Way Too Big✔️

32. Way too big;[ My heart was telling me; if you don't stop, i will.]

32.// Way too big;[ My heart was telling me; if you don't stop, I will.]

Elizabeth, Eric. Both began with an E - extraordinary, extra, Excell, Exceed, emerge, elite, endear, empire, extravagant, elegant. I could go on. If my vocabulary was good enough.

Then there was me, Naomi - N- Nah, nope, no good, never, nitwit, negligent, nonchalant, ne'er do well, no shit.

Mom and dad should have given me a name that begins with the letter E. Maybe I would have been as smart as Elizabeth and as athletic as Eric. Just maybe.

I wanted to sleep. I should sleep.
But I couldn't. All through the night, I stared up at my ceiling. Counting the boxes on the ceiling, 42 to be precise.

Thinking of my life. And how I have done nothing but make and attract trouble.

Probably, it's just best if I stay away from everyone. That way I'll stay away from trouble. With that in my mind, I stood up and got ready for gym classes.

Since I've lost everything, my phone, my family's trust, communication with my friends, my grades(not like it was anything to write home about before), I might as well just lose a few pounds.

***
By this time last week, Ruby was on this treadmill, running like something was after her life. And I was the one talking sense into her.

But now, we've switched stations.
I'm on the treadmill sweating profusely and running nonstop. Only that it isn't Ruby talking sense into me. It was Chris.

"Are you even listening to me?" Chris was exhausted.
He has been talking to me since and the only reply he has gotten so far is my grunts. As a result of this sudden sharp pain, I feel in my chest, that comes and goes.

"Naomi..." He touched my sweaty arm and I wondered how he's not even irritated. I can't touch a sweaty person.

The pain came again and I grunted. This time I felt like someone was squeezing my heart. It was as though my heart was telling me; if you don't stop, I will. But as the hard-headed and stubborn person that I am, I didn't stop. Even until I started wheezing, I still didn't stop.

Chris threw his hands up in exasperation, "That's it..."
He did the same thing I did last week, he unplugged the treadmill.
"That's enough."

As the treadmill slowly stopped, I slowly dropped. I was wheezing. My heart was threatening to explode. My breathing pattern, uncontrolled. I sunk on the floor in defeat. Then I began coughing. I coughed up a violent storm. Chris fetched me water from his gym bag and I gulped till the last drop. The coughing stopped but the wheezing continued.
" Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction" Chris sat on the floor next to me. Our backs leaning on the wall.

"I used to have it when I first started exercising. It's the narrowing of the airways in the lungs triggered by strenuous exercise. I was doing too much." He turned to me, "why are you doing too much? Just last week, you were on Ruby's case but here you are doing the same thing."

I flinched at the harshness of Chris' words. Suddenly angry with him and myself. I attempted to get up and get away but Chris was having none of it as he pulled me back down before I could even stand right.

"What happened?"
I scoffed, Chris is trying too much.
"You're sure you still want to hang around me, you really want to know what happened?" I paused, turned to face him, "why do you even bother? I mean, all I do is attract bad luck, cause trouble, fail people, fight. So why?"

"Cause I like you." Chris shrugged nonchalantly. Like we were having an everyday conversation.

My heart did a 360.

"There, I said it. And I'm saying it again. I like you."

"You what?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"I like you."

"Why?" I'm beginning to think Chris is being possessed by a spirit.

"Cause what's there not to like."
There was a way Chris was saying this so casually and grinning like an idiot.

"You don't have to say anything. I know you like me."

Which was not a lie. Don't be surprised.
Momentarily, I forgot all about my problems and smiled sheepishly
"You have an ego the size of Europe."

"I know, I know."

I chuckled, "You're crazy."

"Crazy for you."

***

Wolf whistling, drum rolls, clapping of hands. Everyone at the studio was chanting my name while I was taking several mock bows to match their energy.

It was the next Saturday at the gym. Chris brought me here to get my mind off everything. Since I was now an outcast in my own house, Elizabeth has refused to speak to me. Mom only spoke to me when it was necessary. Dad had been extra busy at the office. Eric had made it his new life mission to get on my nerves. He took each opportunity to infuriate me, it was like he was daring me to do something but, of course, there was nothing I could do.

Mom would have my head.

My room was my solace, I was locked in there most of the time except when it was time to eat. Since I lost my phone that day, there was no way I could contact Maximus.
If Maximus knew half of what was going on, he'd leave school and come here.
He'd stay in my room and talk to me, listen to every detail, ask questions, tell me it'll be alright. He'd even buy me a new phone.
Dad would have bought me a new phone too but since last week that the incident happened, he hasn't come home from the hospital. It's almost like he lives there now.

My anchor at this point has been Chris, ever since last week when he told me he likes me. I told him everything that happened at home with Elizabeth, Eric, and Naomi.
He had promised we'd go to the studio today, and we'll go to see Naomi at the hospital after that.

So here I was, giggling like a child because these people were hyping me too much. I did a freestyle and rhymed with every word they threw my way and by the time I was done. I was out of breath. Then the chanting, clapping, and wolf-whistling began. Their jaws were on the floor, Chris was smitten. Crystal jumped on me and hugged me tight, screaming in my ear. Telling me she's my biggest fan.
Tom asked for an autograph. Chris's cousin praise brought out minted notes from his wallet and sprayed me.
My heart was going to burst from happiness.

When the uproar slowly faded, tom said "you're lyrically inclined."

"Nah" Harry countered. "She's lyrically amazing."

My cheeks hurt from smiling, I couldn't contain my happiness.