DISTURBED || Contest Entries... albeit false

Flight || #Panic

She always hated crowds. 

She liked summer, between the free time, the pleasantly warm days and the cool nights, but this one day was the biggest hurdle she would have to jump over before she could grasp her well-deserved vacation. 

Since a fiasco four years ago, after which her mother brought her home, she always told herself she wouldn't go to her senior graduation. Her parents had brought her here anyway. Here, to the school she was looking forward to leaving behind. Now, whatever she did, she couldn't leave it in peace. 

Her father would be furious if she didn't attend her own graduation. He tried to talk her out of her 'negativity' whenever she mentioned her graduation in an honest light. 

Her mother, on the other hand, wouldn't mind either way. Do what is best for you, she said. 

Now here she was, staring down at a page of her notebook. Scrawled up top was the number her mother said to call if she changed her mind. She told herself she would brave it out - mostly because that was what her father insisted, drilling the expectation into her head. 

But between her own panic, and her mother's kind words, she felt it hadn't been drilled far enough for her to stick with it. 

What a relief.

The rare respite was soon drowned out. 

The white graduation gown clung to her skin, the more sweat built up all around her. She sniffled and shivered. She fiddled with her phone and her notebook at once.

People chattered all around her. Noises grew louder and louder. No one turned to her. There was no suspicion of her train of thought. 

The noise rang through her ears, piercing through her peaceful, isolated bubble. She let out a screech and bolted away. 

She was sure no one heard her. 

Tears trickled down her face as her head slumped down to look at her notebook again.

There was the number. 

She almost never made phone calls to strangers. Her heart pounded in anxiety of the prospect. She blinked tears away, she shook her head. What could be the drawback? If she waited too long, she would be stuck here with no way out. 

One talk with a stranger, one-on-one, would be okay. 

It will be okay, she told herself as she dialled the number with shaking fingers. 

Someone answered on the second ring, a cordial voice asking for her current location. She drew in a breath, drew it out, recited the school's address. 

"Someone will be there in five minutes," the voice responded. The call ended there.

And suddenly, something turned on its axis. 

She hugged her notebook and laughed. She had done it. She had braved the short phone call, now she would be free to flee, to turn on her heel and leave, leave, leave... 

Her gown was torn off. She laughed again. 

Five minutes went by too slowly. At last, she stepped into a car waiting for her, the driver asking her where she wanted to go. 

She requested a store she liked, twenty minutes away from the school. She entered in the address for the driver and let them start up the car. 

The ride began. She smiled and turned on her favorite music, then turned to talk to the driver about something else. 

She would have to stay away from her house for a little while. It was no issue. Her father wouldn't notice, however long she was gone. She could always tell the truth to her mother and they could both be overjoyed. 

At last, she had grasped onto her summer.