Leave Me Alone: Ch 1

Slowly she awoke, thick covers pulled up to her nose protectively. She peered around her room; silent, plain, cold, heartless. Keeping vigil, she swung her thin legs out of bed and touched them to the cool wooden floor, tossing the covers behind her. She shivered slightly even though she wore thick baggy sweats and an overly large shirt.

Walking to her door she pressed her ear to it attempting to listen to anyone walking in the hall; nothing. Opening the door ajar, she peered out. Seeing no one she fully opened it and quickly, trying to be quiet, made her way to the bathroom. Wood switching to tile, she looked the door again behind her. She peered into the mirror to see a thin pallid girl with long dark hair. The girl’s features were nothing in particular. Dark circles filled beneath her eyes, showing how exhausted she truly was, the eyes themselves where dull and waning.

She picked up her toothbrush from its hanging perch, applying an amount of paste, and violently scrubbed her teeth, gums bleeding. Spitting into the sink’s basin, she watched her blood lingering in the clear saliva and foamed paste. Ebbing toward the drain, the red fluid left small pinked trail on the white of the ceramic.

Five months. Five months now she’d lived in this new house with her mother and Joseph, her stepfather.  Her jaw tensed. Sure he tried to be kind to her and show a fatherly affection, but it became a whole different story when her mother wasn’t around. When they were alone… her and that man…

She looked up into the reflective glass. Her eyes were contorted in aggression, tears snaking down her cheeks. Feeling nails bite into her palms, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Another deep breath. Stay happy… you must stay happy… Two more deep settling breaths. Turning the faucet and allowing the water to chill, she cupped her hands beneath the stream, palming her face, washing away her dismay. Again she filled her palms, watching the water seep between her two hands and fingers.

“Laura?”

She jumped, stifling a shriek, splashing water across the mirror.

“G-G’morning, mom,” she greeted feebly through the door, unlocking it. Her mother entered, squinting her eyes to the bright light. Her mother looked almost exactly like her, only taller and fuller. Mother appeared much more feminine compared to her daughter, her hair much longer and glossier. Their eyes were the same as well, except that Laura’s seemed duller lately.

“Good morning, honey! You’re up early?” her head tilted to the side. Oh how Laura loved her mother’s expressions.

Faking sleepiness Laura responded “I just wanted to get to school early so that I can study for the test today.” Her mother spied her from the corner of her eyes.

“It’s not a boy is it?” she teased.

Laura smiled, faintly. “No, mom, it’s not a boy, just studying.” Her mother smiled, wrapping her arms around her child. She kissed Laura on the forehead, turned to the mirror just for a moment, then retreated back to her bedroom, wishing her daughter a good day. Laura left the bathroom, returning to her own room, closing the door tightly and locking it. She huffed heavily sliding down the door to the floor.

Moments later, after practicing her smiling, she was rushing through the living room, leaving out the front door. Boards squeaked behind her, and a hand brushed along her thigh. Her body froze in place, one hand on the door handle and the other clutched to her breast.

“Not going to say good morning, Laura?” a deep voice just behind her ear. She could feel her stepfather’s hand raise to her butt, squeezing tightly. All she wanted to do was leave, to get far away from him as long as she could. Her eyes shut tightly. No… no... Don’t scream… happy… Then the hand was gone.

“Laura.” Shaking, Laura half tuned her head to look back at her smiling mother. “Joseph will be by to pick you up after school, okay?” Laura curtly nodded her head, and quickly escaped out the door, not before seeing her stepfather’s cruel smirk.

She ran, hard and long, all the way down the path in the forest in front of the house, even further still to the bus stop she normally took. Turning the corner, she flung her back against a small concrete wall. The sun was raising higher, the trees above her casting dark protective shadows over her. She sunk to the ground, bringing her knees to her chin. Her hands and jaw were clenched again. Dryly she sobbed.


Unawares to her, a young man watched her from across the street. He watched her run all the way from the tree line to where she now slumped against a wall. He didn’t mean to pry or be a stalker, he simply did this out of boredom as he waited for his ride. She was barely visible now in the shadow of the trees. Her dark hair ran in front of her face, showing no visibility. She was slowly getting up, walking down the sidewalk, hands tucked round her stomach.

Scratching his scalp through thick messy black hair, he turned away to the sound of a car horn. Two guys in a convertible drove up to the curb. Loud music blared from it as the boys beckoned him into the car. Hopping over the doors and into the backseat, the car left the curb.

