Don't

Pains

The streets are strangely quiet today. No birds chirp and there are no cars driving to drop off their kids.
I narrow my eyes in suspicion as I walk down the street lit with orange streetlights.
"Hey sunshine," I voice startles me from behind.
I turn and Connor sits back against a black pickup truck, a roll of something in his hand.
He sees me eyeing it and tucks it a way into the pocket of his red sweatshirt. He smiles at me and points to me with his pinky.
"You done good last night. I owe ya. So here," he says, reaching into his pocket and throwing the small object at me.
I catch it in the palm of my left hand and bring it to my face. It's a tight roll of money, tied together with a rubber band.
I stare at it.
"Connor where did you get this?" I ask.
He shrugs.
"Does it matter?" he answers.
I don't dare to pester him any longer so I just shrug and look down at it, then put it n my backpack.
"I guess not," I reply, "thanks."
He nods and I turn to go to school.
***
When I get there, Jake is waiting for me by the front entrance. He waves to me and I can't help but smile at him. I walk beside him as we walk through the huge glass double doors.
"You feel any better?" I ask him.
He nod and shrugs.
"Yeah, a little bit. You got a hard punch for a girl," he says, laughing.
I can't help but grin.
"Yeah. But it's just self defense practice," I say.
He nods and turns forward. We start down the steps and suddenly I feel very dizzy. I wobble in place and my eyelids flutter.
"Amara!" Jake screams, and catches me in his Arms as is tart to fall.
I shake away the pain and become aware of a painful throbbing in my arms like a second heartbeat.
I slowly stand back up and push away from Jake.
"I-im okay, just a bit dizzy," I say, faking a smile.
"Are you sure? Does your head hurt? Gosh how can you tell anything with that huge sweatshirt on?" he questions, and begins to pull back the sleeve.
Panic snaps me back in place. I jerk my arm away quickly.
"No!" I scream.
Jake lets go and stares at me.
"I mean, no, that's alright I just need a drink of water," I stutter, walking down the stairs and into the girls restroom.
Jake watches me leave with unease, his eyes narrowed.
I flash him a hopeful smile and disappear inside the restroom.
I stand in front of the mirror and pull back my sleeves. The gauze I wrapped sloppily around my arms is soaked with blood and loosely hanging from my skin. I feel them off and dizziness hits me like in the side often head.
I wobble and before I know it, I'm laying on the floor, blood in a puddle around me.
Then everything goes black.