Overcome (My first attempt)

[flying_kiwifruit]

This is my first attempt at writing a story without my friend looking over my shoulder. Any comments or advice would be highly appreciated.

Overcome: By Natalie

Chapter One: What is Normal?

“I just want to be normal”
“What do you mean by normal?”
“You know Mr. Hoop normal, like everyone else”
“Mel no one is completely normal you have to find what is normal for you”
“But what I am is normal for me, it’s who I am“
“That may true for you now, but with time what is normal for and for others will change. It will only change though if you let it change, you have to make the decision to change no one else can do that for you.”

I hear the bell ring in the distance knowing that means I must go to class now, but I so do not want to because class is boring and so hard for me to sit through, with all those people around me. All those people judging me by my actions and words, I know that they all think that I’m stupid because I think on a different level to all of them. It is not like I’m disabled or anything, just my thinking patterns are so unique that everyone finds me hard to understand, well everyone except Callie, but Callie is different too because she thinks on the same level as me, as well as the same level as everyone else.

I slowly amble to class, not really wanting to get there because it is stupid English, my worst subject. Who cares about English anyway as long as it makes sense it shouldn’t matter if you use proper grammar or if you’re spelling is perfect. It’s not important in life, I wish we were taught about what’s important in life like how to tell if a boy likes you or not. Then again it’s not like any boy would ever like me, because I’m so fat and so crazy compared to other people in my school. I get to my English class and look around for Callie but then remember that she is not in this class because this is the dumb English class and she is in the smart English class.

Sir stands up to start the class and proudly announces that we are going to do a 1.2 practice. Sitting in my seat I let out a sigh, not another piece of “formal” writing to do. The paper with the topics on it is chucked onto my desk and as I look down at them, one seems to jump out at me. It looks like it could be fun to write about so I get out my paper and start to write “Reality TV is not close to real life because…” The next thing I know the bell has rung for the end of the period and sir is collecting in the papers. I mutter underneath my breath “wow for once English was actually fun”. Its lunch time now something that I hate even more than doing English work, I walk over to our usual spot where Callie and the other are sitting. I join them knowing that it’s about to be 45 minutes of hell for me but I can’t change that or maybe I can.

“Hey” Callie says cheerfully.
“Hey, what did you do in English today?”
“1.2, like always. Why do we need to do so many of them? They are so easy”
“Speak for yourself! They are hard but today’s one wasn’t too bad compared to the other we have had to do”

Callie turns around and starts talking to the other, now it’s time for another anxiety full lunch time. Oh goody.

 

[ThinkJesus]

I like your story! The characters are interesting, especially the main character. I would like to see what happens to her in future chapters. There are small grammatical errors, but who cares about grammar anyway as long as it makes sense. Of course, a publisher would care, but if you're just writing for fun, it's not a problem!

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Thanks when it comes to grammar if I was, which i proberly wont, to ever look at getting it published i have a friend who knows all that stuff to check it for me.

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Ok heres the next chapter, it's not as good as the first one it think but it is still alright.

Chapter 2: Parents
Yay, school is over and now it’s time for another exciting weekend, fighting with mum. Mum and me always fight it seems we have not had a civil conversation in months, because she just want me to work, work, work, when I want to live my life how I want to live it, not how she wants me to live it. It’s not her life, its mine.

The house is empty when I get home like usual because the folks work all day, and don’t care at all about me; it’s all about their jobs. I’m in such a foul mood right now and I know that means my father will just ignore me and pretend me and my problems don’t existed anymore. Mum will want to know what is wrong and I will give her the fake fine and be on my way.

Today is Friday it is my favorite day, except for Sunday of course because Sundays are awesome, church in the morning and then a couple of hours mountain biking in the afternoon. Mountain biking rocks you know the speed and skill of riding down the steep slopes while trying to keep your bike upright, and trying to stay on the bike. Well that was completely off topic, what was I thinking about again…ring ring… ring ring… oh what, the phone, properly just Callie wanting to know the homework or something.

