A Hidden Sanctuary Ch2 Pt 1

Chapter Two

Toki

“I…can’t…breathe.” I gasped as I stumbled out of my room. “D-dad…” I tripped over something in the hallway and fell with a thud, my banging against something hard, my body automatically going into the fetal position, my arms cradling my stomach as I writhed around, gasping for breath.

I waited, on the floor, for my father, anyone really, to come up the stairs and help. Like usual, no one came.

I’m going to die. I’m going to die tonight, all alone, writhing on the floor, screaming because no one cares. No one knows. I’m alone in this world.

The beating of my heart was the only sound I heard other than my loud moans and gasps of pain.

Perhaps it’s for the best. Father always told me I was nothing but a worthless woman. He told me everyday of my life that I’m worthless, weak, and I’ll never amount to anything because of my sex.

I want so much more. I want him to leave me alone. I want people to be here with me when I have these attacks. I need somebody. I want somebody to save me. I don’t want to die alone and in pain. I don’t want to suffer anymore.

* * * *

“Toki, dear, have you ever thought of doing something other than homework?” Kim asked as she eyed me taking out my unfinished Chem. homework that I neglected to do from the night prior.

“Kim dear,” I started, smiling. “If I didn’t do anything other than homework, then I wouldn’t be working on this unfinished home work at this time.”

Kim chuckled. “I suppose you’re right.” She said furrowed her brows, taking my hand in hers. “What happened to your arm?”

I glanced down at the massive black and blue mark and laughed it off lightly. “Oh, I tripped over my cat last night when I was going downstairs to start on the dishes. I banged my arm against the railing of the stairs.”

Kim gave me a worried look. “You really need to be more careful. What if you had accidentally fallen down the stairs?”

I gave her a reassuring smile and took my arm away. “Oh, don’t be such a mother.” I told her.

She didn’t look away. “Someone has to play the part. Lord knows your father will never do it well enough.”

I swallowed hard and smiled at her. “Yes, well-”

“Alright, hush now, chillin’s.” The teacher said walking into class.

“Hey, Teacher, you’re late.” Dennay, ever the smart one, said.

The teacher blinked a couple times at him and then shook his head and sighed heavily. “I hope to God you’re not going to be this smart everyday in class.”

Dennay opened his mouth to speak, but the teacher cut him off promptly.

“No, just get out of my class. I don’t care where you go, just get out of here.”

“Teacher-”

“Go!” He said sternly.

Dennay chuckled awkwardly and got up and left.

Teacher watched him walk out of the room and then mumbled something under his breath and the kids sitting closer to him laughed lightly.

“Okay, I would actually like to just start you off with work.”

Kim raised her hand, folding a leg neatly underneath her.

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to tell us what to call you, or should we just refer to you as Teacher?” She asked sweetly.

“Heh, well I’d prefer to have you all call me Master, but that’s not exactly allowed, so I supposed you can call me by my last name and adding Mr. in front of it.”

“And what would that last name be?” Kim asked politely.

He smiled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

The class fell silent as everyone, including me, stared at the teacher. He stared back, a smile planted on his face. Slowly, as no one spoke, his smile faded.

“Fine.” He said, leaning against the white board. “My name is Hunter Finnigan. I don’t care what you call me.”

He turned back around and circled some writing up on the board. “We are going to be doing a writing prompt every day. Today, since it’s the first day of school, I want you to tell me about yourself. In this exercise, I want you to write as creatively as you can, describe and use dialogue. Try to make it grammatically correct, and I really don’t care if you lie your asses off. Tell me you’re a demon for all I care. Just make it interesting so I’m not bored as hell reading all of these. The most creative writer each day wins a prize.”

“What prize?” Lynn Swiggum asked, raising her hand.

Mr. Finnigan stared at her. “Do you kids understand that the point of raising your hand is to wait until you’re called on to speak? Is proper etiquette completely foreign to you kids?”

