Story: Damage Done (all chapters)

Authors: Jeck

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Chapter 1

[Author's notes: Just something I whipped up during school. Betrayal hurts.]

I sighed as the bus shook lightly against the uneven roads. The whole damn day depressed me; even my great fortune did nothing to cheer me up.

 

Thanks to a surprising and very painful kick from my best friend, Susan, I was sent home early the day the previous day. I’d spent the night before at the doctor’s office and getting x-rays done to make sure it was okay. It turned out my hand was sprained which resulted in me getting out of a few swimming classes, getting out of a few periods at school early, and not having to do my World Cultures homework assignment. 

Yet, I remained depressed. This morning I had hoped to see Susan and tell her about all the good things that came from her kicking my hand while watching her fuss over it, but none of that happened. There was no Susan. I knew she wasn’t feeling all that well, but I didn’t expect her to stay home because of it. Aaron was also absent. My mind wondered all day what they could have been doing… 

“No…” 

“Karen?” I just shook my head at my friend. This was not how it was supposed to be.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

*ring, ring* 

“Hello?” 

“Hey, is Susan there?” 

“This is her.” 

“Hey, it’s Karen. How’re you feeling?” 

“Pretty good. Guess what?” 

“Hmmmmm?” 

“Aaron came over today.” 

“Really? I knew you guys weren’t in school… I thought you were both sick.” 

“No, we were just enjoying ourselves.” 

“What’d you guys do all day?” 

“… he took my virginity…” 

*click*   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

No…   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

*ring, ring* 

“Hello?” 

“Is Aaron there?” 

“Yes, hold on. AARON!” 

*pause* 

“Hello?” 

“Hey Aaron.”

“Hey.” 

“How’re you feeling?” 

“Great actually. I went over to Susan’s house today.” 

“I heard.” 

“And… we made love…”

“…” 

“Karen?” 

“How could you?” 

“I…” 

“I mean, you told me you only liked her as a friend. You know I like her!” 

“I didn’t want to be a virgin anymore and she wanted me. We both won.” 

“What about my feelings?” 

“She doesn’t like you, get over it. Her and I having sex means nothing to you!” 

*click*  

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

“It means everything…”   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

*Two Days Later*

I walked down to the band hallway, just as I would any other Monday, but then I saw them, holding hands. They looked over at me and I forced myself to turn around and begin walking in a different direction. I headed up to the third floor as fast as I could… I felt so sick.   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

I entered the band room for first period not even a half hour after the morning’s confrontation, or lack there of. Reluctantly, I pulled out my baritone. She plays the baritone… he’s in this band class… 

“Karen?” He asked nervously and I didn’t even turn around. 

“Don’t fucking talk to me.” And he didn’t. I was alone.   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

I was home now, alone in my room. It’d been a long and tiring day as I tried my hardest to avoid them both. They wanted to talk and I was being childish. He betrayed me and she broke my heart. It was over. 

In that moment, I decided to break a promise to them. It was the only way to get back at them. An eye for an eye. So I picked up my scissors and steadied it over my right arm. I was going to cut away the pain. With just one slice, I felt myself slip away as the cuts just kept coming down. I cut until it hurt and then continued cutting until that was all I could feel. Reality began slipping away as my bed sheets became stained with a broken promise. 

I was dead.   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

And when I opened my eyes and saw an off white ceiling and an IV off to the side, I knew I failed. Failure… can’t even kill myself right. 

“Oh my god! Karen!” 

Damnit.   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

*Three Days Later* 

Just as I managed to assure the doctors and my parents that I was okay now, they came. I told the doctors not to let them in. I just wanted to be alone, but they told me differently. 

“Being alone isn’t good for you, Karen. Your friends will make you feel better, trust me.” They’d all told me, but in reality, it was they who were causing my pain. 

“Karen?” 

Just please go away.   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

They spent the entire time they were there crying and asking me questions. Why would I try to end my life? What was wrong? How could they help? 

“You can go away. Be happy together. Leave me alone.” At first, they refused, but the more I ignored them and refused to answer any questions, they finally got up and left. 

I whispered their names into the wind as it stuck like venom to my heart. I was truly alone.   

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

*Two Months Later* 

Things began slipping back into place, slowly but steadily. Of course, things would never be the same again, but normality managed to find its way back. I had returned to school and visited a therapist regularly, just to make sure I would be alright. Their medicine made me ill and I was no longer on that, so therapy was the last option. 

The happy couple had broken up, much to my relief, although I blamed myself. Whether it was because of me or not, I’ll never know. 

Aaron and I are civil when we need to be, but he was never my friend again. I refused to let him in and he gave up trying. 

Susan, on the other hand, didn’t give up. She tried so hard to befriend me and I gave in several times, but my heart couldn’t bear it. Some close friends of mine told me she’d talked to them, told them her actions were true. Apparently, she broke up with Aaron for me. She wanted me back more then anything else. Hell, they even went as far to say she believed she fell in love with me. 

But the damage was done. I would never love again.

[End notes:

All the characters are mine.

 Again, betrayal hurts.

]

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