Fake Smiles and Cut Wrists

Chapter 43

⚠️Trigger Warning⚠️

Third Person POV
"Are you serious? That's ridiculous." Parker sighed after hearing all that went down yesterday.

They had just been informed that Derek King, the boy who tried to rape a girl, was expelled.

He hadn't been sent to prison like he should've, been, not even Juvenile detention. This didn't make Chandler or the other kids too happy.

"Well at least he's not a threat to that girl anymore, Jamie right? I hope she's doing okay." Zay said, trying to stay on the bright side.

"Yeah, me too." Chandler agreed.

"What we talking about?" Laura asked as she sat down next to Chandler.

"That Derek kid. The one that tried to...hurt that girl, Jamie." Parker said carefully. Laura nodded in understanding.

"Is he locked up?" She asked. Chandler scoffed.

"No. Why would he be? The law enforcement in Georgia is so screwed." He said, irritated.

Laura put her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. He'll get his karma I'm sure." She said. Chandler sighed. He wanted to hurt people like Derek.

It scared him, he had never wanted to hurt someone before. "You alright, dude?" Parker asked, concerned for his friend.

"No. I'm not. People around here can go to prison for life if they rob a gas station but rapists aren't a big deal? It's stupid." Chandler said angrily.

Laura sighed. "It is. Not much we can do about it, though. The thing with murders and rapists is they're smarter, and don't do anything in front of any cameras. And their family will always deny any accusations like that, no matter the evidence. So they get petty charges like 'sexual misconduct'. It's hopeless. " She said.

Chandler scoffed.

"Yeah no matter how badly they've screwed up someone else's life." He mumbled, shaking his head.

"Well on the bright side, I found a really cool place we can turn into our hangout spot, if you guys want." Parker said, excitedly changing the subject.

"Okay. Where is it?" Autumn asked, eager to change the subject.

I found it the other day walking around the woods. If you walk deep enough, you'll find a lake. But it's like...it's a closed off lake with a dock and everything! Isn't it great?" Parker explained happily.

"Well yeah, sure but dude. A lake? It's January!" Zay pointed out.

"Well yeah, I know that but we don't have to swim right away, we can just...hang out until it's warm enough to go swimming, right?" Parker asked and everyone nodded.

They started talking about something else, Chandler stopped listening when he saw a poster across from the cafeteria that caught his eye. Well, truth be told, it was Jamie looking at the poster that caught his eye.

"Be right back." Chandler mumbled and went over to where Jamie was standing.

Once he got there he realized what the poster was.

"Call 1-800-656-4673 if you're a victim of sexual abuse or trauma. You are not alone."

There's that word that stung so badly again. Victim. Chandler looked over at Jamie, who was teary eyed and seemed to be in a gaze.

He grabbed a red sharpie from his pocket and put an ex over the word victim. Above it, he wrote, "Survivor". He didn't really care if he got caught.