CHAPTER 2 don't say you love me

“ don't promise me tonight

without tomorrow too,

don't say you love me

unless you do.”

FIFTH HARMONY- DON'T SAY YOU LOVE ME.

After I had gotten home from school, I ran straight to my room to avoid my parents.

I really don't know if they're home anyway, but the front door was open so I suspected.

Why am I hiding from them?

It's not like I haven't complained to them about what is going on. I have but they just told me to 'endure it.'

They claim that with time he would give up on what he's doing.

I HAVE TWO MORE YEARS IN THIS FREAKING SCHOOL AND HE STILL HASN'T GIVEN UP.

It all started when I moved into this town in third grade. Hunter would walk up to me and break my pencil or pour water all over my lunch or push me off the swing set so hard that I always had a chance to break my arm.

And I have broken my arm four times because of this and I think right now I have a bad case of 'swing- o-phobia'.

My parents don't want to report Hunter to the authorities because Hunter's parents are my both parents employer. So they feel if they harm their son it would cost them their job.

It hurts so much to know your parents would pick money over you any day. But it was a discovery I realized and have to live with.

So I stopped telling them anything about it and just walk straight into my room to cry myself to sleep.

I've also tried reporting him to the authorities myself, but they'll either tell me I'm lying or I'm framing him.

All because his parents are affluent and assist the institution in so many ways.

The tears in my eyes never wiped off on my journey from school back to my 'house'.

I flopped down on the bed with a little force, and laid face down on my pillow so I could finish my crying without interruption when my phone rang out.

baby don't worry, you are my only, no need to worry, even if the the sky is falling down.

It was the specific caller tune I set for my best friend, Megan.

Megan was my closest friend back at my old school, but now that we are a million miles apart we only communicate through phone calls and we've been doing so for years.

"Sup baby girl, how's everything?" Megan asked trying to sound enthusiastic, but she failed terribly at it.

She knows fully well that I am not happy here and she knows all that has been going on between Hunter and Iq, but at least am glad that although there is nothing she can do about it, she makes you feel like she cares.

And that feels so good at this point.

I tried to reply her to say I'm okay but as I lay my head back on my pillow, the sheet brushed the burn on my neck and a sharp pain passed down my spine.

So instead, I started crying on the phone.

"Today again?" she asked me sounding like she was feeling my pain. "what did he do this time?" she proceeded to ask.

"he... he... burnt me" whispering the last part.

"goodness!! Iris are you sure you're not gonna take this to the police?" she started shouting, I could feel her anger building.

"yes" I whispered again.

I haven't told her that I have already informed the police secretly but they shushed me saying I'll dent his family's image.

She sighed and I proceeded to tell her how it happened. After much tears and she consoling me I asked her to tell me about her day.

And she being Megan went ahead to tell me everything in full details even down to the underwear she wore. I put on a sad smile while listening to her.

At least one side of my life is okay.

A few hours later she told me what to do to treat the burn and sang me a lullaby with her horrible voice and that made me giggle.

Megan could be the only person I love currently in my life.

I ended the call and had my bath to take the advice Megan gave me concerning to injury.

Afterwards, I put off the light and laid down under the sheets with my back towards the door.

As usual I had difficulty sleeping and I can't do anything about it cause my sleeping pills finished this morning and I have no other money on me to get a new one yet.

So I stared out into the window and was wandering in my thoughts when someone opened my door and the lights from the passageway illuminated my room.

"Iris, honey you awake?"

It's my mom.

Mom always came into my room every night to comfort me after every day, but I stopped allowing her to when I realized she rather comfort me and earn her money than see me happy.

A few seconds later and I could still see her shadow against my wall but I did not turn to acknowledge her presence.

I'm pretty sure she realized again that as usual, I have no interest in speaking to her because I began hearing shuffling of feet like she was leaving.

I heard her sigh before she spoke.

"goodnight sweetie" were her words and she shut my door quietly.

Tears began to slip out of my eyes once more because I keep on realising how much distance had grown between my parents and I .

It had become so terrible that I had to burn every god-damned picture of us three.

They don't care about me cause if they did none of this would be happening.

That conclusion didn't help my wounded heart but it's better to accept the truth than pretend to be okay with a lie.

And with that thought I cried myself to sleep.