“7… shit I need to get to school,” I cursed. I grabbed my lunch and my keys.

“Bye mom see you later,” I yelled.

“Bye Brian!” I walked out my door. I looked to my left and there I saw Hannah walking out the door.

She walked to school
With the lunch she packs
Nobody knows what she’s holding back
Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with the linen and lace

‘Didn’t she wear that yesterday?” I questioned aloud, ”Yea, I think she did,” Why would she wear the same thing? She comes from a wealthy family. It just odd. But I will admit the light blue sundress does make her look good. It brings out everything out that she has. Her body was perfect not too skinny not too fat… average I guess you could say. Her hair was auburn and her eyes were the perfect blue. I often wondered why everyone would make fun of her? She looks normal to me.

***

We arrived at school soon later. I was happy to be here instead of at home with my parents before they went to work. My parents got kind of annoying after a while.

“Yo, Brian!” I heard a voice yell. I turned around and there was my best friend Nick.

“Hey Nick! What’s up?”

“Have you seen Hannah today? She has worn that dress for 2 days now,”

“She’s my neighbor dumbass! And so what if she is wearing the same thing?”

“That is nasty dude. It goes along with the big bruise around her eye,” Nick chuckled. A bruise? I didn’t notice that.

“No, its not nasty. Maybe her dad hasn’t done laundry,” I defended.

“Yea sure. Why you sticking up for her anyway? If I didn’t know better I’d say someone has a crush on her,” Nick laughed.

“Please Nick, I don’t have a crush on Hannah,” I lied of course. She’s pretty she’s perfect, “Can’t a guy stick up for someone jeez?” I walked off.. Why can’t anyone see that she could possibly be a nice person? I walked to my looked and saw Hannah. Nick was right there was a big bruise on her left eye.

“Hey Hannah what happened to your eye?” I asked.

“Oh… my…uh I ran into a door,” she replied.

“I’m sorry. It looks like it really hurts,”

“Yea, it does…I … I gotta get to class,” she hurried off. This feeling came over me that she just didn’t run into a door. Just last week she had bruises all up and down on her arm.

***

Hannah-

I wonder why Brian asked what happened? He never talks to me. And all the sudden he feels sorry for me? Just because I have this bruise doesn’t mean something happened to me. All right… okay something DID happen to me. I mean it’s not like this big deal or anything. My dad just got mad at me. I didn’t do the dishes right… I used TOO much dish soap. I love my dad. Ah, what in the hell am I kidding? Every night there is something now to blame onto me. I just wish I didn’t have to live through this anymore! Why did my mom have to go? Why couldn’t she have stayed with us? I am so scared of my dad. I wish I was never born and then I would never have to deal with this. I finally got to my first period.

“Hannah… dear are you okay?” Ms. Cortez asked.

“ Yes Ms. Cortez. Me and the door just had a little run in this morning,” I lied.

“Oh… okay dear. If you need to go and get some ice just ask,”

“Okay.” I walked to my seat and sat down.

The teacher wonders
But she doesn’t ask
Its hard to see the pain
Behind the mask
Bearing a burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born

***

Through the day that’s all I got… are you okay? Well of course I am not okay. I admit my dad beats me always have. I have been dealing with it now for so long I am used to it. I am surprised Brian hasn’t figured it out yet. After all he IS my neighbor. It was finally times to go to lunch. I went to my locked and grabbed my lunch. I sat down in my usual spot in the back of the commons in my lonely table.

“Can I sit here?” I looked up and it was Brian. What is HE doing here?

“Yea, I guess,” he sat down.

“OMG Hannah didn’t you like wear that yesterday?” Bryanna said. I hated her so much. I wish she would just go away. I didn’t need to be taking any crap from a snot nosed preppy little cheerleader.

“Don’t worry about Bryanna,” Brian assured me.

“Ooo looks like Brian has himself a girlfriend,”

“Hey shut up dumb fuck… I don’t see you with anyone,”

“Ah, fuck you man. At least my girlfriend wouldn’t wear the same fucking thing 2 days in a fucking row,” Brian flipped him off.

