Bruised, Not Broken

Alexandra Rue S. Smirnov, a half Russian girl born in a broken and struggling family—who was bullied at school for the very life she never chose. Alexandra's father left them even before she was born, she was left to live with her relatives. The hardest part was not even the struggles at home—it was carrying those problems with her to school. Alexandra became an easy target for bullying. Her classmates found out about her family situation—how her father left them and how they barely had enough money to get by. These things became their favorite reasons to mock her. School, which was supposed to be a place of learning turned into her own personal nightmare. Alexandra started elementary school in a local school near their house. It was a simple school filled with children from different kinds of family. Despite the pain, poverty and loneliness she felt throughout the years—Alexandra never let her circumstances stop her from performing top of her classes. She earned praises from her teachers saying that not only she looks like a russian doll, she also has an impressive intelligence. Alexandra's accomplishments made other students become envious towards her. Some doubted that maybe she was cheating, some thinks it was just because of her pretty face that the teachers gave her an excellent mark in their subjects. Against all odds, Alexandra ignored every single word they said. No matter how hard they tried to hurt her or bring her down, she acted as if she heard nothing at all. She refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her affected. By the end of her elementary journey she became valedictorian of her class, even with all the mockery she received throughout the years, it became her motivation to prove everyone wrong and showcased what she can really do. Alexandra excited to tell her family that she was top of her class came rushing in towards the front door. "Auntie! Uncle! Look I made it!" Alexandra said with clear happiness in her voice But not even a single one of her relatives acknowledge her presence in the house, not a single one even looked at her, as if she was invisible to everybody. "Is it still not enough?.." Alexandra mumbles to herself, holding back her tears. She had been studying so hard to get high grades so she can make her family proud. However all she got was a silent treatment from everyone. Alexandra returns to her room with her hair stuck slightly to her damp cheeks. She gathers all her certificates in one folder, staring at it with her watery eyes. After a few minutes, one of her relative shouts " Alexa! Hurry up and eat dinner, stop being such a crybaby. Your certificates won't even get you anywhere, you should be like Maya, she's already making money" Maya was Alexandra's older cousin. She was 16 years old while Alexandra had just finished elementary, she was modeling and that is where her money comes from. Alexandra felt her heart sink deep into her chest about the constant comparison between her and Maya. She wipes her tears using the back of her hand and quickly fixes her clothes. She comes out of her room, only to find the dining table completely deserted, no one was there, and there wasn't any food prepared. "It looks like they have already eaten" she mumbles to herself, she is used to this already. She glances at the dirty pile of dishes in the sink. Her eyes drifted to a single canned food beside the sink, "Well I guess is my dinner" she said as she took the canned food and poured a portion of the food onto her plate. She sat at the table all by herself, she was already used to this kind of behavior from her family. Even tho there was still a faint ache in her chest, she no longer waited or hoped for things to change. Alexandra finishes eating her food. She walks towards the sink with her dirty plate in hand. She placed her plate with all the other dirty dishes in the sink. In this household, she was treated more like a maid than a family. She turned on the faucet and let the warm water run. Taking the sponge, she scrubbed each plate and spoon carefully, removing stain and leftover food. The sound of splashing water and the sound of the utensils filled the quiet kitchen. She washes everything carefully, as if washing away not just the dirt from the dishes, but also the heavy thoughts weighing on her mind. After washing the dishes, Alexandra went to dry her hands with a cloth and slowly walk back to her room, pushing the door shut. She laid down on her bed and took out her phone, she opened her social media apps—she was browsing for a nice school to start her highschool journey. After hours of endless scrolling, she decided to apply in a public highschool just a few miles from their house. She chose to not apply for a private one not because she can't afford it because she could have just applied for a scholarship, she was more worried she will get bullied again due to her status. Sumer vacation went by so quickly. It was now time for Alexandra's first day in highschool. Alexandra wakes up early to get ready, she grabs all of her things for the day, and arranges them neatly in her backpack. Alexandra's phone rang, Maria her Bestfriend was calling her. Alexandra picks up the call. "Hi Maria! What's up?" Alexandra asks as she continue to put her things in her bag using her other hand. "Heyy gurlll! You ready for highschool?!" Maria responds, a clear excitement was visible in her voice, to the point she was almost screaming. Alexandra chuckles softly at her friend's high energy, "chill gurl, I was just getting my things ready." Maria laughs, "okay okay, see you in class my dear bestie, and make sure to bring some snacks cuz if you are not going to get hungry well I will." Alexandra could not help but burst into laughter. Her whole face lit up, and her shoulders shook slightly with joy. "Alright Maria as you wish, see you later!" Alexandra hangs up the call. Alexandra walks out of her room to prepare her breakfast. It was currently 4 am, she looks around to find the kitchen quiet and empty. The dim light illuminating Alexandra's figure as she walks towards the fridge. She saw a leftover Adobo from last night's dinner. "This will do for now, maybe I just need to reheat it." She grabs a pan, turns on the stove and places the pan on the stove, pouring a small amount of oil. She waited until it was hot enough before placing the chicken inside. The rich aroma of Adobo quickly filled the kitchen, wrapping the place in a familiar scent. She served herself a portion on a plate, pairing it with warm rice and a glass of milk. As she ate slowly, reality began to sink in. Her mind wandered, filled with memories and questions. Would highschool finally be different or would it be just the same painful cycle as her elementary days. After eating and washing her plate, Alexandra goes back to her room. She irons her uniform quickly before puting it on, she then puts on her shoes. She lifted the heavy bag and placed it on her shoulders. It felt weighty, almost as heavy as the worries in her heart. She pulled the straps tight, holding everything close, and stood up ready to face whatever the day would bring. She left the house and took a public transportation towards her school. Since her auntie has not given her allowance yet, she carried the coins she had saved in her piggy bank just to survive for today.