“Hey, Mugen-” annoyingly, the two guys spoke to him, but he ignored them. As they drove to school, he noticed the same girl walking down the road. He didn’t care to remember her face or her clothes.


Mustering her strength to pull herself together, she walked into her school, her best friend Alice joining her. Alice was a very pretty girl, very womanly and gifted with kindness and many talents. Before she had gone out with John, she had been the brunt of cat calls and intense stares. But John changed that for her. He was tall and lean, a favorite amongst most everyone, and had family in the police force. Few made contact with him or Alice for fear that they’d get into trouble with the cops.

Alice and Laura made their way up the stairs to the upper levels for their morning classes. A particularly loud wolf call caused them to turn around. Three young men leered up at them. They were the most recognizable vagabonds of the school; Shane, Anthony, and Mugen. Laura stared at them with contempt. All but Mugen were ugly, faces covered in scares and pimples. None of them showed any particular interest in Laura, which didn’t surprise her. These days she’d set aside any of the things that made her look pretty. No tight clothes showed her pretty curves and no makeup accented her face. All of that sat in the back of her closet, and now large unshapely clothing took the forefront. Alice and John questioned it for while, but after her repeated lies, they soon left it be and accepted it as a drastic change.

Mugen glanced away from Alice toward Laura, just for a moment, before she pouted slightly, took Alice’s hand and continued their way to class. But soon she was disappointed, for a notice on the class room door announced that all morning classes were canceled for the day and that they’d have to wait till evening courses began. They were open to spend their time however they wished.

“What do you want to do, Laura?” Alice chimed softly with excitement, bouncing slightly on her feet, golden truces of hair swaying.

“I uh… I don’t know,” Laura responded honestly.

“We can go to the movie, or maybe the park. Or you can come over to my house and we can get dressed up for afternoon classes!” Alice tugged lightly on Laura’s hair, tucking it behind her ear. Out of habit, she shook her head slightly so that her hair fell back around her face. Alice frowned, worry creasing her smooth face. She should never frown. John appeared around the corner, kissing his sweetheart on the cheek.

“Why don’t you and John hang out today?” Before either of them could protest, she turned and ran down the hall towards the dance hall. “I’m ok, really! I’m going to go practice!” she disappeared around the corner. A few more halls and stairwells down, she slowed to a crawling pace. She laid a hand upon the wall to the right of her, her left gripping her duffle bag and school bag. She breathed slowly; somewhat counting to herself the number of breaths she had left in her for the day.

Walking into the girl’s dressing room, she made sure to check every section and stall, being sure no one else was there before she undressed. She stripped herself of her lose jeans and shirt and changed into a somewhat tighter long-sleeved shirt and sweat pants. She left her feet bare. Walking out into the large dance room, again checking for any people, she glided across the floor to the CD player. Into it she put in a CD of old Japanese Geisha traditional dance and other music she enjoyed swaying to. In her hands she carried two red fans. She pressed play and quickly ran to the center of the floor, pulling her hair up into a pony tail as she happily centered herself.

As the music began, all feelings left her body, like poison leaking away, and she felt at peace. Her dance was the only thing that felt safe and sane anymore. She twisted the fans in her hands, and turned her torso in such a way that it would look like she was about to fall on the flat of her back, but as she reached the center of her gravity she gracefully rotated back into an upright position, the fans displayed before her and her feet spread slightly apart. This was such a graceful song, and it calmed her wholly. She tossed each fan a few times, catching them with ease, eyes closed throughout the whole dance. The fans were an extension of her body. The force of which she spun and thrust the fans expelled the pain from her body, as if she could literally throw it away from herself.

The music slowed and she came back to the center gracefully, as she had danced in quite a few far circles. She centered herself, holding the fans closed in her hands, for she would not need them for this next song. It was a club mix a distant friend had made for her. The music rumbled from the bass, fast and full of power. She twisted, running her hands up and down the length of her body and swayed her hips about. The music rose, tempo quickening to the climax, to her favorite-

Laura halted, dropping a fan, her body stiffening, muscles aching from the sudden change of tightness. She stared at her intruder, one of the three she’d seen early today; Anthony. He leered at her, hand on the pause button. She tried to form words in her mouth, to tell him to leave and let her alone, but she made the mistake of looking into his eyes. She saw the lust there, not as violent as ‘his’, but it was there and she didn’t want any part of him near her. He rose from his crouched stance by the player and began to walk towards her.

