school day, I'll only give you six.”
I know I should be scared, but I'm not. I'm just...sad. The first lash comes without his normal warning and I have to hold back a scream that almost escapes. There is just enough time to shove a pair of socks into my mouth and hang on again before the next one comes. By the fourth lash, he's found his rhythm, and so have I. My back has gone numb, along with my mind, so by number six, I don't even flinch.
Etash
When I wake up in the morning I feel completely and utterly drained of all emotion. Like someone has sucked out every ounce of happiness I've ever felt. Opening the closet door, the sun assaults me and I shiver against its warmth.
Stumbling out, I feel my way to the bathroom and take a long hot shower trying to coax the blood back into the muscles of my upper back. Sleeping in the closet must have done a hell of a number on it. I can't believe how raw and sore it feels.
My stomach growls when I limp out of the shower, but as I start to make breakfast, I feel uneasy again. I opt to get out of my apartment and hit the cafeteria for breakfast instead.
Once there, I pour myself an enormous cup of coffee, which is strange, because I don’t typically care for it. I load my plate with a bowl of granola and some fruit and make my way to the tables when I hear my name being called from across the cafeteria.
“ Yo, Etash! Over here!” It’s Seth. He’s with Naya, and he’s waving me over to their table. I see panic flood into her eyes, but I can’t stop my feet from walking over to them.
“ Etash, man, thanks for coming over,” Seth says.
“ Uh, sure. No problem.”
Naya’s hands jump to her chair, as though she’s holding herself down. Seth doesn’t appear to notice.
“ Have a seat,” he says, kicking out a chair with his foot.” Not sure what else to do, I sit.
“ So, I never got a chance to properly thank you for helping out Naya the other day.”
I don’t tell him I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“ I was happy to help.”
Naya eyes are glued to her toast. Her lips form a hard thin line. She is clearly upset by my presence.
“ So, Naya tells me you quit the show?” He says with a smirk, forking an entire sausage link into his mouth, clearly pleased. He thinks I left because I was threatened by him.
“ He’s still the Assistant Director,” Naya says, looking up at me for the first time. I’m struck by how pale and ashen her skin looks this morning.
“ Really?” Seth mumbles through a mouth full of food, probably annoyed that he didn't get rid of me completely. He takes a swig of milk and studies me for a moment before he says, “That’s a hell of a scar you got. How did you get it?”
Naya looks up at me wide-eyed, apologetic.
“ Accident,” I say, taking a sip of the bitter coffee.
Seth nods his head and forks a hunk of pancake in his mouth. “So I heard you guys had a tough rehearsal last night?”
“ It was?” I ask, carefully avoiding Naya’s eyes, but do notice that she's keeping her back ram-rod straight.
“ That's what I hear. So, since you're the Director and all,” Seth begins.
“ Assistant Director,” I clarify.
“ My apologies. Assistant Director. Can you do me a favor?” Seth asks.
“ I can try,” I say, confused by what he would possibly ask from me.
He leans over to me, holding his knife a little too close to my face, and I see a glint in his eyes.
“ Take it easy on my girl.”
“ What?” Naya and I say at the same time.
Seth turns to look at her, and starts rubbing her shoulder and she flinches as though she's in pain, but he doesn't notice, or care, and keeps rubbing. It’s all I can do not to rip his arm off.
“ You must run some tough rehearsals for a pro like Naya to get so worked up. She came home with a pretty bad migraine last night.”
She had a
I know I should be scared, but I'm not. I'm just...sad. The first lash comes without his normal warning and I have to hold back a scream that almost escapes. There is just enough time to shove a pair of socks into my mouth and hang on again before the next one comes. By the fourth lash, he's found his rhythm, and so have I. My back has gone numb, along with my mind, so by number six, I don't even flinch.
Etash
When I wake up in the morning I feel completely and utterly drained of all emotion. Like someone has sucked out every ounce of happiness I've ever felt. Opening the closet door, the sun assaults me and I shiver against its warmth.
Stumbling out, I feel my way to the bathroom and take a long hot shower trying to coax the blood back into the muscles of my upper back. Sleeping in the closet must have done a hell of a number on it. I can't believe how raw and sore it feels.
My stomach growls when I limp out of the shower, but as I start to make breakfast, I feel uneasy again. I opt to get out of my apartment and hit the cafeteria for breakfast instead.
Once there, I pour myself an enormous cup of coffee, which is strange, because I don’t typically care for it. I load my plate with a bowl of granola and some fruit and make my way to the tables when I hear my name being called from across the cafeteria.
“ Yo, Etash! Over here!” It’s Seth. He’s with Naya, and he’s waving me over to their table. I see panic flood into her eyes, but I can’t stop my feet from walking over to them.
“ Etash, man, thanks for coming over,” Seth says.
“ Uh, sure. No problem.”
Naya’s hands jump to her chair, as though she’s holding herself down. Seth doesn’t appear to notice.
“ Have a seat,” he says, kicking out a chair with his foot.” Not sure what else to do, I sit.
“ So, I never got a chance to properly thank you for helping out Naya the other day.”
I don’t tell him I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“ I was happy to help.”
Naya eyes are glued to her toast. Her lips form a hard thin line. She is clearly upset by my presence.
“ So, Naya tells me you quit the show?” He says with a smirk, forking an entire sausage link into his mouth, clearly pleased. He thinks I left because I was threatened by him.
“ He’s still the Assistant Director,” Naya says, looking up at me for the first time. I’m struck by how pale and ashen her skin looks this morning.
“ Really?” Seth mumbles through a mouth full of food, probably annoyed that he didn't get rid of me completely. He takes a swig of milk and studies me for a moment before he says, “That’s a hell of a scar you got. How did you get it?”
Naya looks up at me wide-eyed, apologetic.
“ Accident,” I say, taking a sip of the bitter coffee.
Seth nods his head and forks a hunk of pancake in his mouth. “So I heard you guys had a tough rehearsal last night?”
“ It was?” I ask, carefully avoiding Naya’s eyes, but do notice that she's keeping her back ram-rod straight.
“ That's what I hear. So, since you're the Director and all,” Seth begins.
“ Assistant Director,” I clarify.
“ My apologies. Assistant Director. Can you do me a favor?” Seth asks.
“ I can try,” I say, confused by what he would possibly ask from me.
He leans over to me, holding his knife a little too close to my face, and I see a glint in his eyes.
“ Take it easy on my girl.”
“ What?” Naya and I say at the same time.
Seth turns to look at her, and starts rubbing her shoulder and she flinches as though she's in pain, but he doesn't notice, or care, and keeps rubbing. It’s all I can do not to rip his arm off.
“ You must run some tough rehearsals for a pro like Naya to get so worked up. She came home with a pretty bad migraine last night.”
She had a
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