Complications

5|punchingbag

Tyla Bradley

I'm a bad luck charm. Somehow, in the last week, I've become a magnet for bad things to happen to.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. I didn't feel okay, but I'm not telling her that. Zoey had run off to class pretty soon after the bell had rung. Nurse Réiez finished helping me, I have a concussion and some serious bruising on my knee. She said to go home and rest, elevate and put ice on anything that hurts. Little does she know everything hurts.

Once the bell rings I'm going home and collapsing, hopefully sleeping off some of this pain. She wasn't really licensed to give me anything, especially at the school, and she didn't write me up an excuse to go home. I thought her and I had been buddies, apparently not.

Maybe, secretly, she's in cahoots with Silver. The thought makes me sick.

"You're not okay," Zoey gripes worry taking over her expression, "you're getting pale."

I roll my eyes and sigh, "I'm fine Zoe, really."

She looks unconvinced but nods and looks back at the teacher. She's droning on about the disclosure document we need our parents to sign. The idea of getting my mom to sign all these dumb documents makes me want to puke. Maybe than they'll let me go home!

After an entire day of the same thing, the last class becomes kind of tedious. From summer to this, yikes what a nightmare. I try to casually shrug off my jacket. Miss Phillis is known for keeping her room warm, and kids weren't lying. I can't get the dumb thing off without being in serious pain and looking like an idiot.

Why'd they make these things such a thick corse fabric. I tug on the sleeve and readjust slightly in the chair. The tall chairs in the art and science rooms are more uncomfortable than I remember them being. Earlier, in AP chem, I'd nearly up and walked out I was so uncomfortable and thus in pain. Which only made me think of Walker and Silver. I hate boys. Mom is right!

Silver did this only so I wouldn't forget him, it's just like him to want to stay in someone's mind even if it's pain bringing the thoughts.

Now I'm in ceramics and the pain and memories are all a new. I had wanted my first day back at school to be better. Supposedly there's a student co meeting after school but between lunch and now I've decided I'm not going.

I raise my hand, interrupting Miss Phillis talking about appropriate class behavior. I've heard this four times today already, it's all the same and, it's all overboard in my opinion.

"Yes Miss Bradley?"

"May I use the restroom?" I exclaim.

She nods and I slowly rise to my feet. As I pass, some of classmates give me looks of pity. I'm sure the news of my getting shoved down the stairs by Silver has been spread to the entire school by now. With him and Walker involved it's the biggest news of all. Their popularity dominates any familiarity people have of me. Some other expressions mixed in are from girls who approved of what Silver did. He is a chick magnet, I'm sure they're all dying to be his next 'girl friend'--victim more like. They hate me, and frankly, I don't care. You can have at it with that asshole. I want nothing to do with him!

I round the corner and halt when I see Walker. He's pacing, looks super pissed and there is no way I can be caught dead watching him. I back track and hide myself around the corner.

What are the chances?

Him and I never used to cross paths, we don't share classes, or hobbies, or friends, nothing. So why is it that suddenly I'm running into him all the time? This is not a small school, the student body is at least three thousand, and somehow I'm running into Walker Prince multiple times a day without meaning to.