Overlap

Chapter 42 (Bonus Chapter): Emergency Mode

<02/11/2011 - 14:01 | Saffrin Middle School (English), Austell, GA, USA>

"Right? Think about the way words are used on all of these advertisements." Ms. Dang was going on some tangent lifted from another student example regarding some magazine, though I was the last person to care.

Growling through my breath to try holding back my fury, this impossible perpetuating pulse defeated what little restraint I had left. "Grd fhking Danit!" Trying to jumble my words to resist cursing as loudly as I was to the class, my right fist came smashing down into my desk. My ploy was but a vain hope to cease what was happening inside me, and it did nothing at all.

My outburst attracted the class attention, stopping the lecture from Ms. Dang, but I knew already that I wasn't too much in trouble. Everybody in school already knows about this horrible condition I've been cursed with. I rested my whole face into the darkest pit of my arms held to the desk, my body trembling from the intense response of the pain. Everybody can tell just by looking at me that I have another tension headache.

This one is far worse than I imagined it turning into previously. It only started hours ago, and it's already at the pain scale of an eight, inching up to a nine. I have no further medications I can take, no further preventative actions I can try. Even the trick to stare at the light isn't helping me this time, though I never understood that recently discovered mechanic to begin with. It's too obvious by now that I'm done with it all. I'm absolutely finished today!

"Are you okay Mr. Reed?" Ms. Dang. stared at me, allowing the class to mummer at my spectacle, half of them in sympathy, half of them in pity.

I have no modesty left to give. I don't care if I'm about to freak out, or if my face looks like the transformation of an ogre. I don't care about anything anymore. All I want is for the pain to stop! Hurtful groans escaped me periodically, and I shook my head without lifting my eyes up. I knew I wasn't okay. I just don't know what to do about it anymore.

"Bonnie? Can you please escort Reed to the nurse's office?"

My whole body cringed at those words, not because of what was said, but simply because any amount of noise above a whisper felt like burning hammers having at my own brain. Without getting up right away, I knew Bonnie agreed, and apologized in silence for putting somebody else through this. I struggled to get out of my own desk and chair, since standing was going to require extra concentration from me.

It felt like I was seeing the world through a new pair of eyes, the kind that only recognized madness, darkness, despair, and frustration. I could only despise and hate everything. I could enjoy absolutely nothing! But at least at the nurse's office, I could lay down on that soft tiny bed waiting for my parents to pick me up. It was all the motivation I needed to get up on my own and move.

I followed Bonnie out of the classroom with my backpack, but once we were out in the hall, I had to bark at her to not get too close to me. She offered to help support my weight, since I couldn't seem to move in a straight line. My legs shuffled around slightly at intervals, making me look like I was drunk. The pressure and pain pounding through the veins in my head only made the task harder, as my vision randomly blurred in and out. I don't know what is causing me to hurt this badly, but right now, it feels like I'm about to die.

So, it was a long walk to the nurse. Bonnie asked me if this happens often. I really didn't want to even use my leftover energy talking, but since she asked, I gave her the short version of it. This happens to me all the time. It's never usually this bad, but bad enough to warrant me staying home. At least it wasn't a headache every single day. If it were, I'm sure I wouldn't want to live anymore... Yeah, all I have to do is sleep this one off, just like always.