I ripped the hoodie up further and began to clean up the mess at a painfully slow pace. My back was shredded and polo ruined. Once the hideous flooring was cleared of blood and puke, I stumbled toward the bathroom. I cringed while pulling off my skirt and was thankful that it only needed a wash. Only my upper body had gotten super bloody. Lucky me.
The shower stall was small. I turned on the warm water and rinsed my skirt in the sink before hanging it on a small towel rack. I looked at my pale form in the mirror before taking off my bra and underwear. I could see how bad the injuries were, but couldn’t find a place inside of me to care. Why care when nothing would change? I could numb out the pain. It had happened so many times before and my skin was healing. I didn’t think I had the devil inside me, but my mother did and until she didn’t, this would keep happening. Only 4 days left.
The only thing keeping me going right now were thoughts of my new friends.
I didn’t want to worry them.Not that I wanted to assume they would worry, of course.Still, I knew they were texting me, I could hear it while I laid on the floor. I wasn’t positive how I had heard a silent notification, but I had.
The water was painful. I attempted to clean myself, especially my hair, of the puke and blood. Once I was finished, I walked naked toward my room and brought my skirt along. I opened a small window to let it air dry.
I couldn’t call my room a bedroom now that I had seen the boy’s house. It was a small space. I had a singular window and my mattress laid in the corner with a threadbare thrift store sheet on it. I pulled on a loose PJ shirt. I didn’t want to get blood on any of my nice items. My steps took me back toward my backpack as I dragged it toward my bedroom. I locked the door and turned on the small light from the floor next to my bed. I ignored the spiders in the corner of the room.
Ledger:Text me when you are settled for the night, firefly.
Anani:Peanut? Please answer.
Henry:Are you alright Maya?
Sai:Maya, answer.
Marco:If I don’t get a response in five minutes, I’m coming by.
I jumped to text them back. I didn’t want my friends to see me like this.
Maya:I’m okay.
I breathed before my phone began to light up with a call. I picked up.
“Hello?” I asked into the small smooth contraption.
“Thank God,” Marco muttered. “Why weren’t you responding?”
I didn’t want to lie, so I whispered, “I was with my mom.”
I heard grumbling the background but Marco sighed. “I understand. All of us were just concerned about you.”
I flushed at their thoughtfulness. “That’s sweet of you all.”
Marco grunted, “you will let the twins pick you up tomorrow.”
I knew it wasn’t a question, but still answered, “yes, but can you tell them to meet me near the front of the trailer park? My mother was upset I hung out with boys.”
Sai muttered something in the background before Anani told him to shut it. Marco grunted again, “yeah, that’s fine. How mad was she?”
I swallowed my lie, and replied, “she ended up going out with Jed, so apparently not terribly.”
“You’re home alone?” He asked quietly.
“Um,” I bit my lip, “for a bit. I was about to head to bed.”
Marco sighed, “okay. Atlas is in the area, he may stop by.”
“I don’t think that’s a great idea, what if they come home?” I reasoned with panic.
“He is particularly quiet,” Marco offered softly.
I mumbled back, “okay, I may be sleeping though.”
“That’s okay,” he stated. “Do you need anything?”