Hidden Battles

Darkness fell over the busy streets of New York, snowflakes fluttered playfully in the air, and the fallen snow crunched crisply under the bustling feet of people hurrying from place to place. Despite the hustled air clinging to the city, one house stood silent in an isolated corner of the municipality, lying at the intersection of The Green Junction and St. Mary street. Desolation and despair draped the dwelling like a cloak, the gnarled wood rotting with age and the roof crumbling as if it had given up hope. Within, a young boy buried his face in his pillows, attempting to disappear to escape his troubles. Ignorant to the fact that their son was listening, his parents continued to shriek at each other, their voices laced with years of stress and frustration, their words as sharp as knives.

“Daniel can’t know.........!”

“How can we get a divorce now...... the funds!”

In the room above, Daniel pressed his head to a pillow, trying to block the discordant sound with no luck. Tears streamed down his pale, shrunken cheeks and his frail body shuddered as his violent sobs overtook him. He rose, taking in his reflection in the mirror propped up against a wall. His once emerald green eyes were rimmed with red, his jet black hair was tousled and sticking up in every direction. He realized he looked injured, so pathetic, so weak .......he was worthless, unable to advocate peace in the war between his loved ones. The stray tears were wiped away by his hands, now clenched into shaking fists. Daniel looked up to meet the eyes in his reflection again, fiery anger burning away his sorrow, leaving only a restless fire in his bones and the thirst for redemption.

A Month Later........

Daniel swaggered through the aged, blue striped hallways of Elk High School. Headphones that blared heavy metal were stuffed in his ears and dangled to connect to the iPod in the pocket of his baggy sweatpants. A hood masked his face, and as he walked his eyes never left the ground. This was his suit of armor, his defense.

Around him, his peers conversed merrily, whispering, exchanging secrets, and laughing as they enjoyed each other's company. Friends met each other by the lockers, giving out high fives and grinning broadly. A mischievous bunch were sprawled on the floor in fits of uncontrollable giggles as their teacher jokingly chastised them for the prank they pulled on another staff member. Daniel’s insides turned as the hole in his heart widened, yearning to be filled with the joy and glee around him. He shook his head, turning up the volume to tune out the world, for he knew that it would never even be a possibility. His once solid heart was broken, shattered like glass. The pieces that were left are sharp, jagged and whenever he tries to put them back together, he gets cut, he gets hurt, he bleeds. So he gave up on himself, he stopped trying. He’s hollow on the inside, a shell of who he used to be, where there was once light and hope for a future, is now a void of darkness, swallowing any good that comes his way and leaving a restless beast that snarls at the world.

Daniel strutted to the side of the school housing the lockers of his grade. As the rust- eaten locker door creakily swung open and Daniel piled his books into his arms, he felt a chill go up his spine. He was being watched. Turning, he found multiple eyes trained on him, staring with pity. Colour rising to his cheeks, the troubled teen briskly made his way to his class, fury bubbling in the pit of his stomach. These people with their perfect lives, how dare they regard him like he was a character on a reality t.v show, like the drama in his life was their entertainment, something they could gossip about. They would never understand his pain, at the end of the day they would all return to their happy lives, at the end of the day they will always have someone who loved them. He didn’t need their fake sympathy, the things they did to make themselves feel better, not him. People believe that once they asked if someone was alright, they have done their duty, they have completed some unwritten code of civic responsibility; he didn’t need to be a way for people to validate themselves.

Abruptly, the grim thoughts swirling around Daniel’s mind were cut off. A mob of long, dusty brown hair and pink stumbled into him, knocking him to the ground. The slightly chubby girl quickly got to her feet in excitement to embrace her petite, dirty blond friend across the hallway.The blond murmured something to the girl that bumped into him, causing both of them to glance at him, their faces molded into masks of sympathy.

“Oh I’m so sorry again”, the brunette called, she looked as if she wanted to say more but then thought better of it, instead she shook her head. “That poor kid”, she said to her friend in a loud whisper as the pair walked away.

“Poor kid”, Daniel repeated bitterly to himself in a low mumble. At that moment, he swore never to be that “poor kid”..... even if that meant showing the monster inside to the world.