“Hello”
“Hi is Mel there”
“Speaking”
“Oh hey Mel, it’s the nutritionist can you come in tomorrow as I have another meal plan for you to try out. This one is going to be better for you and less of an inconvenience to your family.”
“Another one, okay I will come in what time”
“About 3:30 ok”
“Ok see ya then”
“Bye”
“Bye”

Not another meal plan, don’t they understand that I won’t stick to them so why do they even try to bother. I mean I can’t help the fact the I hate food and that I think I’m fat. I can’t change the fact that I am considered to be “anorexic”. I don’t even like most of the food on a meal plan because it is all too fattening and if I eat it I will get fat and I’m already too fat. Knowing from the past I am guessing this on will be no different, six small meals a day and plenty of water, heard it all before. It’s all too much for me, but they won’t listen because I’m the crazy person who thinks that they are fat but apparently I’m not. How would they know it’s not there body it’s my body.

I hear car doors slam outside and then the dogs go nuts. Mum is home from work. That means my fun will stop; the work, fighting will start. It’s a good thing I will be leaving in 30 mins to go to my friends house because she want me to study with her.

 

[ThinkJesus]

I like chapter two too! We get to learn a lot more about Mel and what's going on in her life. Good job!

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Chapter 3: Concerts

The last verse of the last song played and I quickly gathered my things, grabbed my bike and got out of there. There was no was I was going to hang around and be social today, because today was one of my bad days where I just wanted to left alone, and I knew if I stayed around there was no chance of that. It one thing that is not possible at a concert, was that people won’t talk to you.

When I got home only dad was there so I ate a very quick lunch and got my mountain biking gear, yelled to dad that I was going biking and that I would be back before dark. I knew that dad would have no problem with this as he is pretty easy going, as he knows that my mountain biking to me was like cars to him, something that you could not live without. I got out to the tracks and decided that I was going to do some time trial work on one of the easier trails, I got out my phone and set the timer pressed start and took off like my life depended on it.

Whew, that was one crazy ride cause a tree branch had fallen on the trail and it caught me by surprise, unfortunately I didn’t manage to stay on the bike this time, so now I have a sore hip and a sore wrist, but that is normal for me these days considering how many times I have come off my bike in the last few days. Coming off my bike on these trails is normal for me, because I have only just started to mountain biking, but as soon as I did start I knew I was going to love it, for as long as I live. I headed over to one of the harder trails that take a little more concentration because it has a lot of ditches and it is a down hill trail, so now brakes were going to really get a work out.

I did a few more hours of biking that day and did not come off again luckily. When I got home mum had arrived back from work and as soon as I walked into the room she started to go off her head at me, because I don’t help around the house enough and that I’m lazy. Well excuse me I thought lazy people sat in front of the TV all day not doing anything and I just spent three hours mountain biking so that can’t possibly be considered lazy in my eyes.

Most days I wish my mum didn’t exist but then I get reminded that this family properly wouldn’t survive without her because she does all the shopping and house work. To be honest my dad doesn’t know how to housework properly just, the only thing he can do is cook and that is because when he was a lot younger he used to be a chef.

But I think he has lost some of his cooking skills over the years because all he seems to make these days are things like steak and eggs which is highly gross. Dad is ok most days he never complains about things unless he is complaining about mum which is just about everyday, these days.

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Chapter 4: Scars

Arrggg its Monday which means maths first period at least that will mean I can sit beside Mel and we will end up talking all period and getting into trouble but is normal for us to. I’m getting worried about Mel she been acting all weird lately and she never seems to eat. Plus the other day she fainted in P.E and had to go home I am starting to wonder if something is seriously wrong with her. What is she hiding from me? I hate it when people hide things from me.

Pheeewwwt goes the teachers whistle. Now it is time for P.E a class we both hate. We are doing the six minute run today my least favorite thing to do. I have decided I’m going to talk to Mel this afternoon about what’s going on because I noticed some even stranger things today. Something is defiantly not right I need to know what the hell is going on in that girl’s life. I have to talk to Mel no matter what she says because I’ve got a feeling she has been seeing Mr. Hoop the school counselor and no one sees him unless it’s serious. The next thing I knew it, it was time to head inside and get changed and go home finally.

“Mel, Mel wait up” she turned around and I ran up to her.
“Oh hey Callie, what do you want because I need to get home before I faint again.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about”
“Talk to me about what, there is nothing to talk about”
“Yes there is, look, just come to my place about 6.30ish and we will talk then”
“Ok but I am telling you there is nothing to talk about because I’m ok”
“Look just come, ok”
“Ok, ok what ever see you then?”

