A journey to change Autumn

25

Today is the big game. All of the dancers have to wear our jacket and pants. The basket ball boys have to wear a button down shirt, nice pants, and a tie. We get to preform our dance today. Fun. Note the sarcasm.

I get out of bed and put on my clothes. I eat and leave. On the way to school I go over the complicated dance in my head. Nervous for the day I don't notice that I am at school until I pass it. I turn around and look like an idiot doing so.

I get to my locker and grab my math stuff. I am too worried about the game to focus on always boring mathematical stuff. So I doodle on my desk for an hour. The rest of my classes where the same way. Boring and doodling.

Although in science I get to do something halfway productive. The teacher puts us in pairs and tells us to study over the periodic table. I get paired up with Tyler. We end up talking about everything but the periodic table, but since we are good kids the teacher doesn't care.

The bell rings signaling to move to the next and final class of the day. After 15 minutes of the last class the basketball team and the dance team get to go to the cafeteria and get ready for the game. We stretch while the basketball team talks. Then the team leaves. Our coach tells us to walk outside and around to the gym to warmup.

On our way there all of the team members start talking to Sam about something. I fall behind a little bit and don't notice when they stop until I run into them.

"Watch where you're going." some annoying blonde says.
"Sorry." I stammer
"Look. We have warned you once before and that was our last straw. Now you have to pay." Sam says.

You can feel the tension here right before the first punch is thrown. Hitting me right in the temple, I fall to the ground. A girl kicks me in the stomach a few times. The rest of the team try to flip me over. I say try but I really mean flip me over effortlessly while I weakly try to shake them off. They flip me onto my stomach and hold my hands and feet down. What did I ever do to them?

"You won't mess with me next time."
Sam says right before there is a sharp pain in the gash on my back. I see black dots but I refuse to let the darkness over come me. I act like I pass out to hope they go away. But I feel like I am lifted off the ground and set back down a minute later. It smells absolutely horrible where I am.

After I hear the last footstep leave I open my eyes and slowly sit up. It isn't as hard as I thought it would be. There is only a little blood from my back and my head doesn't throb that much. But I can see a bruise forming on my stomach. I stand up and see I am behind the dumpster. I walk around a while so I am not as sore. I practice the dance moves to see that I can still do them pretty well. I head back inside and see the game starting.

"Where have you been?!" Coach asks.
"I was in the bathroom." I lie quickly to cover my tracks.
"We are about to start in about 15 minutes."
Fun. The adrenaline is pumping through my body making me not be able to feel pain. I stretch for the remaining time.

"And now a dance from our dance team!" The announcer said.

That's us. We run into position and get ready for the dance.

Bum dum doo bum. The music starts. I do the dance like I am supposed to do with a fake smile on my face. I locate my family in the stands and Tyler on the bench. I lock eyes with Tyler as he gives his award winning smile. I continue to dance and we come to the middle to do the stunt. It takes us a few seconds to get in it but once I am up I start. I watch Tyler. Only wanting to see those eyes while everyone is watching me. After a few seconds I see a look of horror on his face. I don't notice what is wrong until I hear gasps and feel myself falling.

Pain is all I can feel as I hit the ground. I hear voices and one in particular. The darkness clouds my vision as I see feet coming towards me. But I remember that voice yelling,
"Autumn! No! Autumn!"