//------------------------------//
// After School 
// Story: Tally Marks 
// by Slateblu1 
//------------------------------//

School is over. Finally. I make my way to my locker again. It doesn’t take me long to grab all my things for the evening. Fluttershy walks me out the building. She’s got to hurry to the shelter, they need some extra help. Someone called out sick. I can’t head over to her place to help her with homework tonight. I tell her it’s okay. That I don’t mind.

I don’t. I don’t care at all. The free food her family would have made would’ve been nice, but I’ll survive. I always do. I’ve still got that tomato from lunch. Glad I saved it. It’ll make for a nice snack.

I hop on my bus home. It didn’t take me long to route out which school bus got me closest. I sit alone on- The bus is full today. Someone is sitting with me. I scooch over and make room for them. I flash them a smile, then look out the window. My smile doesn’t last long enough to make my reflection. I recognized the kid next to me. Not enough to know their name. I bullied them, that’s all.

The ride isn’t long. I get off at my stop and start my walk home. It isn’t too far; I cut through a construction site. The know me; I helped them fix the school. They give me genuine smiles. I can trust them. They don’t know the bad in me, the just saw the repentance. I give them a smile back. I’m glad there’s a few people in this world who will give me a chance.

The old warehouse is on the other side of the site. I slip in through the break in the fence, then slide under a cracked wall. No one else is back yet. My room beckons. I head up.

My knife is there still. Right where I left it. Of course it is. I strip down and sit in my chair. The cold metal hurts against my skin. I let it. I need to feel the pain. Flipping the knife open, I rest the tip against my thigh. I’m ready to make another slash.

I don’t.

I’m not counting days. I’m not counting anything. It’s a reminder. A reminder of what it is to feel. I don’t need that right now.

I close the knife before putting it back. I pull a textbook from my bag and sigh. Homework time.