Page 8 of Her Passionate Hero

“Thank you for everything.”

“Stay safe.”

Aliana strode through the large living room straight back to her bedroom, turning on every light as she went. She stripped as soon as she got to the master bathroom, wanting to ignore the bathroom mirror as usual, but this time she couldn’t. She needed to check to see that her chest and throat bandages were secure before she took a shower. She took in her appearance. Yep, it was the same—long, straw-colored hair that was better left pinned to the top of her head, blue eyes too big for her face, and skin which looked washed out. Her gaze drifted lower to her right thigh. There they were. The scars. She looked up at the bandage on her chest and throat, now. she would have more to add to the collection.

She sighed, it really didn’t matter how many scars she collected, it wasn’t as if anybody who mattered would see them, she’d made sure of that. She traced one of the lines on her thighs. It reminded her of so many things, her emotions were so high tonight. Aliana snatched her hand away, trembling as she examined her bandages and determined they were fine for the shower.

She turned the shower on as hot as she could stand it. She needed to wipe away those moments of fear. She hated the feeling of desperation and swore she could actually smell the stench of despair.

She closed her eyes, letting the hot water pelt the top of her head, praying it would wash her clean, wash away the memories of schoolyard terror.

“You’re stronger than this.”

But she wasn’t.

Images like the water washed over her.

***

“I didn’t tell teacher.”

“Lupita said you did.”

Aliana didn’t know what to do when he shoved her in the chest. She teetered on her toes, trying to keep from falling down.

Lupita and Heather giggled. “Push her down in the dirt, Jose,” Lupita egged on her older brother.

“Push her. Push her. Push her.” Heather’s singsong voice grated on Aliana’s ears.

“You snitched to the teacher.” He punched her in her shoulder, and she crashed to the ground.

“Kick her. Kick her. Kick her.” This time it was Lupita.

“Please, stop,” Aliana said in Czech. So scared, she couldn’t come up with the words in English.

“Listen to the dummy, she’s talkin’ foreign.” Heather laughed.

Aliana started to cry. Why were they being mean to her? She didn’t understand it. Heather was supposed to be her friend. They’d been friends since preschool. They went to church together.

“You snitched,” Jose said again.

She didn’t understand. She shook her head wildly. “I did no wrong.”

Heather knelt down beside her and grabbed her hair. “You told the teacher that Lupita cheated off your paper. You’re a snitch.”

“I didn’t tell teacher.”

“Liar!” Lupita yelled.

“I―”

Lupita shoved a fistful of dirt into her open mouth, choking her. The little girl slammed her two little hands over Aliana’s nose and mouth, smothering her. Aliana clawed at Lupita’s fingers, her wrists, anything she could reach, but she couldn’t stop her. She bucked and kicked her legs, but she couldn’t get either Heather or Lupita to release her. She heard laughter.

Why was this happening? She hadn’t told teacher that Lupita copied. She never told teacher anything. Tears mixed with the dirt. Now mud filled her mouth.

“Ooof.”

Pain shot through her as Lupita’s elbow struck her chin. Aliana was loose, she scrabbled away from her tormentor, spitting the dirt and mud out of her mouth. She couldn’t get too far because Heather still had hold of her long hair.