Insomnia // Billie Eilish

Chapter 39

I clutched my stomach as Bryant kicked me again. "I told you not to talk about me, bitch." He kicked my side. "But you just can't listen, can you?"

He crouched down beside and moved my hair out of my face. I mentally slapped myself for crying. This was the aftermath of, yet another one of Olivia's rumors.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna touch your face. My boys, though... there's no telling." He stood back up and whistled before walking away. A group of people surrounded me and I let my head fall back to the floor. It was gonna be a long day.

-

I groaned as I stood up. My entire body was sore. I licked my lips. They tasted like blood. Bryant's friends weren't nice enough to leave my face alone like him.

The bell rang, so I grabbed my backpack and headed towards the locker room. I walked by one of Bryant's friends as I make my way across the gym. He stood up and starts making his way towards me. I averted my eyes and ran into the locker room, swiftly shutting the door behind me. A sigh escaped my mouth as I slide down to the floor, throwing my head back.

"What the hell happened, Mackenzie?" Kempley asked, rushing over to me.

"Bryant."

"God bless. You need to go wash your face off." She grabbed my hands and pulled me up. I walked into the bathroom and splashed water on my face, not bothering to look in the mirror. I didn't m care, nor did I want to know what I looked like. I walked over to my locker and pulled my shirt off. I had a lot of bruises. "Mackenzie!"

I jumped. "What?"

Her eyes squeezed shut and she grabbed my shoulder. "This isn't okay. You have to tell somebody who's doing this. Somebody who can do something about it. Look at you."

"No, I can't, actually. He'll just target me more." I put a T-shirt on. "So, please don't tell anybody, okay? I'm fine." After changing into my shorts and putting my cleats on, I cautiously walked out of the locker room.

"I need Mackenzie Jones to the guidance office," Ms. West, the secretary, said over the intercom.

I let out a frustrated sigh and looked at Coach Jones. "Go." I made my way to the guidance counselor's office and sat down in a chair in front of her desk.

"Hello, Mackenzie," Ms. Roberts, the counselor, said, excitedly.

I stared at her blankly. "Why am I here?"

"Well," she started, inhaling sharply. "I want to talk to you about the marks on your face. It's worrying... How is everything at home?"

"Fine."

She nodded and continued, looking at a paper on her desk. "Who do you live with?"

"My dad and brother," I responded slowly.

Her eyebrows knit together as she looked at her paper. "You're brother as in Mathew Jones Jr. Is that correct?"

I nodded.

"And do you guys have a good relationship?" she asked.

"Yeah—yes. We—we hang out all the time."

"Okay. And what about your dad?" She looked up at me. "Is he nice to you?"

"Yes," I said, clearly annoyed.

"Now, you told me that your mom moved in not too long ago, but now you're telling me she doesn't live with you."

"She recently moved out." I swallowed, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.

"Mm-hm. Why is that?"

I opened my mouth and then closed it, not knowing what to say. "She and my dad had a disagreement," I lied.