The minutes passed slowly until 6.30 anxiously waiting for that door bell to ring. I knew that tonight could be a complete disaster, but if I played it right maybe we will still be friends at the end of it. At least I hoped we would still be friends at the end of it.

Knock Knock, I jumped out of my skin I had begun to day dream but now the moment was here Mel had finally arrived. I jumped up and opened the door for here calling off the two ankle biters at the same time. Mel was more of a cat person. Today I was at my dad’s house which meant I would get some privacy to deal with all of this.

“Hey”
“Hey, can with get this I have to talk to you stuff over and done with. I can only stay an hour because I have to be home for dinner.”
“Ok but come into my room so we can have some privacy.”
“Yeah what ever”

We settled down and now I really began to get nervous.

“Ok I want you to come clean with me. Why do you keep feeling faint and what are those marks on your arms because I know something is up”
“Nothings “up” ok stay out of my life”
“Oh really then why haven’t you eaten lunch at school for the pass six months, you always say your not hungry but I can hear your stomach growling in the middle of class.”
“Ok do you really want to know because it is horrible and I’m not proud of it.”
“Yes that’s why I asked you to come over”
“Ok, well um yeah I’m sort of considered to be um kinda crazy because I’m um anorexic”
“That’s what I said but you asked ok”
“Yeah ok you just caught me off guard. I mean I was expecting something bad but not quiet that bad”
“Guess what it gets worse from there because that is not the only thing wrong”
“You going to tell me why you had cuts on your arm today in P.E”
“Yep”
“Actually don’t tell me I think I can guess that one now. You are a cutter aren’t, you. You are one of those crazy people who think it is fun to cut yourself”
“Yes I am if you have to know; now I’m leaving because you obviously don’t want to be friends with a crazy person now that you know the truth about me.”
“Wait… please don’t go”

Mel just stormed out of the house not paying one bit attention to me. This was worse than I thought, I mean I knew something was up but I didn’t expect this. Now Mel is angry at me and I just want to help her but I don’t know how to help her. Do her parents know? Who else knows? Questions that I wished I could ask her but most of all I just want to know why.

 

[ThinkJesus]

Pretty cool! Let's see what happens next.

 

[LordoflordsKingofkings777]

Got me interested.

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

This post has been moved into Chapter 4 so all the chapter is in one post



I may not put more up for a while as i am going to be really busy and peoperly wont have much time to write.

 

[ThinkJesus]

The story is pretty cool and I'm interested in where it goes. Yes, it's a busy time of the year! Maybe you'll get a chance to write some more over Christmas break. I'll check back later. Have a Merry Christmas!

 

[sinnerforgiven]

nice job! i'll check back too

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Warning this chaper contains a detailed description of Mel cutting herself.
Chapter 5: Ex-Friends

How could Callie do this to me, confronting me like that, I thought she was my friend but friends don’t do that to each other. Friends don’t force other friends to tell them stuff unless it is really important and this is not even close to important in my books. I hate Callie right now so I have no idea where I will hang out at lunch time but oh well her problem not mine cause I don’t need her friendship, I don’t need anybody except for myself.



I ran all the way home from Callie’s with tears streaming down my cheeks, when I reached the front door I opened it quietly hoping no one would hear me. I was lucky no one did so I just grabbed my towel and other stuff from my room and went and had my shower. The hot streams of water hit my back and I finally was all alone and no one could get me here, no one knew what this shower meant to me right now. It meant I would finally get some release from all the pain inside of me.

I picked up the small, shiny blade that I had grabbed out of my room and stared at it for a sec. I ran it along my arm a few times and then I got on with it and did it properly pressing the blade down into my skin until streams of blood flowed down my arm into the drain. I did this over and over without really realizing what I was actually doing, all I knew was that it felt good and it meant I could ignore all my emotional pain for once and just concentrate on what I was doing. I could just focus on the good feeling I got from this.

I finished having my shower while my arm just bleeds and got out to deal with the cuts. I looked at the bench where my first aid stuff is put and grab a gauze and a bandage and proceeded to bandage my arm so it doesn’t get infected because that is one of the worst things that could happen right now.

