Allen had been dreading going to school that day. The bruising and swelling he had from his black eye looked even more dramatic with the scar cutting through it. He had been hoping that no one asked, he even skipped lunch, and the one class he shared with his small group of friends, because he knew they would not leave it alone. He had made it through most of the day, hiding his face as best as he could with his bangs, with nothing more than a few curious glances from teachers and classmates. But it seemed his luck would not hold.

When Ms. Miranda had asked him to stay for a few moments after his last class of the day, he briefly considered just rushing out with the rest of the students. But that would probably tip her off that something was seriously wrong… So he waited until the classroom emptied, his stomach twisting with anxiety.

“Its nothing. I just got into a fight.” He hoped she would leave it at that. A part of him wondered why he didn’t tell her the truth… but he had kept these issues to himself for so long, and he didn’t want to worry anyone.