The rest of the day, I hid out in the forest surrounding the school grounds. There was an old evergreen tree with a hollowed out trunk that became my secret sanctuary. When the days were bad, I went there to find solace. After this morning, I couldn't face the others in my classes while covered in my own blood. I could hear the school bells in the distance and I picked up my phone to check the time. I had one class left and it was one of my advanced classes, so I needed to make sure I attended.
I picked myself up off the ground and started to head back to school. I was a hot mess with the matted blood on the pink side of my hair, and dried blood on my face. I didn't even waste time cleaning up. I was too focused on getting out of there when I was attacked by Lisa and Jasmin. It hurt to move, but I wasn't hanging around to let them hurt me more. As I got to the door to go in, I heard a man yell my name. "Melian Carter, where have you been hiding, young lady?" Mr. Daniels, our school principal asked. Shit. "Um, I had to get some fresh air sir." I told him. Which was true, just not all the details.
"Fresh air, huh? You know it's against the rules to leave school grounds at any time, right? Come with me, Melian," he said and gestured towards his office. I held my backpack in my arms a little tighter and followed behind him. I prayed to the goddess above that he wouldn't call my dad or stepmom. That would be a final nail in my coffin if he did. We entered his office and he pointed to the chair across from his desk and nodded for me to sit. He left the room briefly and when he returned he had a wet washcloth and a bottle of water. He handed them both to me and softly told me to clean myself and drink the water.
I was softly crying at this point, and he sat in his chair behind his desk. "Ms. Carter, would you like to tell me how you got into the state you are in?" He asked me calmly with a sympathetic tone. I shook my head and told him that I didn't want to talk about it, but he said that if I didn't help him help me, he would call my parents and bring them in for a meeting. The tears started to fall harder than before, and I told him everything that had been going on at school for years.
After I finished, he sat back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. "Well, that was a lot to take in. Why didn't you come to me when this all started?" he asked. Wiping my tears away with the back of my hand, I replied while keeping my eyes on my knees, "Would it have made a difference sir? I mean, a real difference in a positive light? No, it wouldn't have. It would have only made things worse. They are truly relentless when it comes to their bullying. Even now, I'm begging you not to confront them. I only have to get through the rest of this school year, or even just the next few hours until I turn 18, and I think it would just be best to drop it. Please, Mr. Daniels, don't confront them, and please don't call my family."
He stared at his calender on his desk as if to be studying it. It felt like time stood still for even just those few moments. The anticipation was killing me. The ticking of the clock on the wall was deafening, and the smell of stale coffee and Old Spice lingered in the room. I just kept repeating the same words over and over 'Please agree.....Please agree'. Finally, he looked up at me and took a deep breath and held it. After releasing his breath, he stood up and moved the chair next to me. He took my hand and started to speak.
"Melian, I am not going to lie and say that I am comfortable with your request. However, I will honor it. For now. If anything else happens, you have to come straight to me. Understand? There is no other way for me to agree with this. I will be keeping my eye on Ms. Montana and her crew, and if I get a hint of anything being off, they will be expelled. I can't have this kind of behavior in my school. Now, Melian, I need you to tell me why you are so adamant about not contacting your family. Shouldn't they know?" he asked.
I shook my head violently and I must have had a look of terror in my eyes, because what he said next said more than I ever could. "Are you being mistreated at home, Ms. Carter? Even with your father holding a high position in the pack, you can tell me. The Alpha needs to know." he said softly. Pulling myself together, I managed to get out a small whisper, "He already does, and does nothing. If you go to the Alpha or pretty much anyone in my family, I will face worse than what Lisa or her lackeys could ever do," I told him. The look of shock on his face said it all. He proceeded to ask me what felt like a million questions, but made sure to assure me that he would stay quiet this time. I promised to get my head looked at by the school nurse before leaving for home to make sure I didn't need stitches.
He also requested an x-ray of my ribs. Our medical unit at school was fully equipped with everything a doctor or nurse would need in case of emergencies. I left his office to fulfill my end of the bargain, and finished with the nurse just in time for the last bell of the day. I put the stuff I didn't need in my locker, and grabbed my bag to leave. I shut my locker door and turned, only to come face to face with my brother Jason. "We need to talk, Mel. It's urgent."
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