I'll see you in another world...some day...

Chapter 1

          Today couldn't get any worse...right? As everyone in my school knows, today is the day we get report cards, the day every child dreads. Today is the day I have to do my art presentation. Obviously, people get nervous when it comes to presenting, but not me, I am terrified. Anxiety enters my body faster than my brain can process it. I can't handle doing anything in front of a crowd, it causes me to freeze up. "Bestie!!" and there is my snap back to reality. I turned around to see my best friend Lena running up to me. Lena transferred to my school from England two years ago, and we have been friends ever since.

     "There you are! I've been looking all over this bloody school for you!" Lena shouted, with a hint of fake hurt in her voice. I nervously rubbed the back of my neck, and let out a shaky giggle. "Yeah...Sorry about that Lena. I was preparing for our art presentation. I'm really nervous.." I soft-spokenly replied. Lena placed a hand on my shoulder and she gave me a soft look, the ones that a mother usually gives you when you're having a bad day. "Bestie, you've been practicing for this for 3 weeks now, I know you're going to do great!" she assured me. A shy smile appeared on my face, as I brought Lena into a hug. "Thanks, Lena, you're the best." I quietly spoke. "Yeah, I know." Lena joked.

     Lena walked with me to art class and was giving me a pep talk the entire time. I loved to listen to her talk, she always seemed so happy and bubbly and full of energy. It made me happy to see she was happy. The only time I've ever seen her cry, was when her girlfriend of 6 years broke up with her in her first year of high school. I felt bad for her, and I stayed with her at her house and comforted her the entire night. Now she has a new girlfriend, and they've been steady-going for 2 years now. "So, are you ready for the presentation now?" Lena asked. I looked over to her and shrugged shyly, "I dunno. I'm still a bit nervous." I replied. We walked into the art room, and everyone's eyes came on me and Lena. "Hello girls, I got the email saying you two were going to be a bit late, please have a seat, and then I will call out who will go first for the presentation." Mrs. Angela said. I'm the only one who calls her Mrs.Angela, everyone else calls her by her last name, but I have a speech impediment, so she allows me to call her by her first name, to make it easier on me.

     I sat down at my desk with Lena, and two boys at our table. Jamison Fawkes, the school's jokester, and Cole Cassidy Reyes. Mr.Reyes' son. All the girls in school swoon over him, for his southern accent, and the fact he can speak Spanish fluently due to his dad. He has a crush on a girl in the school, but he won't tell anyone, as he doesn't want any of the other girls to gang up on the one he loves. I don't understand why people love him so much, over his accent and the language he speaks. I do have a crush on him, but I don't love him because of that, I love him for his personality and his chubby body. Cole and I cuddle with each other during our study hall, as he runs his fingers through my hair, and tells me stories about his dad when his dad was younger, sometimes it makes me fall asleep, and sometimes they make me cry.

     "Howdy there Sky, are you ready fer yer presentation?" Cole asked me, to which I immediately shook my head no. "Nope, not even a little bi- ow!" Lena hit me in the arm while I was in mid-sentence. I rubbed my arm gently, and Cole chuckled softly. I sighed softly and pulled out my notebook to re-read my speech for my presentation. "Miss Morrison, it's your turn to present" Mrs. Angela announced. I felt all the muscles in my body tense up at once, as I slowly got up from my chair. I walked up to the front of the classroom and placed my book down on the podium. I looked around the room to see everyone looking up at me and my artwork. "Whenever you're ready, you may present, dear" Mrs. Angela announced. I could feel my heart thumping out of my chest, and sweat running down my face as I tried to get the first word out.

     "Skylar?" I don't think I could hear anything anymore, I can't even process what I was even doing anymore. All I could see was Lena, Mrs. Angela, and Cole running to me. I could feel my body dropping, but then everything went black. I felt at peace for the first time in my life, but why now? What caused this sudden rush of peace..? I tried to figure out the answer to that, when I woke up, in the nurse's office. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around to see Mrs. Angela, Cole, and Lena all talking with the nurse, but I couldn't hear them. I slowly sat myself up, but immediately laid back down after a rush of dizziness had hit me at that moment. Cole looked over at me and ran into the room I was in. "Hey, don't do that, yer in no condition to be sitting up right now." 

