely grabbing a paper towel damping it with water and dappling it on top of my back. My back screams from the contact with the water, I try not to make a sound holding my empty hand to my mouth shutting my eyes shut. A knock is at the door making me to open my eyes. "Just a minute." I choke out pulling my shirt back on and walking to the door buttoning it up unlocking the door and opening it to revel Kevin and Sweetpea. 

"Are you okay, you see like you were going to throw up in there." Kevin says pushing himself into the bathroom along with Sweetpea and locking the door behind them.

"I'm fine, do you guys have a jacket I can barrow?" I ask remembering the blood through my shirt. 

"I think so, Why?" Sweetpea asks pulling a leather jacket out of his bag and handing it to me.

"Don't worry about it." I tell him taking the jacket and pulling it over my shoulders looking myself in the mirror washing my hands to calm me down. They both stare at me in the mirror watching me slow down my breathing.

"Elizabeth Cooper to the principle office." the speaker says through out the whole school which quickens my breathing again before I race out the bathroom walking in the direction of the principle office looking out the big window of the school seeing my father stomp towards the building red in the face. I walk in seeing the guy from the cafeteria with his father, the guy is  holding an ice pack to his face. "Elizabeth sit please while we wait for your father." Mr. Weatherbee says looking at me as I sit down in the chair next to this guy. My father walks in putting up his act sitting next to me. He looks me up and down with disgust seeing my hair down and the outfit I chose.

"Why are we here?" my father asks looking at my principle placing his hand on my lower back pushing me forward, knowing the cuts and bruises that are underneath. I squeeze my hands shut under the table trying not to show any pain. 

"Elizabeth here physically hurt another student in the cafeteria." Weatherbee explains making my father place his hand under my shirt and squeezing the damaged skin. I squeeze my hands tighter not to show any reaction. 

"It's been a slow day.. I thought he was going to do something that I assume was never going to happen so I'm sorry for my actions." I choke out holding back the tears and pain in my voice.

"Really because according to another student, it looked like he was trying to force you to somethings you didn't want to do." The principle claims looking at me confused.

"I just don't want this situation to be bigger then it has to be so I'll take the punishment for what I did." I choke out again while my father moves further up my back squeezing more skin.

"If this is true, we legally have to do something." The principle says more concerned while I look down dropping my hands out of the chair still holding them shut. 

"It was one time, if it happens more then once then do something." My father says not showing any emotion in his face. "Now can I have a second with my daughter."

"Of course, for Elizabeth you are not allowed to quit the News paper as your punishment. And for Chuck a warning." Weatherbee tells us standing up leading Chuck and his father out the door him following them. 

"What the fuck were you thinking!" My father screams letting go of my back which makes me release my hands. 

"I wasn't I'm sorry." I whisper not looking at him.

"You know what I have to do." He sighs standing up.

"Please no.. no please don't do this." I beg shakily looking up at him.

"I have too, you know the rules. And wear your other clothes this is not acceptable." he tells me walking out of the room. I stand up almost immediately after he left looking at the blood oozing out of my hands looking through my bags for a bandages taping up my hands and placing them inside the jacket hiding them away from the adults in the office. I walk into my next class where everyone is looking at me either scared or holding back there laughs. I sit in my seat in the back where the lesson continues. 

The girl from earlier sits next to me with an evil smirk on her face, "so do you fight every guy you meet?" she whispers towards me pretending to pay attention to the stuff in front of the class. 

"No, just the assholes." I reply looking forward taking deep breaths to slow down my breathing. 

"Why didn't you beat up Jughead?" she asks looking at me.

"Same reason why I didn't beat you up... I don't believe you guys are assholes." I admit while the bell rings making me flee out the classroom and too my next one. Toni sits in our usual spot waiting for me to sit down next to her. 

I take the seat hiding my face in the desk feeling my shirt ride up exposing my side and part of my back. I shot back pulling both the jacket and shirt down hiding my skin. "Are you okay?" Toni asks watching me freak out. "You seem like you need a break, come with me after school relax a little." 

"I don't know, I have to be home before my dad." I mumble while the class starts.

"We'll leave early please I think you need this." Toni whispers since the room is almost silent

"Fine." I whisper making her smile big and satisfied. After school Toni runs me out walking me in the opposite direction of my house. "So... stick by me some of these people might think you're venerable." she tells me leading me to the bar my father took me too where Malachai held a gun to my head. I walk in with her following her to the rest of the group. 

"Hey, Betty is here." Kevin exclaims pulling me in a tight hug which makes me wince a little. "Are you okay?" He asks frantically pulling away looking at me up and down. 

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" I ask following him to the couch in the middle of the room.

"You seem tense." he answers.

"I'm fine." I tell him.

"So I was up all night reading the notebook you gave me... I was literally sobbing by the time I finished." Kevin explains pulling out the notebook I gave in out of his bag. 

"Really? I forgot what's written in it." I admit taking the notebook from him and pushing it in my bag while everyone laughs at me. I feel a thump come from the side of the couch making me jump, I look over the end of the couch seeing a little girl on the ground about to cry. I get up going next to her when she starts to cry. "Shhh, you're okay." I whisper to her rubbing her back and picking her up setting her on my lap while I sit back down at the couch.