Chapter 4

Marley walked into the choir room the next lunchtime with a concerned look on her face. 'Has anyone seen Kitty today?' She asked before giving Jake a kiss.

'No, she wasn't in English with me.' Tina said.

'She hasn't responded in the chat either.' Unique said. 'I tried to call her last night but her phone was off.' Mr Schue walked into the room.

'Mr Schue, did you talk to Principal Sylvester?' Artie asked.

'I did.' Mr Schue set his briefcase down. 'Apparently Kitty just walked into coach Washington's office and handed in her uniform, said she didn't feel like wearing it any more.'

'What about Miss Pillsbury?' Unique wondered. 'Can she help?'

'She said there's not much she can do until Kitty comes to her.'

'So we're stuck?' Sam said. 'How are we going to help her?'

'Maybe we do what she says.' Artie said.

'What?' Ryder looked to him.

'Why don't we leave her alone and see if she comes to us on her own?'

'You think that'll work?' Marley asked.

'Yeah, what if something really bad happens whilst we're waiting on our asses doing nothing?' Jake added.

'Okay guys, let's just give her some space for now.' Mr Schue said. 'Keep texting and saying hello, but don't crowd her. She just needs to know that we're not going anywhere.' They were relieved when Kitty walked into the room. Marley smiled to Jake a little, maybe Kitty hadn't given up completely yet. They let her sit in the back and they didn't bother her, just like they'd agreed. And then they let her walk right out of the door when it was over, without a word.

Later that day Marley and Jake were walking hand in hand down the hall when they heard yelling. They turned the corner and saw a crowd of students gathered around something. There was a crash, the sound of a body hitting a locker, as they hurried towards the commotion. 'You're such a dick Tommy!' Kitty yelled after she pushed him.

'Woah, she's got some anger issues man, better watch out.' One of the other football players laughed.

'Just leave me alone.' She said. She tried to leave but Steve, the other football player, grabbed her arm. He hit a place where there was still a bruise and she winced.

'What's the rush? You're in glee club, you're not a cheerio any more. Why not give Tommy a little something to make to make him feel good. You can't get any more pathetic at this point.' He grinned as her palm came bursting up into his nose. She heard the crack and felt the blood spill down her arm as soon as she made contact.

'I told you to leave me alone.' She yelled just as Marley and Jake pushed their way through the crowd.

'Hey!' Jake yelled. He let go of Marley's hand so that he could stand in between Kitty and the football players, whilst Marley went to check on Kitty. 'What the hell are you doing?'

'Relax nerd.' Tommy shoved him in the chest gently. 'We're just having a little fun.'

'Yeah well, Steve looks like he's had enough fun for one day. Why don't you take him to the nurse.' Tommy looked at Steve and rolled his eyes. He was hunched over holding his hand over his nose as the blood started to seep through his fingers.

'Jesus Christ man, she's a little girl.'

'It fucking hurts!' Steve cried.

'Come on.' Tommy grabbed his hood and pulled him away. Jake watched them leave before turning to the rest of the students.

'Alright, show's over. Get lost.' He made them scatter before looking at Marley. She was standing in front of Kitty trying to work out where or if she was hurt. There was blood down her arm and on her shirt but Marley was pretty sure that was Steve's. 'Is she okay?' Jake asked.

'I don't know, she's not talking.' Marley said.

'Okay, take her to the bathroom by glee, I'll tell the others. Marley nodded and gently ushered Kitty away.

Marley checked that the stalls were empty before tending to Kitty. She started looking over her face. 'Did he hurt you?' She thought she saw Kitty shake her head but she needed to be sure. 'Kitty, talk to me, did he…'

'No, alright. I'm fine.' Kitty said. 'I was handling it.'

'I know, but we can all use some help every now and then.' She smiled and was grateful for a small one in return. 'Shall we get you cleaned up?'

'Please.' Kitty said. Marley began to run some water in the sink when the door opened and Tina and Unique came in.

'Holy shit.' Unique proclaimed as they saw Kitty.

'You didn't kill anyone did you?' Tina asked.

'No, I didn't get the chance.' Kitty smiled.

'Tommy and Steve were being assholes.' Marley told him. 'I'm pretty sure she broke Steve's nose.'

'Good girl.' Unique grinned.

'Are you hurt?' Tina asked as they came closer.

'He grabbed me pretty hard but I think I'm okay.' She assured them. Marley had started wiping the blood from Kitty's arm.

'Oh, here.' Tina handed Kitty a shirt. 'Jake said you might need this.'

'Thanks.' Kitty said as she took it.

'You can change here if you want to, the guys are guarding the door.' Unique said.

'You are definitely going to need to change. The blood is not coming out of this top.'

'Damn, I liked this one.' Kitty looked down at it and started to pull it off. She had one of her arms out before she even realised her mistake. She saw the looks on their faces. 'Shit.' She whispered. She quickly removed her shirt and put on the new one. Marley still managed to get a look at her protruding rib cage and everyone saw the bruises on her arms.

'Kitty, you said he grabbed you once.' Marley reminded her.

'Yeah, he did.' Kitty said quietly.

'What are the rest of those bruises from?' Tina asked. Kitty sighed.

'I can't tell you.' She said.

'Why not?' Unique asked.

'Because, it's not your problem.' Kitty said.

'If someone's hurting you then it most definitely is our problem.' Marley said. They all saw Kitty struggling internally. If she should let her walls down.

'I don't think I can say it out loud.' She admitted.

'Can you sing it?' Tina said. Kitty looked at her, so did the others.

'What?' Kitty asked.

'Sing us a song about what's happening, or how you're feeling. It might help.' Tina smiled. Kitty nodded.

'Thanks for the shirt, and for helping.' She said.

'Any time.' Marley said. They let Kitty walk from the room before heading off to tell Mr Schue their idea.

Glee club could not come quicker for everyone. They were a little shocked to see Kitty sitting at the back, the first one there. She smiled at them as Mr Schue came in and started the lesson. 'First, I have an announcement.' He smiled. 'Nationals is being held in New Orleans this year.'

'That's amazing!' Blaine said, everyone equally excited. Mr Schue started to hand out permission slips.

'You'll need to get your parents to sign these.' He said and Kitty was immediately deflated. Her dad was not going to sign it. She took it and stuffed it into her bag without reading it as they got on with the lesson. Just as they were about to wrap up Kitty stood.

'Mr Schue, can I sing something?'

'By all means.' He smiled. 'The floor is yours.' She walked to the middle of the room and took a deep breath.

'So I'm going to sing, I'm probably going to cry, and then I'm just going to leave okay?' She looked around the room and got a few nods. The music began to play and she started to sing;

She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holdin' back
Wearin' the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with linen and lace

The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born

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

Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbours hear, but they turn out the lights
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes it'll be too late

Unique and Tina are holding hands, tears falling down Tina's face. Artie was trying to keep himself in check and the boys just looked like they wanted to punch something.

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

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

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

Kitty finished the song and did just as she said. She quickly exited the room as the tears slipped down her face.

Song - Concrete Angel - Martina McBride