     "What...happened? Why...am I in the nurse's office..?" I asked, my voice hoarse. Cole looked at me, his eyes were red and puffy, and I assumed he was crying. He didn't tell me what happened, he just broke down into tears. I panicked a little bit, and I reached out to touch his cheek. "Cole...? What's wrong...?" I asked again. As I assumed, he did not answer me, and he continued to cry. Mrs. Angela and Lena soon then ran into the room, and Lena had taken Cole out of the room to help calm him down. "Mrs. Angela...please tell me why I'm in here...no one is answering my question." I impatiently demanded. Mrs. Angela sat down beside the bed I was laying on, and she gently held my hand in hers. "When I had asked you to come up to present, you began to lose color in your face. I immediately began to worry as you got up to the podium. You struggled to get the first word out, and when I called your name, you didn't respond. I began to see you sway, and that's when you collapsed to the ground. I tried to catch you in time, but I missed you, and you hit your head really hard on the floor."

     'That would explain the migraine I have..' I thought to myself. I tried to sit up again, and Mrs. Angela helped me in the process. Once I finally sat up, I looked around the room. "Don't worry about your project. I read through your speech, and looked at your artwork. It was a wonderful piece, and you received a 98 for it. I really appreciate your bravery in trying to present, but if you were scared, why didn't you tell me? I would've told you to stay after and just do it in front of me dear." Mrs. Angela spoke, her voice sounding soft, yet concerned. "I was nervous, most of my other teachers don't allow me to skip speaking in front of the class, they force me to present to the class, no matter how much I beg." I replied, and Mrs. Angela's face went from worry, to stone cold anger. "Mrs. Angela..? Are you alright..?" I asked quietly, but she didn't answer me, and she left the room. 

     I was so confused, why was everyone ignoring my questions today? Not even two minutes after Mrs. Angela left, Lena sprinted into the room. "Bestie! I'm so sorry for not checking in on you earlier...I was trying to calm Cole down. He's been crying ever since you blacked out. Found out, the cowboy has had a crush on you since you two were in Middle school. Wouldn't ya know!" Lena exclaimed happily. I could feel my face heating up, as I processed what Lena told me. "Wait...He likes...Me???" I asked, finally processing what she said. "Oh rats, I wasn't supposed to tell you that! Shoot!" she exclaimed. "It's alright...She had to find out one day or another..." Cole mumbled as he walked into the room.

     Me and Lena both turned to look at Cole, whose eyes were red and puffy from crying, and his hands shaking. "Cole...Why didn't you ever tell me...?" I asked quietly. "Because I was scared you were going to be just like all the other girls in this damn school! I thought you were only going to love me for my fucking voice and the fact I can speak Spanish! I thought that I would never be able to find love if anyone just swoons over my stupid voice! I fell in love with you, because you're cute, and you're nerdy, and I love when we cuddle in free period and you let me run my fingers through your hair and tell you stories about my dad....I'm scared that all the things we do...were just platonic..and that you'd just friend zone me....and leave me to rot alone..." 

     I didn't know what to say, but my body moved on its own, as I ran to Cole and hugged him tightly. Cole's body tensed in my embrace, but then soon relaxed, as he wrapped his arms around my waist, and he pulled me closer to his body. I rested my head onto his chest, as tears streamed down my cheeks, and into his flannel. I felt his hand rub up and down on my lower back, as he hummed quietly, in an attempt to get me to calm down. It did end up helping, as I slowly stopped crying, and I just cuddled into Cole's chest. We both stood there in silence for a while, his hand slowly rubbing up and down my lower back, as he hummed softly under his breath. For the first time in years, I have finally felt comfortable around someone. "You don't have to tell me anything...I think your reaction gave me the answer I was hoping to hear..." Cole chuckled out softly.