Enigmatic : s l o w

t w o | t r i c k i n g

My teeth chattered as my drenched clothes clung to me, almost like second skin. I held onto my soaked poster board while trying to avoid all the stares. I could feel tears brimming my eyes, but it wasn't due to the embarrassment, no that wasn't it, it was more to the extent of the stares.

My social anxiety was already as bad as it got. I couldn't stand the stares. They were all too beady, watching your every move. Judgment. It was hidden behind all their looks whether they displayed it openly or not it was there.

"Oh gosh! Ebony!" The faint and familiar voice of my best friend had called out to me through the endless thoughts running through my mind.

Turning around I had tried my best to give her a strong smile to which she had returned with her own look of horror.

"What happened?" She had asked, her eyes wide.

Still chattering, I nodded my head dejectedly to which she seemed to understand as she pulled me with her towards the familiar halls as we passed different people.

We stopped in front of a room that displayed 'NURSE' in large bold lettering.

Pushing open the large door, Josie led me inside to the old nurse whose glasses were propped upon her nose and her lips stained with a dark magenta.

Her eyes widened at the sight of me as she jumped up in action.

"Oh goodness! Sit down, sit down darling." She urged before pushing me down on top of the bed. I watched as she began running all over the place grabbing different articles of clothing.

"What happened darling?" Nurse Jillian, I had read her staff card, asked.

"I, um, a bus pulled into a puddle and the water, it splashed onto me." I replied, the chattering down to a minimum.

"Oh lord." She exclaimed before handing me a large pile of clothing. "Change into these warmer clothes dear, wouldn't want you getting sick, now would we?"

I stared at the clothes, grabbed them, and headed to the restroom.

Taking off my wet clothes I let them drop with a plop on the ground and shrugged on the t-shirt and the school sweats given to me. I had stared at my reflection for quite some time.

My once tan skin was now a sickly pale color and my twinkling brown eyes a dull black. My hair clung lifelessly to my head and I couldn't bring myself to do anything about it.

Sighing, I picked up the heavy clothing and exited the bathroom.

"You can leave your clothes here, dear. Pick them up after school, they'll be dry by then." Nurse Jillian smiled sweetly.

I returned her smile with a tired one of my own.

"Ready to go?" Josie asked me.

I nodded in response as she took ahold of my upper arm and gently pulled me along with her.

"Oh and Ebony," I turned towards Nurse Jillian, "I hope you're doing better."

I nodded once again, in fear of using my voice.

As soon as we had left the room Josie began questioning me.

"So Ebony, I've been hearing some things." Josie said with a knowing smile on her face.

I raise an eyebrow at her in question. Things?

"What really happened this morning?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Nothing special had occurred this morning other than my embarrassment and my encounter with Rave.

"Mhm, yeah, sure. Rave? This morning?" She asked winking.