“Hey little lady wanna-”

But Laura didn’t hear the rest of his words. She broke into a solid run for the changing room. Her feet could barely hold friction to the slick floor as she bolted, panic coursing through her. Not again! Not me! Not him! No one! Never again! NO! She could hear his heavy feet pounding the floor behind her as he chased after her. She hit the door, barely realizing it had been so close to her and fumbled for the handle. She barely slithered inside and locked the door before he hit it too, his fists shaking the door, curses directed at her. She took a gulp of air and ran for her things. Her thighs burned as she continued to run for the hall, bare feet slapping the tile flooring.

Only with dance had she felt comfortable. Comfortable moving the way she did, unwatched by lustful eyes, the way the clothes hugged her body as she danced, and the way her face shown when her hair was pulled back to be actually seen. And now it was taken from her.


Mugen aimlessly wandered the halls, hands shoved deep inside his pockets, bored out of his mind and frustrated. He stopped at a window and stared out into the sunlight. Everything was quiet and calm, the way he usually liked it. He twitched. Something was interrupting his silence in what should have been a deserted hall. He turned to see a girl nearly sprinting down the hall towards him. His brows rose. It was the girl from the stairwell earlier with the hot babe. She didn’t seem to be paying attention. He was about to yell at her when she ran straight into him, toppling them over. He managed to catch himself, the girl falling on him.

“What the hell’s your problem!” he shoved her off of him and stood, fists cracking. “Are you blind, or something, bitch!” The girl looked up at him, steadily gazing at him with grey dark smoky grey eyes. She stood abruptly and simply stared at him. “’The hell you look’n at flat chest freak!?” She closed her eyes.

“You should learn to shut up and not get in the way.” She said calmly looking up into his face again.

Mugen felt his eyes widen and a smile twitch the corners of his mouth. She was a mouthy lil girl. No one talked to him like that, especially with the look he gave, one that said he’d kill you. “’Scuse me girlie? What did you just say to me?” he could feel his hand rising.

Defiantly the girl stared into his eyes. “Shut up and MOVE!” she yelled.

“YOU UGLY-”

“Hey!” Mugen blinked and looked to see a teacher standing at the end of the hall. “Detention for the both of you!”

Shit! Mugen stuffed his hands into his shorts and grunted. He stared at the girl with intensity. She peered back from the teacher to him. She smiled sweetly and turned away from Mugen. What?


Laura walked into a class room marked ‘Detention Hall’ and found a seat at a desk in the middle of the classroom. Five other male students sat around her, swearing and drawing on the desks they sat at. She looked out the open windows to her left. The sun shone through warming her cool pale skin. She’d never had detention before, but Laura figured it as more time away from Joseph. The door clicked open and the young man she’d run into earlier walked in. He saw her and walked straight for her. She sat up, ready to retaliate against him, only to watch him sit directly next to her.

She stared at him, watching him watching her. His eyes were harsh, wild, and slightly… evil. But they didn’t frighten her. They actually made her sort of happy. He had been the first guy in a while who didn’t look at her the way her stepfather did. Calling her ugly had made feel the best she had in a long time. Without realizing it, he had become her safety and source of calm. The eyes that glared at her were grey like hers but clear, like water, not cloudy. He made a ‘tch’ sound and turned away from her. A dark tanned hand reached up to scratch his head through tangled messy hair that seemed almost to stand on end.

The door opened again, entering the teacher with a clipboard in hand. He sat at his desk. He called the roll of all who were to be there. When he called Laura’s name, Mugen seemed to smirk at her. He probably didn’t know who she was before today. She wasn’t surprised. No one really knew her anymore since she cut off connections with most people. The teacher left again.

“So, Laura,” her name rolled out of his mouth with a slight accent or tone. “Got some unfinished business to attend to.” He stared at her with loathing. Laura merely laid her head upon the table top, tired. She could feel the other boys in the room recoiling with slight fear. His brows raised at he watched her odd reaction.

“What are you going to do?” she asked sleepily. He didn’t reply, but scrunched his face up in thought. She smiled at him, wanting to laugh, but feared it would put him over the edge. Then he’d really hurt her. “Nothing then?”

