Back To Square One

⌑ Chapter five ⌑

I kept punching until someone pulled me off. It was my friends Zoey and Scarlette. They each wrapped their arms around mine and pulled me back with all their strength. They dropped me on the ground away from him, who had a bloody nose, a black eye forming, and maybe even a tooth missing with people swarming around him to help. My friends walked me over into the hallway and walked away from the cafeteria.

"What the hell was that, Alli!? You can't just walk up and punch someone! You could've killed him! 2 weeks outta school and you come back and get into a fight on the first day back! What the hell?!" Zoey yells, a mix of anger and worry in her eyes. "He deserved it! He was talking shit about Mackenzie! I lost it, okay!? He called her worthless! Nobody, and I mean nobody, can talk about Mackenzie like that! It's not her fault that she did drugs! It's not her fault that she died! It-" I wrapped a hand around my neck as I found it harder and harder to breathe, tears falling from my eyes. I desperately started trying to breathe and hyperventilating. I leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground, crying hysterically and wrapping my arms around myself. Zoey and Scarlette rushed to me, shaking my shoulders and calling out my name. Everything around me was muffled, I saw people talking I just couldn't hear what they were saying. Ringing in my ears got louder and louder by the second, and then it all went black.

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I awoke in the nurse's office laying on a bed. I looked around, but I had a splitting headache. I tried to sit up and I heard a voice from next to me that I didn't recognize. "Woah, take it slow, tiger. You just woke up from passing out, I wouldn't move too fast," the voice says, a hand on my back and helping me. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the person talking to me. As my vision became more clear, I realized that he was the boy who was smiling at me when I punched his friend in the nose. "Who...who are you?" I asked in a groggy voice, rubbing my head. "My name's Isaiah. I know the kid that you punched in the face. His name's Caleb. He deserved it, he's an asshole. What's your name?" he says, sitting down in the chair next to me. "I'm Alli. I feel like I'd seen you before. Do we have a class together or something?" I ask, repositioning myself in the bed to a more comfortable position. "Yeah actually, we have the same math class and science class," he says with a smile. I looked around and then back at him, "what happened?" He looks around for the nurse. She wasn't in the room though, so he looks back at me and says, "You heard Caleb talking shit about you and your sister. You got pissed, walked over, and broke his nose and maybe a tooth. You're strong, I'll give you that. Then your friends Zoey and Scarlette dragged you out into the hallway and you had an emotional breakdown. You dropped to the ground, ran out of breath, and passed out. You had a panic attack. When you passed out, Scarlette and Zoey tried to wake you up and I offered to carry you to the nurse. They sat here for a while with you but had to go back to their classes. My teacher doesn't care so I stayed with you. Thanks for putting Caleb in his place. He's been bullying people for years and was really stuck up," he says, interlocking his hands as he slumps over. I nodded and looked around cluelessly. "How long was I passed out?" I ask, looking at Isaiah. "I dunno, about an hour. It's 1:02 and I brought you up here at about 12," he says, glancing up at the clock. I widen my eyes and rush to try and get up. He shoots up from the chair and gets in front of me, gently grabbing my arm and saying, "Woah, slow down! It's fine if you miss class. The nurse called your teachers and let them know what happened, they said it was fine. You need to sit, you can't get up and move around." As I'm standing, I get lightheaded and fall back onto the bed, holding my head. "Are you alright? Alli?..." Isaiah's voice slowly fades away as I slip out of consciousness. Slowly, my eyes close shut.

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I woke up again, but this time I wasn't in the nurse's office. I was in someone's bedroom that wasn't mine. I widened my eyes, sitting up. I looked around. Yeah, this is definitely not my room. Where am I? I thought to myself as I started climbing out of the bed. I start walking around to see if I can figure out whose room I was in. I was surrounded by baseball jerseys and trophies and team logos. I bend over and look at a trophy that is sitting on a shelf.