I got dressed and went to my room; I didn’t want to see anyone right now. I want to be alone so I could just write my poems. I may hate English but I loved writing poems, through poems I could say so much with very few words. I grabbed my paper and pen and started to write…
Red blood tears run do my arm,
Until I stop them.
I cant help the harm,
That overrules my life.

Maybe I could be different,
If someone would care.
To show me what I meant,
To them.

It wasn’t very good but it was the best I could do at the moment. I was so tired so I decided it was time to go to bed so I turned out the light and feel into a deep sleep, which even my parents could not wake me from as I am told. The next thing I knew it was morning and time for me to get out of the house as quickly as possible, I didn’t want to see my parents at all so I just grabbed my helmet, dressed and slipped out the back door, I knew my parents would go crazy at me when I got home for disappearing without telling them first but they can get over themselves.

When I finally got home, it was just what I expected my parents waiting for me so they could tell me off, not that I was going to be paying any attention to what they were saying. It was the usual stuff like don’t do that again because you are not meant to do, on and on they went. I just said Ok and went on my way.

​

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Chapter 6: Help​

Wednesday my favorite school day because we only have four real classes and life skills which no one does anything in and just uses it as a chat period. When I finally get my butt out of the door, I always have trouble doing that and to school, I was in a bad mood because mum was in a bad mood. it had worn off on me, unfortunely. When I get there Callie walks up to me like nothing is wrong and hands me this piece of paper and then walks off, not a word was spoken between us. I can’t believe she just did this, I mean can’t she get the message that I hate her now.

I can’t be bothered to read it right now, so I shove it in my pocket and head off to form class. For once school went quickly, and the next thing I knew it was lunch time so I headed of to the “northern pine”. The “northern pine” was where all the outcasts hang out, but it was the only place I felt welcome at the moment. I put my hand into my pocket and felt a piece of paper; I pull it out to realize that it was what Callie had given to me. I decided to read it just to be polite.


Dear Mel
About the other day, I’m sorry I reacted that way but it was a shock to me to find this out. I do want to be your friend no matter how many problems you have. I want to be able to help you if you will let me. I want to understand what is going on, so I know what I can do for you. I don’t want to see you to keep living your life like this.From Callie

I can’t tell if she is telling the truth or just playing around with me. She can’t be telling the truth, because no one ever cared about me, so why would she. I got my pen and paper and write a note back to her.

Dear Callie
What a load of lies. You never have cared about me, so why would you now. I can’t believe you would even try to lie to me about this.From Mel

I went over to the old hang out spot and give it to her right now. So I marched over there and slammed it in front of her, and then I walk away not looking back. I did not want to see her reaction to this, because I just did not want to know anything about her or her stupid ideas, of wanting to help me. No one could help me; I’m just a hopeless case.
The bell went for 5th period, which happens to be the only period I have Callie today, this should be good fun. Not. I walk into class and don’t even look at her, just walk past hugging my folder to my chest. I did not anyone to talk to me this lesson, not even the teacher. I slid into the desk in the back corner hoping no one would notice me there.
It was math so that was ok, because it is one of the subjects I’m good in, so the teacher usually does not bother me and just leaves me to it. The period flew by and the next thing I knew I was packing up my bag and heading home. To an empty house, again.

I walked into my house; the events of today were still running through my head, so I just turned on my music and started to write my poems. I wrote and wrote and then finally came up with something I was happy with. I read through it one more time, just to make sure it was perfect before I filed it away in my poetry folder.
Tonight it was my turn to make dinner so I got up, and started it so it would be ready when mum and dad got home. That is one thing that always bugged them, dinner not being ready when they got home. I was not in the mood for an argument tonight so I just did it.

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Chapter 7: Talk​

​

Ring Ring… Oh the phone I was completely out of it my own world, I get up to answer it hoping it not Callie.

“Hey”
“Hey Mel please don’t hang up”
Callies’ voice came over the phone, the last person I want to speak to…
“Why shouldn’t I, because have you rung just to yell at me more”
“No, I have rung to tell you I should not have gone off at you and called you crazy, actually. But by the sounds of it you’re not in any mood to talk.”
“What? You have but I thought you hated me now, so goodbye.”

