Crazed and Misunderstood
Sweet angelic faces. They smiled, entirely unaware. Of course, that wasn't true. Even Kelly Mitchell knew that was a lie, in fact, she knew it better than everyone else. They knew, and they hurt. They were in pain, deep agonizing pain. And all because of others. Because other people were hurtful asses. Zac didn't deserve to be picked on, Isaac didn't need to hide, and Taylor shouldn't have to cry. But she was sure that they did, and all because someone else, someone who couldn't appreciate them was hurtful.
"You don't have to say an insult to someone's face for them to know you said it." Kelly whispered to her pictures of Hanson, they covered every inch of her walls and ceiling. She glanced down at her body. There were scars in more places than she could count. Her arms, stomach, shoulders, even her face. She would hear or see or read something she thought would hurt Hanson and it would devastate her. She would hurt herself, thinking maybe she could transfer the pain that she knew they'd feel from them to her. "I don't want them to hurt you, I'll do anything for them to not hurt you. You deserve so much better than that."
It was a ritual for her to recite that phrase before she went to bed. "You deserve so much better than that." It would make a good song, she was sure.
"Hey Kelly!" Kelly had a ton of friends. All of them were Hanson fans. If someone wasn't a Hanson fan then Kelly wouldn't hang out with them. Not because they were bad, not good enough, or because she was discriminatory towards them, but because they just couldn't appreciate Hanson to the necessary level. Which meant they weren't the kind of company Kelly wanted to keep, and, thus, she supposed, they really weren't good enough.
Some people said Kelly was "over the top". Some people called her a lunatic. But that wasn't true, not at all. Kelly was simply devoted. She didn't want to the loves of her life to be inflicted with any cruelty.
But love comes with a price. "We all have to make sacrifices for love if you want it to last." Said the health teacher. "Do you think that your dads didn't stop going to the bars and having belching contests every night in order to please your moms? And don't you think that your mothers didn't stop complaining about their butts and their PMS in order to keep your fathers hanging around? Of course they did. In a lasting relationship, people need to compromise their habits in order to accommodate mutual needs."
Kelly had been a Hanson fan for four years; she had been nearly addicted since she heard Mmmbop for the very first time.
Kelly got permission to get a drink of water during fourth period.
She saw another person there and patiently waited. It was a boy, one she knew and his name was David. He looked up and wiped his mouth rather noisily on his sleeve.
"Ugh." She breathed.
"What's your problem?"
"Nothing, I was just waiting for the fountain?"
"There's something wrong with someone else taking a drink?"
"No."
"Only if they make you wait."
"No, I didn't mean that at all."
"Then what did you mean?"
She sighed, "Well, you wiped your water on your sleeve and made this slurping noise and I just thought it was, um, unusual. Most people, I see don't do that." She relaxed; pleased to think he'd accept her explanation.
"Who are you to tell others whether or not their habits are normal!"
She was shocked, "I'm sorry,"
"Yeah, that's right, Hanson fan." He spat the word at her.
She swallowed hard. Oh, Hanson. Please don't listen to him. "There is nothing wrong with being a Hanson fan."
"Yeah there is, Hanson are all fags."
"They are not! You're the fag. You can't even just deal with the fact that people like different music. You're a fucking asshole, I hope you burn in hell!"
"I'm a fag. Yeah, at least I've got a girlfriend."
"They don't have time to date!"
"Yeah sure. That's just a cover up, because they're ... FAGS!"
Oh God, poor Hanson. They'd never want to hear this. Don't you dare hurt them! She thought angrily towards David. "I'm going to make you regret that."
"Ooh, I'm scared."
"You fucking bastard!" She screamed, lunging towards him.
A teacher opened the door, "What is going on out..."
Kelly grabbed David's head and smashed it into the drinking fountain.
"You bitch! You God damned bitch!" He spit out into the fountain. "Fuck, that was a tooth!" He reached into the fountain to retrieve it.
"Young lady," the teacher grabbed her by the arm. "I think you should go to the office."
"I only did what I had to do."
"Was he attacking you first."
"Not physically."
"But you felt the need to retaliate physically."
"He hurt me and some people I cared about and so I hurt him."
"There are other ways to deal with this. You could have taken him to the counselors, or peer mediation."
"They wouldn't understand." Kelly looked out the window. No one understands. No one but Hanson and me. Hanson would thank me; they'd be glad I was saving them from pain.
"I don't suppose anyone would, when you're not cooperating." Mrs. Andrews the vice-principal stared hard at Kelly, there was something wrong with her, she was sure. It must have been that something in her eyes. That gleam Mrs. Andrews was so unfamiliar with.
"Why should I? I didn't do anything wrong."
"You knocked out three of his teeth."
"He deserved it."
"His family could press charges for this."
Kelly shrugged; the threat didn't affect her. I did what was right, what Hanson needed.
Mrs. Anderson sighed. "Alright, I'm going to have your mother come pick you up and I will phone her later tonight and explain in detail the situation. Maybe you'll cooperate with her."
"What? Why?"
"I'm suspending you from school."
"NO! I didn't do anything wrong!"
Mrs. Anderson shook her head and Kelly sulked in the corner, softly crying. No one understands. No one but Hanson and me. They deserve so much better than that. David never should have said anything. This isn't fair.
It was then her health teacher's voice came back to her "We all have to make sacrifices in order to make a relationship last." And then, Kelly understood.
"I did it for love."
