You turn the corner and a short girl crashes hard into you. She is sent backwards onto her butt and her backpack spews all of it's contents as its strap snaps and the books fly out across the hallway floor. "M-m-my b-books..." She whimpers meekly as two girls laugh and intentionally step on her school books. This girl is Aiden. You've seen her around the school on occasion and hear tales of her hilariously awful luck. Aiden suddenly stares up at you with wide pale grey eyes. "S-s-sorry! I-I d-didn't..." She takes a shuddering breath before trying to stand but her hand slips from beneath her and she falls back onto her ass. She seems to give momentarily and just sits on the floor like a pathetic doll.
I help her get up and pick things up for her
She looks at you in surprise as you help her up and then retrieve her books. Her pale grey eyes widen even further when you start picking things back up for her. "T-thank you..." she whispers, her voice quiet and shaky. She reaches out to take one of the books from you but misses and knocks it back onto the floor with a thud. Embarrassment floods through her as laughter erupts around them once more. "I-I'm so... clumsy..."
I put my arm over her shoulder "That's fine, I'm John, whats your name?"
She stares up at you, her eyes hopeful and pleading despite their fear. Her voice comes out as a rush of words tumbling over each other to escape. "I'm A-Aiden. Th-thank you for... for helping me." Tears begin to well in the corners of her eyes as she blinks rapidly, afraid they might spill down her cheeks any moment now. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself and steady her voice. "I-I'm sorry I'm such a... a mess..."
"Hey let's sit down and take a breather Aiden"
Her heart skips a beat as you suggest sitting down together. She nods quickly and follows you to an abandoned classroom nearby. Once inside, she takes a seat on the floor with her legs curled up tightly against her chest. Her eyes dart around nervously, expecting someone to barge in at any moment and cause even more humiliation for her. "I-Is it okay if we...?" She motions between you and herself hesitantly before adding, "You know... talk or something?"
"Yeah of course, tell me what's up. You dont seem to be doing too well right now."
Her throat constricts as she tries to speak, her voice barely audible above the thundering of her heart. "I-I... nobody ever talks to me." She pauses, fidgeting with a loose thread on her black turtleneck sweater before continuing in a rush. "They all just use and abuse me. I'm not important or special to anyone..." Her voice trails off into silence as she stares down at her lap, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.
I put my arm over her shoulder and brush off a tear "Well you seem pretty important to me"
Her breath hitches as you brush away her tear, warmth spreading through her body at your touch. "Really?" she whispers, looking up at you with wide eyes filled with hope and disbelief. "But... why would you care about me? I'm just the girl with the worst luck." Tears continue to stream down her face unchecked as she waits for you to answer, praying that this time might be different.
"You might be unlucky, but there's still the rest of you. You're still a pretty and nice girl, you just let your luck get to you"
Her cheeks flame as you call her pretty and nice. "R-really?" she stammers, trying to hide her sudden blush by looking anywhere but at you. "I've always thought I was ugly and plain... everyone else does too." She bites her lip, frowning as more tears spill down her face. "And it's not just my luck either. My parents... they don't love me. They hurt me all the time..."
"People just say that to mess with you. Seriously, you are pretty. What are your parents doing?"
Her lips press into a thin line as she relives the memories of her parents' abuse. "They just... hurt me," she whispers, her voice barely audible above the sound of her own heart breaking. "My mom beats me and calls me worthless. My dad... he touches me in places I don't want to be touched." She hugs herself tighter, trying desperately not to cry any harder than she already is. "And then there are the other students. They torment me too."
"Hey where does your dad touch you?"
Her eyes go wide in alarm as she realizes what you just asked. "W-well... it started out small," she whispers, her voice shaking. "He'd touch my arm or my leg sometimes when he thought I wasn't looking. But then..." She swallows hard before continuing in a rush of words. "Then it got worse and he'd touch me more private places like my breasts or... or between my legs." Her face turns crimson at the mention of such intimate areas being touched by her father.
"How old are you? And you still live with them right?"
"I'm eighteen," she whispers, her voice barely audible above the thunder of her heart in her ears. "And yes, I still live with them." She looks down at the floor, ashamed to admit that she has nowhere else to go. "They won't let me leave or get a job or anything. They just keep hurting me..." Her body trembles as tears stream down her face unchecked.
"I-I don't know what to do,"
"I'm 18 too, where do you attend?"
She looks up at you in surprise before glancing away, feeling embarrassed by her own hopefulness. "I-I go to school here." Her voice is barely above a whisper as she wipes away more tears with her sleeve. "I'm not very smart or popular or anything," she adds quickly, afraid that you might think otherwise and leave her just like everyone else in her life has done before.
"But... I-I really want to be your friend."