I slammed down the phone. I could not believe this; she was now sorry for what she did and now she wants to be my friend. What going on here, I was horrible to her today. I don’t know what’s happening but inside of me, something was softening slightly. Maybe, just maybe she does care but I’m not getting my hopes up just to have them dashed again.

I hear a car pull up, oh [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] dinner is only half made because of that stupid phone call. Thanks Callie, now I’m in for it. Mum walks in the door and looks at the table and then turns around slowly, her eyes glaring the words trouble.

“Why is dinner not on the table, like it should be” She yells at me.
“Um, um because I got a phone call …”
“A phone call is that right, well we will fix that then you are banned from the phone for a week. That should fix it”
“But I can’t stop people ringing me” I plea.

But one look at her face and I know it has not worked, I scamper out of there to finish cooking dinner. Maybe if I don’t screw this up, mum will get in a better mood by the end of the night but I doubt it.
She woke up in a bad mood this morning; it’s not likely that she is going to snap out of it anytime soon. I finish cooking dinner and take hers to her. I place it in front of her and then walk off to get my own; I can’t bear to eat with her tonight, so I disappear to my room and hope I don’t have to come out for the rest of the night.

After I have finished I just put my plate into the kitchen and notice dad has arrived home. When did he get here, I did not hear a car pull up. Then I look at mums face, it tells the whole story. Dad crashed another car. I get out of there quickly before mum can start yelling at dad again.
I get changed for bed and lie down; I reach over and grab my MP3 player, so I can block out the yells of my parents. I can’t stand it when my parents fight, by the end of the fight I have normally been drawn into some how. Whether it is my grades or my attitude, it does not matter. It is about me, and it is never good.

Slowly the yells in the background die down and I dare to turn off my player and go to sleep, not that I will get much because by now it was midnight and I had to get up at 7 for school the next day. I turn of my light and try to turn off my thoughts but that was a little harder.
I don’t remember going to sleep that night because I felt like I had blinked and I was awake and it was already 7:30. Crap my alarm had not gone off and now I was going to be late for school, oh well nothing I can do about it now except get up and get moving so I won’t be too late. Time for another wonderful day of trying to sort my life out.

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Chapter 8: Friends​

​

I walk into school and take one look around, noticing that it seems that Mel has not arrived. That’s unusual Mel is hardly ever late for school, and if she is it is usually because she has gotten into a fight at home and it had made her late.
The bell for form class rings through the school, dam I was hoping to talk to her before school started, I wanted to talk to her and try to explain about last night. I did not hate her; I was just worried about her and wanted to know what the heck was going on. Why is she doing this to herself?

First period and still no sign of Mel, now I was getting seriously worried, what has happened to her to make her this late. I can’t help the thoughts that were going through my mind, thoughts of maybe she had killed herself, or maybe she had collapsed from not eating; and was now lying in a hospital bed. Then I see a glimpse of someone walking towards the classroom and I sigh with relief. Mel had finally arrived now I could stop thinking and start concentrating on class. The only way I was going to get to talk to her was if I slipped her a note asking her to meet me at one of the quieter corners of the school. I decided we would go behind the music room as no one went there anymore so there was a smaller chance of us being disrupted there.

I slip her the note and watch her read it, a worried look come across her face and she looks up me with why look on her face. I just smile at her hoping that will put enough comfort into her to show up. As long as she showed up I was going to be happy. I really wanted to talk to her and I don’t mean talk to her normally I wanted to know what was going on and why it was all going on but most of all I want to understand what was going on in that girls head. Mel is one of my friends and on of my friends that I never want to loose ever. I know sometimes I act like I don’t really care about her but deep down inside I did not that I wanted to admit that to anyone yet. The bell for second period rings and I pack up my stuff and then realized that that period had been a waste of time as I had not paid any attention to any thing the teacher had said. I did not really matter as it was math and I am not too bad math so I should be able to catch up especially since we were doing geometry and that is the subject in math that I am best as.