The class laughed nervously.

“You kids know what the best kind of prize is?” Mr. Finnigan asked, going back to the question.

Some of us shook our heads, but others just sat there, trying not to fall asleep.

“A surprise!” He told us with fake enthusiasm, a smile stretching across his face, looking as though it was hurting him. The smile faded soon after and he sat down at his desk.

“I want you all quiet for ten minutes, busy writing. If I look up and someone has their pencil down before I tell you to stop, then you get a grade reduction.”

Some people gasped and Mr. Finnigan looked at us all. “I don’t see any of you writing. Hop to it.”

“I hate that new English teacher!” T said as she clunked her tray heavily down on the table. “He’s such a little prick!”

“A cute little prick.” Kim commented as she took a bite of her chicken sandwich.

“I don’t know, I thought he was a decent teacher.” I said with a shrug, eyeing my soup suspiciously. “Have you ever seen a carrot this grey before?” I asked them, taking it out of my soup.

“That’s not a carrot, dear, that’s a piece of chicken.”

I stared at Kim and then at the supposed piece of chicken and then plopped it back in and pushed the bowl away. “That’s just sick.”

T offered me some of her fries and I graciously took half of the carton. “My dad told me he’s coming home tomorrow.” I told them through a mouthful of fries.

“We’ll see how that turns out.” Kim said with a sigh. “Hasn’t he said that before and then he actually came home a week later?”

I nodded. “But he said he’s bringing Lucy back with him since he won’t be staying long and he doesn’t want me home alone.”

“Oh, he actually cares?” Kim asked with a heavy sigh. “If you ask me, he should be stripped of his rights to be your parent.”

T laughed openly. “Oh please, I wish I didn’t have a mom and my dad was gone all the time.”

Kim rolled her eyes. “T, what does it matter when you don’t listen to your parents even when they tell you what to do?”

T ate a fry and didn’t look at Kim as she chewed. “As if you would understand. You know, coming from such a perfect family.”

Kim furrowed her brows and the air around us shifted. “Why do you always think that just because my family has money, that life isn’t hard for us? Why do you have to get sympathy from everybody?”

T glared at her. “Because I, unlike you and Toki, deserve it. Everyday I have to listen to my parents practically kill each other. I have cops over at my house everyday, and I’m so sick of their problems.” She stood then. “You have a perfect family, and Toki hasn’t any problems because no one’s ever home.”

“Exactly, Toki’s alone!” Kim screeched at her, rising from her seat as well and I rose with them, wishing they would stop arguing. “She hasn’t anyone to care for her!”

“She has you, Kim.” T said, heartbreak in her eyes. “I may have my parents, but they forgot about me long ago.” She said and stormed off towards the exit doors.

I bit my lower lip and looked towards Kim, torn between my hurt friends. Kim looked up at me and gave a weak smile.

“You know you don’t have to fight for me.” I told Kim. “I’d rather you two got along.”

Kim sighed and stared at her food. “I’m sorry. T just gets on my nerves. I really don’t understand why she’s your friend.”

I shrugged. “T’s as important to me as you are to me. I love you both to death and I don’t know what I would do without either of you.” I said with a smile.

Kim shrugged and I quickly finished off my fries.

“I’m gonna go talk to her, okay?” I said and left Kim as she rose to go to her other friends.

I jogged to where T and her group of gothic friends were standing in a circle, smoking. T had her arms folded across her chest, a scowl set in her flawless, pale features. A few strands of dyed black hair had worked their way out of her messy pigtails and were flying with the window, ashes from her burning cigarette flying with them. I felt out of place with my blue t-shirt, jean shorts, and flip-flops, my red hair sticking out from their dyed black, and odd shades of colored hair. I bit my lip nervously, feeling their eyes scanning me and my ‘normal’ attire.

“What do want?” T asked snidely.

I pouted and her face softened instantly. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

T ashed her cigarette and took another drag. “Talk away.”

