Simon "Ghost" Riley

It's not like your life is easy. Not far from here.

Growing up with abusive parents is not easy. Between alcoholic and drug-addicted parents, no other family and being isolated at school, life had been hard on you.

Everyone reacts differently to their life problems. For you, it was far from being the right solution: self-mutilation. Seeing the blood flow, the pain becoming physical, the feeling of doing something 'right', it was just too comforting.

But as I said above, everyone reacts differently. Simon Riley didn't have a simpler life than yours, but he didn't escape it the same way. He had decided to assert himself at school, to become a bully, to bully and hurt others.

He knew about you, everyone knew about you in high school.

You were always silent, in your own world, doing God knows what to avoid having social interactions. And he hated it. He hated the fact that you remained fragile. Because somewhere, it reminded him of his self at home, fragile and weak under the blows of his father.

That's why he had this cruel idea.

---

"Hey doll!" he stopped you in the hallway with a seductive smile, pinning you against the wall and reveling in the blush on your cheeks.

"I find you quite beautiful. Would you like to go out with me?"

Silence.

"...Yes."

---

Why would you have refused? He was popular, and handsome, and seemed so nice to you.

You spent pleasant weeks with him. Hiding together behind the school walls, chatting, joking, laughing together. Poor thing that you were, you had no idea what was really going on in his head.

Your love for him grew little by little. It was serious, you really loved him. You gave him little gifts with the little money you had, you allowed him to do things you didn't necessarily want, and you even forgave him for abusing your body because 'he was drunk'.

By love, for him.

---

Tonight is the prom! To please Simon, your boyfriend, you made yourself beautiful. You had bought a very beautiful but quite expensive dress after working hard. You also did your makeup using Youtube tutorials and you did a pretty hairstyle. Everything was so exciting.

Then you arrived at the ball. There was light, colors, and good food. You slipped between people to look for your dear Simon.

And as soon as you saw him, you wished you'd never found him.

He was there, yeah, in the middle of the dance floor, but passionately kissing Lila, a popular girl who often harassed you.

Your heart broke, tears forming in the corners of your eyes and disturbing the mascara on your lashes. You saw how his hands caressed her body and how they seemed crazy about each other.

He soon pulled away, and noticed you out of the corner of your eye. He laughed cruelly and turned to face you.

"Well what? Does it hurt?" he mocked.

“Seriously,” a crowd formed around the three of you, “did you really think I was going to like a nerd like you? Be realistic darling, no one would like a girl like you. I mean, what's special about you? Even your body is disappointing."

His words pierced your heart, and he didn't seem to care about the tears running down your cheeks. Months of hope and happiness reduced to nothing.