“Hannah, don’t worry about them,” Hannah don’t worry about them, please that all I HAVE to worry about.. Why doesn’t he get that? I have to dealt with this for so long now I am capable of taking care of myself.

Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as stone
In a world that she can’t rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flied to a place
Where she’s loved
Concrete Angel

***

Brian-

I was finally home. My parents weren’t home. I walked into my room and set down my backpack and got put my homework.

“Stupid homework,” I said aloud,” This is too fucking hard. How in the hell am I supposed to do this?” I questioned,” I know Hannah understands this Spanish stuff… I’ll just ask he for help,” I grabbed my Spanish book and walked out the door. I saw that her dad was home. Her dad didn’t seem like the type of person that liked a lot of people. Sometimes I wonder even if he liked his own daughter. I just feel everything that is wrong with her leads back to him. I took a deep breath in and knocked on the door. The door opened and Hannah stood there in the doorway.

“Brian… why are you here?” she whispered coming outside and closing the door behind her.

“I am not getting this Spanish homework and I was wondering if you could help me?”

“Brian, I can’t…”

“Hannah! Hannah! Get in here now! You fucking didn’t do this right. Hannah” he yelled.

“I gotta go…”

“Hannah… wait please come over. Get away from your dad,” I begged. She just ignored me and walked back into her house. I felt like everything was hopeless.

***

Somebody cried in the in
The middle of the night
The neighbors hear
But they turn out the lights
A fragile soul caught
In the hands of fate
When the morning comes
It’ll be too late

“Daddy! No… Daddy!” I suddenly woke up to the screaming. I recognized the voice. Hannah! I wondered what was going on. I kept my light off so her dad wouldn’t suspect anything. I quickly climbed out of bed and walked over to the window I saw Hannah’s bedroom light on and there was her dad hitting her over the head with a wooden bat. I opened my window.

“Hey stop that! You’re hurting her “ I yelled he didn’t hear me,” Hey! Stop! Stop!” I yelled again. He didn’t even look towards the window. I just hope she is okay. I don’t want to see anything happen to her… she is only a girl… just a girl. Not his own personal slave. Why didn’t I just see it before?

Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world she can’t rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place
Where she’s loved
Concrete Angel

***

I woke up the next morning and got ready for school. I looked out the window and I didn’t see Hannah getting ready for school. I admit that scares me especially since what I witnessed last night. I looked at my clock and I was later for the bus yet once again. I grabbed my lunch and walked out the door. Not once did I see Hannah.

I soon arrived at school I sat Nick standing there waiting for me. I was a little confused.

“Hey Nicky what’s up?”

“Hannah died last night,” he said.

“What? What do you mean she died last night?” I asked. I know I should have gone over there instead of just yelling out the window.

“Her dad took her into the hospital this morning Brian,”

“Just like that she’s gone? Dammit… I should have fucking done something!” I exclaimed.

“Brian there was nothing you could do”

“Nick I saw her dad fucking beating her over the heard with a wooden bat!”

“What?”

“I woke up around 1 am or so and Hannah was screaming and I got out of bed and looked out the window and saw the whole thing! I screamed for him to stop, but he didn’t even look over… he didn’t even look over Nick,” I started to cry. I never know I could feel this way. Everything was just coming out at once. I just felt so sorry for Hannah. Just knowing I could have possibly done saved her and I didn’t do anything about it made me feel even worse.

“Brian, clam down dude. I didn’t know you felt so strongly about it,”

“Nick… I liked her. I really liked her. I tried showing it but she pushed me away. Only if I had just gone over there,” I sobbed. Nick pulled me into a hug.

“It’s going to be okay man. You will get through this,”

“Oh I just hope so,” I whispered whipping away my tears.

***

A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot

-1 week later-

I went to Hannah’s funeral today. I told the cops what I had seen and they arrested her dad. I guess they had been trying to catch him for some quite sometime. I still feel like I was part responsible for what had happened that night I looked down.