Running Out of Time {Barry Allen/The Flash}

⚡Chapter 2⚡^

REVISED- 5/11/18

*Nine years later from flashback(Making her 26).*

My alarm starts beeping. I groan and jump out of bed. Quickly, I make my bed before pulling clothes over my head. I grab a pop-tart out of my cupboard before I slip my converse on. I snatch my backpack off my chair before running out of my house, locking the door. I pull my keys out of my pocket and put them in the ignition of my sportsbike.

I speed down the street to the high school I work at. I am a co-teacher who works with the main science teacher. Soon, I pull into the school parking lot. I rush in the door and into the classroom.

"You're early..." The teacher I work with mumbles.

"That I am."

"You're always late," he says back again.

"I know, being early is a first for me." I smile. Then the bell rings, and first period starts. Students quickly walk in the doors, laughing and chatting with each other. "How was your weekend?" I ask them. I get many responses. I just nod before walking to the back of the class.

"What will we be learning about this week?" Asks the main teacher smiling.

"Thermodynamics..." I squeal. "Thermodynamics is a branch of physics concerned with heat and temperature and their relation to energy and work. It defines macroscopic variables, such as internal energy, entropy, and pressure, that partly describe a body of matter or radiation." I explain, smiling. I hear as the kids groan, but I just keep smiling.

"Why thermodynamics?" A student asks. "Why not Newton's Laws of motion?"

"Because you already learned them!" I cheer. "So thermodynamics..."

***

Then suddenly it's noon. When a class ends I get on my bike, and take off down the street. I pull into the parking lot of CC Jitters. I hop off my bike, taking off my helmet. I walk into the shop.

"Good afternoon! What would you like?"

"The usual please," I look at her name tag. "Iris," I say. I come in here every day, but I never pay any attention to her name.

"Coming right up," she says with a bright smile. She makes my coffee. "Here you go." She hands me my mug, and I pay her. Then I walk away and sit in a chair. I'm in my own world, listening to music. Then a nerdy looking guy my age walks in the door.

"Barry!" The woman- Iris- says. I just look back down at my coffee.

***

After the school day ended and I went home. I was in no hurry seeing that I had nothing to do but grade a few papers. Hopefully, I get a promotion soon, because the pay I am scraping up is barely enough to keep a roof over my head. I honestly don't want to move back home to Starling City with my grandparents. There is nothing wrong with Starling, it's just that I've gotten accustomed to Central City, so it would be a pain to adjust back.

I do have friends back there, and I do have connections- enough to get me a job, but I wouldn't want to do that. I'm more of my own, free person, and I don't want to 'use' people in that way. I like to earn my own money. I like to work for my money. As a kid, I would never let my family buy me things I wanted. Yes, they would buy me some clothes, food, and other things I needed, but I would buy myself other things. The extra, unneeded things I wanted. After my mom left, my dad had to work extra hard to provide for us. So when he died, and I moved in with my grandparents, it made it easier for me to provide for them, but mostly myself. 

I'm barely getting by, but I'm staying positive. I will not go negative in this situation.

I pull out my laptop and grab out the students' papers. I start grading them, and I turn on my television.

***

I finish grading my papers when I get a phone call from a friend I haven't talked to in a while.

"Katheryn Brown?"

"Yeah... Who is this?" I ask, putting my laptop away.

"It's Thea. Thea Queen." I hear over the phone.

"Speedy! How are you?"

"Not good. My brother has been poisoned or something by some plant."

"That's descriptive-"

"Stinging nettle. That's what it is... What is that?" She answers back quickly.

"That's gotta be fun," I mutter sarcastically. "Don't touch it. How long has he had it?"

"About five minutes," she starts. "We're already on our way."

"Dude, do you know how long of a drive that is? J-just stay there. It's not that bad. It's not a big deal. I'll walk you through the steps. Give the phone to Oliver," I say as I roll my eyes before I hear an exhale.

"It's not that bad. I'm fine."

"Yeah, yeah," I shake my head. "I know, but they think it's bad."

"What is it, exactly?" He asks.

"Urtica dioica often called common nettle or stinging nettle. Five of the six subspecies have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans and other animals. The plant has a long history of use as a source of medicine, food, and fiber."

"Okay. I didn't get half of that."

"I would have figured so. It's just stinging nettle. Okay, what I need you to do is not to touch it. So, rinse it under water for a few minutes- write this down. It'll hurt for the first minute. Okay, then wash it with a soap bar, then dry it off with a clean cloth. Then apply duct tape, apply pressure, then peel it off. It'll just remove any remaining fibers. If it didn't work, use a hair wax removing product."

"Okay, will do."

"Then, put aloe vera gel on it. You could put ice on it too, don't scratch it. Whatever. Simple stuff. You know, you could have looked that up."

"Yeah, well thank you. I know I haven't talked to you in a while, so this must have been some excuse then."

"It's just good to hear that voice again, Oliver. Maybe we should get together sometime."

"That would be great. Again, thank you. Bye."

"See you soon, bye," I say hanging up. I smile to myself, while I get ready for bed.