You Make The Pain Go Away

Chapter 10: Sitting Duck

Chapter 10

The week began anew for Dana, her ever growing stress had been fleeting and frankly she didn't miss it. She stuck close to Clyde who, when he could spare a moment from his girlfriend Jane, would come and give her a moment of clarity in between classes. By the time she arrive back to Anatomy with Ms Queens her head was the most clear it had been in years. She'd noticed strangly enough that the longer she was with Clyde, the longer his effect would last after he had left.

"Hey." Someone was saying something. Dana continued packing her bag on autopilot, the thoughts of everyone in class began subtly shifting to,

Holy shit, it's Jane! She's talking to doe? Why's that pretty girl in our classroom? What does she want with Dana?

Dana heard, 'what is wrong with this bitch?' seep out of Jane Lows mind. Still on autopilot Dana swung her backpack onto her shoulders. Tightly securing the straps.

"Hey!" Jane said again and this time, Dana looked at her. The atmosphere changed for Dana, immediately she felt the unease of everyone around her, the nauseating smell of sweat coming from the students around her, and most of all Jane Lows who seemed to be rethinking her approach.

For a fraction of a second Dana had clarity in everyone's frozen fear and made the decision that could possibly save her from the most humiliation but would still shame her for years to come.

She ran.

Once her body kicked into overdrive and began sprinting down the crowded hallways it didn't stop. Her mind had gone the second everyone's surprise took over their fear which only gave way to more irrational emotions.

Sure, running wasn't the most beautiful thing she could do, or the most graceful. But in that fraction of a fraction of a second Dana knew that if she was numb and in the classroom then she would have to take whatever torment they did to her in ignorant silence. But with this, the farther she ran from the school, the easier it got for her to think and therefore she could fight back.

She didn't expect that once she gained a little more of her wits that she would look back and see 4 girls sprinting after her. Had she known that cheerleaders could run so fast she wouldn't have tried to make a run for it but as they all drew close to the highway Dana pumped her arms harder. She could think more clearly now but even as they approached the busy traffic that was speeding by she made the only choice she could, she sprinted into the 4 lane highway.

One lane in, a car blared their horn and swerved to avoid her but then she kicked up speed to narrowly miss another car from taking off her heels. Gasping for breath she took a final leap to dive to the other shoulder of the road. The downhill trench off the shoulder of the highway gave Dana the moments to tumbled down and hit the bottom with a thud.

She laid there, an ache in her side and a throbbing in her back. Her head hurt, and her face hurt, even her ankles on her shaking legs hurt.

A nap, I just need a small nap. Then I'll keep running. Then the world swooped around and Dana head lolled to the side.

There was buzzing, something was making noise under her. It was loud. A rumbling noise then a loud semi drove past. Light lit up her closed eyelids as she tried to move her arms to find the ringing noise.

"Ugh," she grunted then gasped when a sharp pain shot through her shoulder and radiated down to her side. Slowly she slid her right arm down to her side and tilted to retreive her phone from her back pocket.

She squinted at the bright light that her phone gave off, practically blinding her in the darkness that surrounded her. She clicked "accept."

"Hello?" She croaked.