The school bell tolled, marking the end of the day. The hallways emptied, the students slowly trickling out through the exits. Daniel slung his backpack over his shoulder as he glared intensely at anyone who dared to meet his gaze. He stalked to the large set of double doors that led to the snowy outdoors, tripping people along the way and shoving to make his way through the crowd. Darkness rippled off him in waves, causing those he touched to recoil as if they could sense the evil consuming him. Daniel fed off the fear, enjoying the startled expressions of those around him. For once he’s being noticed, and it’s not for being the “poor kid” with family troubles.

Just as he reached out to grab the metal door handle, he felt a warm hand adorned with nail polish fall on his shoulder. The brunette from earlier that morning stood, a smile plastered on her face. “I can help you”, she claimed brightly. Those four words she uttered were the trigger, something inside Daniel snapped at that moment. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed the girl by the wrist and slammed her back against a set of lockers. She cried out upon impact and crumpled to the ground, eyeing the boy with terror like prey may regard its predator. Daniel slowly approached her, his eyes flitting to the bulge around her abdomen, smirking as he leaned in to murmur scornful remarks that sent tears streaming down the girl’s face. Stepping back to regard the girl sprawled across the floor, Daniel felt a sense of satisfaction. Now she understands, now she feels as helpless as I do, now you will know that warm words can never melt this kind of pain.

He took a moment to take in the shocked faces staring at him, pleased because he knew that the rumors of his actions would spread like wildfire. “I’d rather be hated by all then seen as someone to be pitied”, he thought to himself. Swinging open the double doors and stepping into the biting cold, he made his way back home; he looked forward to the hour he spent after school where neither of his parents was home.

As Daniel’s house came into view, he caught a glimpse of a figure standing at his door. The figure turned, caught sight of him, then flew down the street, blond mane whipping in the wind. Daniel sped after her, fighting against the snow, but as he reached his house the girl was out of his field of vision. Shaking his head in confusion, he unlocked the wooden door, almost slipping on a white, folded letter. In a matter of seconds it was ripped open and Daniel’s eyes were hungrily devouring each word with a burning curiosity. It read:

Dear Daniel,

I know you don’t know me, but I need you to hear me out, there is something you should know. My best friend, that girl you bullied about her weight? She’s anorexic, she cuts herself each night because she hates herself, she doesn’t think others accept her for the way she looks. She starves herself by day, in the hope of being that perfect girl society wants..... Unaware of how wonderful she is already. Her family is in financial ruin, things are hard to come by in her household. But despite all she suffers, despite the heartbreak, despite the pain.... She still faces the world with a smile. She fakes a laugh so no one will see her breaking soul reflected in her eyes. She’s the kindest girl I know, whenever someone is down she's the first to help, though she has no one to do the same for her. I can tell you're going through a hard time..... But you should know that everyone is fighting an inner battle, everyone gets hurt because that battle, big or small, eats away at them, leaving them in agony. It’s how you fight your battle, how you deal with the heartbreak that determines your strength of character and the kind of person you are.

-Carla

P.S: My Bestfriend’s name is Kira, I think you owe her an apology.

With tears in his face and the guilt of his actions on his shoulders, Daniel took off back into the cold night, in order to make what was wrong right again.

15 years later.........

The banquet hall was decorated in breathtaking golds and whites, like a scene straight from a fairy tale. Guests danced and mingled, showing off their exquisite attire, from multiple shades of evening dresses, to ball gowns, to handsomely tailored tuxedos. The candles flickered dimly, casting mysterious shadows over the scene, yet still allowing the crystals in the chandeliers to twinkle playfully. The prince and princess of this fairytale both stood at the altar at the head of the room, taking their vows. The prince looked at his princess, gazing at her soft brown hair curled at her shoulders, swept to the side by her tiara. He loved this girl, the one who brought him out of his despair and brought out the best in him with her own radiating kindness and compassion. She was the one who taught him how to love, how to forgive and how to fight. She taught him how to see the best in people, that a few kind words and a open heart can change the world. She was the reason he’s the person he is today, and looking at her now he could find no flaws. Because of her, he sees his parents happily watching from the audience, wiping away their tears of joy. Because of her, he was the victor in his hidden battle, she helped slay the beast inside and mend the fractures of his broken heart.

“Kira, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband”, the minister boomed.

...........

“I do”

“Daniel, do you take this women to be your lawfully wedded wife”

...........

“I do”

With their answers and beaming smiles, they sealed their fate; they were free to write their own happily ever after.