Amanda lay still in the sterile, humming silence of the hospital room, her body aching in every bone. The stark white walls seemed to close in around her, illuminated by the harsh glow of fluorescent lights that flickered intermittently. Her skin was raw, her face still swollen and bruised, a testament to the violence she had endured. The smell of antiseptic and cold metal filled her nostrils, making her stomach churn.
She stared at the ceiling, her mind a jumble of pain, fear, and confusion. The quiet was broken when the door creaked open slowly. Amanda's eyes flicked toward it, wary. She didn't expect anyone. Her mom had just left. Her dad was at work. The doctors had already checked her.
In stepped the class president, He had an average height. He didn't look too confident. His eyes, however, held a flicker of concern as they settled on her battered face.
Amanda blinked, her mind swirling in confusion . She hadn't spoken to him much before—only exchanged nervous greetings in the hallways. She had never imagined he'd visit her here, especially not now, when her face was swollen and her body was fragile. What was he here for ? Wait .... Was he David? Was he the one who visited her mom at home ?
He hesitated at the foot of her bed, hands tucked into his jeans pockets. His voice was gentle but edged with something unreadable.
"Hey, Amanda. I... I heard what happened."
Her eyes darted away, her voice hoarse. "Why are you here?" she managed, her voice trembling with a mixture of suspicion and vulnerability.
David took a step closer, his brow furrowing. "I just... I wanted to see how you're doing. Just wanted to check on you. You didn't come to school so I was worried " He muttered but couldn't look at her in the eyes. His eyes darted around. He didn't want her to see the tears that prickled his eyes. His heart broke seeing her like this.
Amanda looked away in disbelief. She didn't believe him—how could she? Why would someone like him, the class president, care about her? The idea felt strange, almost surreal, and she wondered if this was some kind of trick, some way for him to get closer to her for his own reasons.
Despite her wariness, she couldn't help but notice the genuine concern in his eyes. It was a small, fragile thing, but it made her feel exposed—vulnerable in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You don't have to pretend. I know you don't care."
David's face softened ,his eyes widened, and he shook his head. "That's not true. I've seen how you get treated. I've watched from a distance, and I'm sorry I never intervened. I hate myself for not helping you. I reported to the teachers lots of times but that only made it worse. I'm really really sorry. I'm sorry about what they did to you. ... I just want to make sure you're okay."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions. Amanda's eyes welled with tears she didn't want to shed, but the pain, the shock, and the loneliness all hit her at once.
She looked away again, her voice cracking. "Thanks for coming. But I don't need anyone."
Ethan hesitated, then reached out, a tentative hand hovering over hers but before he could touch her she pulled her hand back.
"You should go" she muttered " Thanks for coming but it's really too late for you to do anything now"
Then she realized something. Her mom never told him what happened. She just told him she was at the hospital. How did he know what that what happened to her was done by Jonas and his friends.
"How did you know they did this to me?" She muttered quietly
David's head was bowed low. Tears dropped down his eyes. He sniffled.
"That posted a video in the student forum" he muttered clenching his fist "Those bastards posted what they did to you without any fear " He said with gritted teeth.
Amanda stared up and him. Her head ringing. Then she laughed, She laughed really hard while tears ran down her face.
She laughed and cried at the same time. Then after some time she wiped her face. Then she looked up at David.
"Are you angry? For me?" She snickered "Don't be .... I'm perfectly fine. At this point I no longer care about whatever they do" She muttered smiling "Thanks for visiting me... you can go now"