I looked at her friends and my mind went blank. What made me think that I could help her with all these eyes staring at me at one time?

T smiled, knowing how uncomfortable I got around her friends. “Toki, I’m sorry for the fight with Kim.” She said and walked closer to me. “You know I don’t try to do it.”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks redden. “It’s just…I…” I stumbled for words and nervously looked down at my feet.

T chuckled and scooped me into a hug. “You’re so adorable, I can’t stay mad at you.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the warmth that she can show, and I wished Kim could see what I see in her.

“Toki, I won’t promise anything to you, but I’ll try and keep my temper down around Kim.” She said and we separated as she took another drag from her cigarette.

I smiled and nodded at her. “I’ll see you in gym, okay?”

She nodded and smiled back. “Yeah.”

“Toki, I think you grew a couple inches in the past year.” Karlie giggled as she undressed next to me.

I rolled my eyes. “Gee, thanks.” I said and slid my flip-flops off and put on a pair of socks.

She giggled again and scooped me into a hug. “Don’t worry, I don’t want you to grow. You’re adorable just the way you are.” She said and took me by the hand over to the measurer on the wall. “Five feet, four inches. Yep, you grew.” She said with a sweet smile.

I rolled my eyes again at her. “Thanks Karlie, I really enjoy getting measured.” I said and wandered back over to my locker, taking off my shirt as I did so.

She came up behind me quickly. “Now lets measure that tiny rack of yours to see if that’s changed any.”

I squealed as the tape went around my bust line. “Karlie!”

She sighed. “Thirty inches?” She shook her head sadly. “They’ve grown, but they still won’t be much fun.”

I felt my face burn and slapped the tape measurer away. She giggled playfully.

“You know I’m only playing, Toki.” She said, her coffee eyes smiling with her lips. “You’re only 15 anyways, don’t let us big girls scare you.” She said with a wink.

I smiled at her, putting my gym shirt on and taking off my pants. “Big girls?” I laughed and looked Karlie up and down. “I’d definitely have to agree with you.”

Karlie squealed. “Is that a fat joke??”

We both began laughing and finished dressing. T was nowhere to be found.

“Braid me?” Karlie asked, turned her back towards me and I quickly braided her long brown hair. “I hate gym class. I don’t know why I decided to take it as an elective.” She laughed.

“I took it because my dad made me.” I sighed. “He’s scared I’m going to get fat or something.”

Karlie laughed openly. “You? Get fat? I’d love to see that happen. With the way I see you eating, you should be as big as a blimp.”

“Oh thanks, that makes me feel loads better.” I laughed and walked into the gymnasium.

Cat calls started being thrown across the room as the boys’ gym class began to line up for warm-ups. The girls giggled flirtatiously, Karlie blowing a kiss to her boyfriend.

Coach yelled at us to start jogging five laps and we got to it, our feet stomping together on the floor. The boys called out to us, their coach not doing anything, since he was distracted talking to ours.

“Wow they get annoying.” Karlie noted, staying at my pace, panting slightly.

I nodded my agreement. “I only wish Coach Vinnie would do

something about it. He always just stands there and watches us with them.”

“Yeah, it’s kinda creepy.”

“It gives me the chil-oof!” I stumbled over my feet as my attention was split and I fell flat on my face.

“Oh my god, are you alright, Toki?” Karlie she shrieked, choking back laughter.

I laid still on my face for a little while before I got up to my knees.

“Miss Zanza! Miss Minnihan! Get a move on it!” Our coach yelled at us and I hurried to my feet.

“What a bitch.” Karlie mumbled beside me as we started running again. “You could’ve seriously hurt yourself and she doesn’t even care.”

“Says the one that had to hold in laughter.” I giggled, a dull aching forming in my knee. I ran through the pain and ran faster, trying to catch up to everyone else.

“Toki, wait up! You’re running with a fatty, remember?” Karlie called after me and I giggled more.