“Stop being so annoying girlie!” Mugen yelled, slamming his desk. She could hear it crack. He crossed his arms and stretched further out in his seat. He looked to tall for the desk, too restless and wild for the classroom to contain him properly. He seemed a little like Laura; he needed to escape from something. She dozed off a little, finally true rest for the first time in ages. The door clicked somewhere in the distance, rousing her. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up. The teacher had returned and walked up to her, passing her a note. Again the teacher left the room to the students. She read the note.

    Laura,
    I have to work late tonight. I won’t be back till 11 tonight. I got a call from the office about your detention and called Joseph.
    He’s decided to take the day off from work. When I get back from work we need to talk.
    Love Mom!
    P.S. Joseph will pick you up at 5:30. Have fun!

Laura’s dread increased slowly. She could nearly feel it constricting her throat. The note crumpled in her hand. She had never spent that much time with Joseph before. She knew it wouldn’t be good. Her mother had always come home just in time to save her from him. Before things went too far… before…

She shook violently, nails digging into her palms. Her heart slammed against her ribs, wanting to escape from her pained body. Why could she just tell her mother? Anyone? Just someone!? She glanced about the room, looking for anything to distract her, anything to keep her away from him. Her brain was clouding. She couldn’t think. She didn’t want to think. Her temple ached painfully.


Mugen, who had also fallen asleep, was now fully awake and watching her drastic reaction to the note he’d watched get passed to her. He wondered what could have been so bad that it set her whole body to quivering with violence. He sneered. He could pry on her with it, make her fear him the way she should. He glanced at the discarded note that lay abandoned on her desk. He quickly snatched it, unfolding it from its deformed shape. She turned to him, her eyes very large and panic stricken.

“Give that back!” she pleaded.

Bingo! She tugged at his red shirt, struggling quietly to get it back. He held it out of her reach beginning to stand. She stood with him, nearly toppling over her desk and chair.

“Piss off, girlie! It can’t be that bad!” he sneered at her. He began to read it to himself. She shoved him, picking up her things and running out the door. “’Ey! You forgot this!” he finished reading it. “Hell’s her problem? There’s nothing even bad on here.” Frustrated and feeling like a fool again he followed her out the door.

Walking out the front doors of the school her followed her from a distance. He loathed her, and now she’d made a fool of him twice. But he was somewhat confused. She still seemed troubled from the note, so maybe it wasn’t a joke. I’ll keep it and use it against her. He followed her out of the gates. She seemed to quicken her pace, running. Runs too friggn much. He watched her look around franticly, as if trying to avoid someone. Mugen figured it was probably the Joseph guy.

The girl nearly keeled over when a silver car honked and pulled up to the curb. She stumbled a few steps away from it, hands over her tiny chest. He continued to walk forward, minding his own business, but curious. He got closer.

“-in the car, Laura,” he heard part of the deep voice coming from the car. A middle aged man sat in the driver’s seat. His eyes were lusting and greedy. Mugen glanced at Laura, who seemed absolutely traumatized, and struggling to gather her composed appearance. “GET in the CAR Laura!!” the man yelled at her hesitation. She dropped her bag, a fan falling out behind her. She turned to pick it up just as Mugen was passing. She looked at him, deep into his eyes, hers nearly screaming. They were glazed in such depression. Her lips trembled as she mouthed to him ‘help me’. She picked up her bags and the fan as if nothing otherwise had happened.

“Excuse me,” she said in a falsely cheery tone. Mugen felt sick to his stomach. She turned to get in the car. She looked at him with a face wishing that he’d go away now. That’s when he realized he had just stopped and stared. The man in the car, Joseph he guessed, glared at him. He obviously wanted Mugen to go away and not say anything. The car pulled off into the street and sped off toward where she probably lived.

“Shit,” Mugen whispered. He hated people and he could be dense in school, but he knew when things were bad and he knew that something was just going too far. He scratched his head, wondering if he should do something. “Naw… she’s a lil princess. No way anything’s going on at home.” He said these words as lies to himself and with tremendous uneasiness. He continued to walk up the sidewalk.


Laura’s hands clenched painfully as a hand traveled up her leg and to other places that should’ve been left untouched. Why did the trouble maker have to follow her? She was already going to suffer and now Joseph was angry that someone had seen him yelling at her. After all he had to keep his good stepfather image. He squeezed her too hard. She muffled any sound, knowing she’d have to cover the bruises tomorrow.