Unforgettable

Part 37

Natalie

My mind's running a thousand thoughts a second as my pen scratches against the thin paper. Blue ink stains the white page, red lines dividing it into margins. The clock ticks, its green blinking lights telling me time is nearly up. I scribble one last sentence onto my page, dropping my pen. My hand aches, its bones cracking as my professors voice drones around the room. 

And just like that, sophomore year is done. And what a year it's been. From moving away from the place I'd lived at for 19 years, alone and worried, to feeling my most at home with a wonderful group of people, it's been a whirlwind of emotions. 

I stand from my seat, grabbing the small collection of extra pens and pencils from my table, sticking them into my pocket as I practically race from the room. I grab my phone from the box at the front of the room, smiling at my professor as I pass her. I push through the doors, my eyes trained to my shoes. I round the corner, my body practically begging to sink into a warm bath. I shove my falling glasses higher onto my nose, not realizing the large, tan colored object that's swung in front of me.

I lift my head the last second, just in time for the heavy oak door to slam into my nose.

Ouch. 

My hands move to clutch my aching nose, blood spurting straight out of it from all angles. 

"Nat?! Shit, I didn't see you there."

Casey?

I lift my eyes, looking past the swelling to see Casey, his mouth hanging open, his hand leaning against the door handle. The handle of the door that just swung into my face. Smooth...

"Ip s'okay." I mumble, the hold I have on my nose making my words sound distorted and weird. Casey places a hand on my shoulder as he swings his backpack off of his, digging in it until he pulls out a travel sized packet of tissues. He pulls a few out, pressing them towards my nose softly. I take my hands off of my nose, wincing slightly at the amount of blood covering them. I press my hands back over the tissues as Casey pulls my glasses off of my face, folding them neatly and carefully placing them inside his pocket. Panic is written across his face, his hands clinging to the sides of my head, a yell from the other side of the hallway grabbing my attention.

"Damm Casey, good job. Real smooth." Giving my peripheral vision a good workout, I spy Melanie walking towards us.

"I am so, so sorry." Casey continues, pulling more tissues out of his bag, sticking them onto my face.

"Weally, ips s'okay. Ips pine." blood continues to pour out of my nose, my voice becoming more and more weirder as the minutes tick by.

"Uh, hate to break it to you... but I don't think it's okay." Melanie interrupts, holding her phone in front of my face. She turns it around a second later, my horrifying face coming into view. My whole face is blotchy, a large cut peeking out from underneath the wad of tissues stuffed onto my face.

"Cathey, you Frankenstheined me." I reach out, poking the side of Casey's face. He looks horrified, whereas Melanie looks somewhat amused.

"Should we take her to the ER?" Casey asks, taking a handful of blood soaked tissues and dumping them in the bin next to us. He pulls out a few fresh ones, holding them onto my nose as he places another arm around my shoulder, leading me towards the door.

"Probably, she might need stitches on that cut." Melanie replies, walking behind Casey and I in the direction of his car. His keys jingle as we approach a dark fuzzy shape I presume is his car. The mystery object beeps, and Casey's arm drops from my shoulder to weasel the door open. He next has to physically sit me in his car, because I'm blinder as a bat without my glasses. Melanie snorts as she watches on, her casual, sarcastic laugh making the moment lighter. I can't help but join her in laughing, the whole bizzare situation seeming quite comical in the moment. Either that, or I've lost too much blood, and there's no longer any rational thoughts running though my head.