Chapter Five

I lost sleep that night, the fight went on until the early hours of the morning and the stranger made sure that I entered my house safely before he walked home. I can't help but suppress a smile as I lay on my bed thinking about what just happened. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I let my pillow mute my squealing.  

my mind conjured his face, how it looks and how pretty he seems to be. My face couldn't help but turn red just by replaying our interaction again and again. 

The morning came and I still wasn't able to sleep yet I feel energized as I was preparing to start my morning, putting my school uniform on and tying my hair in my usual bun, I tried to make myself as pretty as possible, powdering my face diligently and carefully putting my lipgloss on before skipping towards the dining room. 

It was an absolute mess. 

The destruction of the fight was still evident in the room. The plates are all broken, the table overturned and pieces of broken glasses are splattered all around the room.

I took a step backward, reality sinking in but decided to ignore it and just walk out of the door, my stomach growling in hunger. 

I'm not a fan of breakfast anyway. I told myself. 

I took my time as I walked going to school. My supposed to be happy mood turned sour once I took sight of the reason why I had the opportunity of meeting the stranger. 

"Good morning, stranger." A voice greeted me, I looked up at the person and there he was, smiling under the morning sun. "How's your sleep?" 

He looked magnificent in the early light and I can't help but to gawked. It took me a while to realize I was staring and if he didn't wave his hand at my face to take my attention back, I probably would have looked at him longer than necessary. 

My face turned red once again, dropping my gaze to the ground instead before answering his question. "I haven't got the chance to sleep last night." 

His teasing manner turned into worry. "Are you alright?" 

Nodding, I tried to give him a smile. 

Unconvinced, he opened his mouth to protest but stop, not pushing the topic any longer. 

We walked silently on the road, silence filled the atmosphere. It was uncomfortable since it is not how I imagined the morning interaction will be, to save the remaining time I blurted out whatever random question that appeared in my head. 

"What... What... Uhm... Where are you staying...I mean, where are you studying?" I blurted out. 

He looked at me funny. "Where do you think?" 

I shrugged my shoulder. "I really have no idea." 

"How many schools do you think there are in this town?" 

Again, I shrugged my shoulders. 

This made me guffaw. "You're hopeless." 

I rolled my eyes and sarcastically apologized in return. That made him laugh even harder, and he did something which I think was uncharacteristic. He put his hand on the top of my head and like a pet, messed my hair, making my tight up-do quite lose. 

I halted on my steps and my mouth hanging open, taken aback by the sudden contact, and immediately froze on the spot while he kept laughing at my face and walked away, leaving me there processing what just happened. 

-----------------------------

My mom's blazing gaze was directed to my face. She was holding my report card and she seems to not be happy with the results. She wanted to me top the class and she always pushed me to study so ending up in 5th place is not good news for her. 

It was already dark outside and I was strapped into our living room couch, bounded by my mom's angry gaze. She was towering over me, her face red in anger and I tried my best to not look directly at her or to not expect her upcoming eruption. 

"I need you to tell me what happened." She said, her voice controlled, suppressing the pouring madness which seems to be overflowing inside her head. 

I tried talking but my hands were shaking uncontrollably and the only response she received was a whimper, triggering her more. 

The defeating scream came and it was so loud that I was praying that our neighbors aren't assuming that my mom was being murdered. Tears started to overwhelm my face and my heart beats maniacally inside my chest, my body covered my goosebumps and I dropped to my knees while rubbing my palms together, mumbling words of apology while my mom throws things she can grab directly at me, although poorly. Figurines, plates, vases shattered around me and hit my skin as they do so. 

At that moment, the only thing that I can feel was confusion and pain. I don't know what to do or what to say. The panic feeling grew intensely with each passing second I feel the suffering alone just because of the tears. 

I was still on my knees, still, the target and I keep praying, thinking, and mumbling. "Someone saves me, someone let me out of here. please... please let me out of here." 

But no one came, I ended up witnessing my mom's breakdown until all her energy was emptied and she has nothing to throw at me anymore. She kneeled in front of me and grabbed my hair pulling it until I feel my scalp bleeding and then slapped me across the face until it felt hot and tingly. 

It felt like hours, until she calmed down, stood from her spot, and gently told me to go to my room and wait for her to call me for dinner. 

I just nodded and walked limply, traumatized. 

----------------------------------

Crouched on the side of the road once again, I let myself drown in the horrifying nightmare I've been through. The house was quiet as both of my parents are already asleep and I just escaped for the night, just to feel the fresh air on my skin still bruised and tingling. 

I stared at the dark pure nothingness, shivering nonstop. The whole neighborhood was silent and I was alone. My head hurts from being grabbed, my scalp stings. My face is purple because of the bruise and my arms are filled with small cuts from the glasses shattering and hitting my skin. 

On that ghostly quiet suburban night, I let myself cry. 

I'm tired, and I'm scared, and I'm in pain. 

And then once again, I hear footsteps coming towards me, catching my attention and making me look up, and there he was, standing there, towering over my crying form. 

He looks at me with worry, eyebrows furrowed together while his breathing jagged, his hair was disheveled from his late run. I sniffed and tried to relax my breath but failed. 

He looked at the quiet house behind me and was suddenly confused by my night camping. 

Without any other word, he crouched beside me on the pavement and accompany me. 

My hair was a mess, I was wearing a hooded jacket to cover the majority of my face and my wounded head. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" He murmured. 

I shook my head, just buried my face on my folded knees, The shivering didn't stop, and that made him notice how badly shaped I was. 

"Aren't you going to let me see your face while we talk?" He asked. 

"I can't," I answered. "I can't let you see me at the moment." 

"Why not?"

"Because if you do, you would know the reason why I am here tonight." 

"But I want to know." 

He took a sharp breath. "Did... Did they hurt you?" 

I didn't answer, and my silence became his confirmation. 

"They did, didn't they?" 

"My mom did," I whispered, sniffing. "She... she found out that I was only on the fifth spot in class and she got angry." 

"Can I at least see your face?" 

I shook my head. 

"Please?" 

Slowly, I raised my head and took my hood off, revealing in the moonlight my bruised face and disheveled hair. 

"Oh no..." He breathed. "What has she done to you." 

I bit my lip, as another round of tears came once again. "No one saved me earlier. I was asking for help and... no... no one came." 

"I'm here." He said, comforting me. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital." 

"No!" I almost yelled. 

He was surprised by how loud my protest was. "Why?" 

"I can't go there. My mom will kill me if she found out I went there without her or my dad." 

He frowned. "This is abuse!" 

"I can't go there, I won't go there," I said, firmly. "If you want to help me, just stay with me right now and that's it. If you can't do that then you can go." 

He sighed in defeat before shaking his head in disbelief. "Alright, I'll stay." 

I smiled. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome."