Caught

Chapter Thirty-Four

Heads turned to face me, worried expressions painted on their faces. My head continued to pound yet I tried to act like nothing was wrong. My brain felt like it was being hit with a hammer but I tried to play it normal.

Though the teacher noticed the pain in my eyes. "Lauren, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I replied, grasping onto my pencil tightly. "Really, I'm fine," I add when she, along with half the class, gives me an odd face. "It's just a small headache, I get them all the time. It'll pass."

I do get headaches. But they aren't usually small.

"You're welcome to head to the nurse's office if you aren't-"

"Ms. C, I'm fine. Continue with your lesson," I state, trying to hide the pain. I wasn't going to end up in the nurse's office on my first day here. I also don't plan on going to visit any doctors or nurses at my time here. I've had enough in my lifetime.

The woman pursed her lips, unsure, yet turned around and continued her lesson. While she explained the guidelines for their spoken word poem, my head continued to cause me pain. I held the pencil a bit to tightly, for it snapped in my hand, making a few students close to me turn their heads.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cole asked, touch my hand. He smooth skin brushed on my hand before I pulled away. "You don't look too well."

I closed my eyes, burying my face on my hands. I could barely handle the pain. Why now? What's even going on?

And that's when my mind took me elsewhere.

Images and scenes flashed in front of my eyes, but not of my life, like my visions usually are about. No, this was of someone else. Images of a young boy flooded in front of me. He had jet black locks and eyes the colour of hazel and honey.

The first scene: he was surrounded by two girls and a young boy. One looked a bit like him - long, dark hair and hazel eyes. She must've been in her high school years. The two others looked different, with brown hair and green eyes. They also looked similar in age, the girl possibly being a year or two older.

The two looked oddly familiar.

The scene changed. The boy was now with a man - tall, muscular and had a lot of facial hair. From the looks of it, the boy was being abused - a long rope was in the hands of the man and the boy had streaks from tears on his face.

The scene changed again. This time, the boy looked older, in his teen years. He was lying down on a bed, his eyes closed. The older girl from earlier was holding a little girl in her arms. The two young children were looking at the boy, confused looks painting their faces. The man stood next to the boy, holding his hand. All of them were crying, hugging and crying.

All except for the boy, who laid motionless and not breathing.

When I returned to reality, I found myself feeling much better. My headache was gone but I felt something else. When I removed my face from my hands, I found Cole with his arm around me. Helping me up.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, attempting to move his arm, but he didn't move it.

"You freaking blacked out in class, Lauren. I'm taking you to the nurse," He whispered back. "Now, start walking."

"I'm not going," I said, pushing him away. My head turns to the front, where Ms. C looks up from her desk. She gives me a stern look saying Go-Just-In-Case. I sigh, then say: "I can walk myself, thank you very much."

Cole grabs the note he was given that excused us from class and even offered to take my bag. I told him I could carry it myself, though he still grabbed it for me.