Song: Human by Christina Perri

I would rather stay home today but Pops says I should go to school. I don't want to have to explain the new bruises and believe me they look bad. You can tell someone strangled the shit out of me. I even have deep scratch marks where his nails dug into me.

I try to argue my way out of it while eating breakfast. "Please Grammy you guys just don't get it. I can't go. Everyone already talks about me and this will just make it worse. No one understands what it's like to live with an abusive father, an alcoholic one at that. A father who wants to kill his own daughter. And now I really have proof." I tilt my head for them to see all the bruises, not that they haven't already seen it. "There is no hiding this." Tears fill my eyes but they don't escape I try hard to hold them in.

"You know I just may be able to help with that come on upstairs with me," says Grammy. I follow her upstairs and Chipper runs up ahead of us like he knows where we are going.

"Now sit right here I will be right back." She comes back with a tote full of make-up. "I haven't used much of this in years, but I'm sure this foundation will help a little." I watch her work, her hands so soft against my sore flesh. She looks a little sad behind her eyes but she won't admit to it. I overheard her and Pops talking last night about my parents and thank god that they saved me when they did.

"Ok all done, here look." She turns the chair around so I can look in the mirror. "How's that?"

"Wow, looks great you can hardly tell anything, thanks Grammy." I stand up to hug her. I wish I had lived with them this whole time. My life would have been so different with them.

Pops lets me drive to school again and today I do so much better. Earlier in the week he had gotten me the study guide. I don't know why he is so determined on me learning how to drive.

I know the outburst in court hit the local news and was in the paper this morning. Matter of fact I seen the article this morning on the kitchen table before I left the house. Headlines read: Father tries to kill own daughter after sentence to forty plus years in court....I didn't bother reading the article because there is no point I know the truth and what really happened.

I know that at least half the school or more knows about it the minute I walk in the door. A few students come up to me and ask if I'm alright and how crazy it was. I just shrug them off and walk to my locker. Ericka along with her little clones come up to me.

"Cecilia we are so sorry if we had known..."

I turn to look at her interrupting her, "What....What you wouldn't treat me like shit?"

"Cecilia we want to apologize; we had no idea."

"Yeah well it's not like I broadcast my family issues."

Weston comes over, putting his arm around me. "Everything ok?"

Jessie butts in, "We're just trying to tell Cecilia that we really are sorry....for the way we treated her."

Then lord and behold Blake and Max come over. "We're sorry too, for lying about being with you. We were just being jerks."

I get that they are all sorry; I do however are they really or is it because now it's all pity. I don't need people feeling sorry for me. I'm still the same girl, who gives a shit if my father abused me since day one; who really cares that he tried to kill me. It hits the freakin' news and now people want to act like they give a shit about me.

I don't say anything; instead I turn back around to get the book I need for first period. I shut my locker and lock it then head off to my first class. Weston follows me in step by my side.

"Cecilia I really think they mean well you know. They are really not that bad."

I stop and look at him. "That's what you think? You think they are sorry for every harsh comment they made about me, everything that they did to me...you believe that shit." I come off a bit rude but at the moment I just want to escape. I'm so tired of all these eyes on me, all the stares and then they want to apologize for being rude, what the hell.

"At least they are trying; they are trying to be nice."

"Weston...seriously...they are not sorry about their actions; they are sorry because my father attempted to kill me. They feel sorry for me because I was abused."

"Cecilia!"

"Weston," I take a deep breath. "I really like you; I do but right now...just go, leave go to your class. I can't do this right now."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make you upset."

"I know...look just drop it ok I have to get to class and so do you just let it go."

He pecks my cheek lightly and heads off to class. However all during first period he keeps messaging me on the phone. I end up turning it off and throwing it in one of the pockets of my backpack.

When lunch rolls around, I'm tempted to not even bother going to the cafeteria but I do. I figure if I hurry no one will notice me. It's pretty noisy in here until I walk in and it all goes quite. A lot of rumors have already spread today; of course none of them are true.

I don't wait on Weston to show up. I grab what I need and head out. I want to be alone and think going to the theater will be a good place to escape with no one around. Mrs. Banks happens to be in there today. "Good afternoon Cecilia it's been a while since you been in here."

"I just need to get away from all the crap that's going around today."

"It's alright you know you can come in here anytime you need to. And kids can be cruel, especially when they don't know all the real facts."

"Well it's really no one's business but you know how that is." I sit down close to the stage. "Oh thanks for testifying yesterday I really appreciate what you said."

"Anything for you; I heard about what happened...not from all the rumors but what really happened. I can't believe they let him get to you."

"Yeah well I kept telling them he would try to kill me. He still will you know?"

"He got like eighty years; he will probably die in prison."

"I doubt that, nothing can kill that man. You know what he said to me when he grabbed me?"

"What?"

"That he will find away and when he comes after me again he will kill me."

We both jump out of our skin when the theater door opens up. Weston sees me right off the bat and he doesn't look happy at all.

"Why didn't you wait for me? I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Well looks like you found me."

"Can we talk?" He says as he makes his way closer to me.

Mrs. Banks looks at him and then back at me to make sure everything is alright before she leaves. "I'll leave you two alone to talk nothing else you got it."

Weston sits down beside me. "I'm sorry...I don't like when you are mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you."

"Yes you are or you would have waited for me and you haven't bothered texting me back all day."

"I got tired of the phone constantly going off every second so I turned it off and put it in my backpack. As for not waiting on you...they are like vultures in there. Everyone stares at me and whispers behind my back as if I can't hear what they say. Everyone feels so sorry for me. I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me."

"I can't control their thoughts and actions but I don't feel sorry for you. You are a strong girl. I've never met anyone as strong as you. I hate that you had to deal with that shit for so long."

"I'm not as strong as you think I am. I didn't even want to come today but Pops said I needed to. Grammy covered up all the bruises so no one can see them."

"He left bruises on you...again...why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I don't want you looking at me the way they all are."

"It's that bad uh?"

I shake my head yes. I grab a few napkins out of my paper sack lunch and drench it in water from the bottle of water. I wipe all the make-up off to show him.

And there is the look, the look in his eyes. He tries to hide it but its there. The feeling of quilt, sadness, pity. "What the...they let him do this to you? I knew I should have skipped school. I should have been there."

"And do what...it took several officers to get him off of me. Of course after he managed to do this and threaten to kill me."

"He should never have been able to touch you."

"I know....it happened so fast and he just wouldn't let go."

"I'll kill him myself." He blurts out angrily.

"No need too. They say he will probably die in prison. He got like eighty-eight years. But I know he will find away to get out."

"Well hopefully he dies soon. And if he ever does manage to get out, hopefully we will be far away from here."

I don't have make-up to cover the bruises back up and why should I even bother. Everyone has been talking about me all morning so I might as well give them something to really talk about.