Chapter 8

**Mr Peters**

It’s quarter past eight and I’m bored out of my mind I hadn't bothered going to the staff room as they all saw me as the newbie and I don’t think it’s any more entertaining there. All they do is bitch about the students as I found out yesterday morning and break.

I unlock my English classroom door but once trying I realise it is already unlocked. I frown and open the door. I had planned to just set up for my first lesson and then sleep. I’m shattered I had hardly slept last night I was sure I heard a girl scream last night but it could have been anything. It isn't exactly rough around my aunt and uncle's house.

Looking around I notice there’s only one person in here and that’s Megan. She is looking straight out the window. I can only see her profile but not as much as I would see if she was just looking straightforward. It seems she has her earphones in. I’m a little confused; why is she here why isn't she waiting in her registry room?

"Megan" I call but she doesn't seem to hear me so she must have her earphones on loud or she was lost in her own world again. I notice she has her jacket off now so she must have been hot from the coffee she was drinking. She still has the card cup in her hand. I walk closer to her, put my briefcase on my desk and then stand practically in front of her and she still doesn't seem to notice me. I study her more.

Her long chocolate brown wavy hair is in the middle of her back. Her forest green eyes are looking out the window. They look like they have been rained on and are keeping the water for later. She looks as if she is about to cry. I focus on a different area as I’m most likely going to ask her why she looks like that if I don't. Then I notice that her olive skin tone has been disrupted by a colour of blue and purple and possibly green like a nasty bruise. A bruise that could have only been done through hate. My eyebrows knit together as I move my gaze down her arm to her wrists. There are deep red slashes on them, intentional slashes. I notice her finger stroking them and then I realise they’re fresh like they had only been done minutes ago.

The cuts are blood red and are still bleeding and I realise she isn't stroking them she’s scratching them making them worse, as if she is punishing herself. I rub my face with my hands let out a shaky breath and wave a hand to get her attention.

She jumps and takes her earphones out. Her hands moved up to her arms covering the bruises "H-how long have you been standing there?" she stutters.

"Not long" I lie.

"Oh," she seems relieved rather than anything else. I watch her as she bends down to pick up her jumper. I can't help but notice the skin on the small of her back that is showing. Her back was like her arm but no green just blue only faint but there. I close my eyes and then look at her again. She pulls her jumper over her head.

Once she has her jumper back on she sits down in her seat. I can't help but ask the question I’m thinking "Why are you in here?" she looks at me "I mean why aren't you in your morning registry room?" I ask. She shrugs and then answers slowly as if thinking about what she was saying.

"I don't want to see Tyler right now and well it's only morning register they don't care" she states and folds her arms across her chest.

"Oh," I pause, "well do you want me to get your mark for you when morning register starts so you can stay here?" I ask. She nods "So why this room?" I ask.

"Because my first lesson is here," she states and slowly looks down.

There’s silence then and I now have a worried feeling in my gut. I had a million questions for her and they all seemed to bother me as to why I wanted to ask them so much. I have only known the girl for about 20 hours not even a day yet and I suddenly felt like I should care for her.

The silence breaks when her phone rings. She looks at me as if to ask whether she can answer it or not, I nod as I lean back in my seat to start reading my book. I may look like I’m reading my book and that I’m really into it but I wasn't I was listening to every word she was saying

"No...I don't care...you are always sorry...so is that a reason to take it out on me it's not my fault or maybe it is I don't know...yeah whatever" She seemed angry at first but now her tone of voice is teary as if she is going to break down in tears.

"Oh like I want to be with you anyway" she snaps. My eyes widen a little. Did she just break up with him over the phone? Did she just break off a two-year relationship over the phone? "You heard...yeah well maybe I need a change," I turn to look at her to see her looking out the window as she says all this to him. I can tell by her facial expression she doesn't mean what she’s saying.

"Yes from you" she snaps frowning a little, then she looks like she regrets saying that "Yeah I do think it is for the best," she says answering the question he asks her. "I'm not telling you where I am" she states "because you'll just kick off with me...yes you will...no, no you won't though you'll come over to me in a big huff and puff kick a few chairs and probably throw a few tables and then you'll keep asking me why when I've already given you an answer," she says it all as if she had been through it before. "No, I am not in a classroom...I don't think you’re dumb," she states "Well you do that but there are hundreds of classrooms in this school and well it'll take you a while...no you don't know my schedule at all we've only had it a week" she then take the phone from her ear. So I guessed he was shouting at her again.

"See you're kicking off with me now...oh you're pissed off so am I but you don't hear me shouting at you" she states. Which is true, she has kept her voice quiet "Do you want me to shout at you...because I can't as well" She trails off and it seems he’s asking what I was thinking which was 'well what?' "Nothing..." she says quietly "No...I don't need to enclose that information with you anymore...because you are not my boyfriend," my eyes widen as she says it. She just said it over the phone. She remains silent and then she looks worried "Don't you dare..." she says her voice raising in volume.

She stands up, it’s as if she has forgotten about me "I hate you" she suddenly says. I notice her hand move to her face. She’s crying. He’s saying something to her that has drawn her to tears "I'll never forgive you if you do and you know that" she cries "Yeah well you're the one making me cry" she states. "Don't tell me not to do something that you are making me do" she says almost as if she’s scared to say it. It’s like she has this barrier where she’s never the one to demand someone to do something or ever tell someone to do something. She’s the told, she gets told what to do and she has to obey or else.

"Do it and watch me hate you for it" she states "Yes" she says as if she’s 100% certain of her answer to his question.

"I'm hanging up now" she says "Yeah bye" and she puts the phone down.