I head off to English. I knew in the back of my mind that this was once again going to be a class of no work. My mind was too distracted on what I was going to say to Mel to get my message across without offending her; because that was the last thing I wanted to do. I slipped into my seat in English and knowing that no real work would get done, I just get out my refill and pen so I can pretend to do some work. I start to doodle on my page, half dreading and half looking forward to talking to Mel, this could either make or break our friendship. I knew which one I was hoping on. Finally the bell shrills for interval; I jump up from my seat and make a quick exit from the room keen to get to behind the music room before Mel, assuming Mel was even going to turn up. I reach there panting to find that Mel had beat me there, that kind of made sense considering her English class is closer to there than mine.
“Hey, I am glad you showed up” A wave of relief went through me she had shown up.
“Well yeah, I wasn’t planning on showing up but I thought what harm could it do.”
“Well, I’m hoping by the end of this conversation we will be friends again.”
“How do you plan on doing that one.” She replied sarcastically.
“Well if you let me, I want to know some stuff, because I care about and I want you to be my friend no matter how many problems you have.”
“It depends, what do ya want to know?”
“I want to know why? And also what I can to do to help you”
A fearful look flashed across Mels face. She dropped her head and looked away from me. Then I saw the, tears glisining in her eyes. Oh crips I didn’t want to make her cry. She looked up at me.
“Those were fair enough questions. First why… Well um it is hard to understand, it is like I get so much emotion inside of me I can’t find a way to express it. So I cut myself to get rid of it all. You can’t do much to help at the moment.”

She turned around and walked away, I got the message that she had, had enough of talking. Thoughts were spinning in my head, how could someone who so smart at school become like this. It was time for me to do some research and then I would talk to her again.

​

 

[ThinkJesus]

This is still an interesting story! Thanks for the recent chapters.

 

[flying_kiwifruit]

Chapter 9: Others​

“Hey, did you hear. A new girl started today, her name is Steph. She is 2 years younger than us though”
“Oh, really that’s really interesting Mel” Callie said sarcastically.

Me and Callie were now talking just not very well, it was interval. We were sitting in our normal place for once; it was just like a normal day. I was being left out; Callie was stealing all the attention. I look up and see a young girl that I don’t recognize; it must be that new girl Steph. I get up and wander over to her, while not trying to look to imposing. I didn’t want to scare her off.

“Hey, you’re that new girl, aren’t you” I put on a smile and try to act friendly.
“Yeah I am. What’s it to do with you” Boy this girl had an attitude problem.
“Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to sit with us” Steph’s eyes darted to them group, eyeing them all up.
“Yeah I suppose so” she replied in a small whisper.

I walked back over to the table, and then yell. To everyone to shut up and welcome Steph into the table. She sat down shyly, and took off her bag. Got out her lunch and started to, I think so she would not have to talk to anyone at the moment. I went back to my book; I really wanted to finish it today. I wanted to know whether they lived or died in the end. The bell for 3rd period shocked me back into reality. I looked up and as Steph put her bag on, her sleeve of her jumper got pulled up, and she instantly pulled it back down. It was too late though I had already seen the marks on her arms, me and this girl had something in common, what it was is the disturbing thing.

For the next two periods, I could not concentrate. I was sure I had seen what I had seen, but had I. I spent the lessons just writing my poems, my favorite being Drowning. Callie asked to read it so I passed over the paper that had these words on it.

Callie passed it back with a half smile on her face; I knew that I had opened a new door for her then. A new door of understanding of the Self Injuries life. By lunch time I had decided that I would get a note give a note to her. A simple little note that would maybe make her open up to me a little more than she had. I sat down and opened my folder. I tried to write neatly as my writing is not the best.

Hey
I may be able to understand, what you may be going through. We have more in common than you may think. I saw the marks; I know what they might be from.
Mel

When she went off to the canteen, I got up and slipped it into one of her books. Now it was just a waiting game. My last period that day was Computers, I noticed something curious about what Callie was working on that period. We were meant to be doing a research project on the development of computers in the last 20 years. Sometimes when I looked at her screen that is not what her web page up was about. They were about cutting and eating disorders. This could turn out interesting; she was getting to know her stuff. Inside I was impressed.

I wondered how long it was going to take before, she tried to have another heart to heart talk with me, I hoped it was a long time because I was not keen for another one of those. They tend to turn out very badly for us. Although we may be close, we tend not to understand each very well. I guess this is because we are both not very patient and we keep interrupting each other.