Girl Meets Closet

Chapter 23: Girl Meets Closet Door

------Jason’s POV------

This was it. We’d been home for a day, and already we were gathering everyone together to share the news. When I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE. Riley, Maya, Farkle, Smackle, Zay, Evan, Thor, Peter, and even Brandin, who had come up to visit Evan.

Come to think of it, it was kind of weird that all my friends had boyfriends. I guess birds of a feather really do flock together.

They were all waiting for me and Lucas inside Topanga’s (Lucas had asked Mrs. Matthews to reserve it for us, and she graciously agreed). But just as we’d made it to the bottom of the steps, my brain decided this was as good a time as any to have an anxiety attack.

It wasn’t that I was worried so much as I was terrified for Lucas. We’d already been alienated by one set of friends each (granted, he lost his for very different reasons). I wasn’t sure what I’d do if we lost another. That line of thinking made me lose all rational thought and break down.

I sat by the door, breathing shallow and fast, as Lucas did his best to calm me down. “Alright Jason, breathe in and out, nice and easy for me.” I tried, but all that was happening were panicked sobs.

“What are five things you can see?”

I looked around wildly, unsure of what to say. I was having trouble recognizing anything in my line of sight. “I don’t know, I don’t know-”

“Hey.” Lucas cut across me, moving forward to block most of my vision. “Focus on me.” My breathing calmed slightly and my eyes looked into his. “Good job. Now, what are five things you can see?” He stepped back to give me more space.

“The table, you, the bricks, stairs, the… uh…” I started to panic a little more.

“Good, good, just one more.”

“The flannel on your shirt.”

Lucas smiled. “Atta boy. Now, what are four things you can feel?”

That one was easier. My breath was slowing down, still shallow though. “Your hands, my heartbeat, the scratchy bricks on the wall behind me, and my socks.”

This time Lucas laughed. “Of course, we can’t forget the socks. Three things you can hear?”

“Your voice, the wind, and the people inside.” My heartrate was beginning to fall, and I was starting to see things more clearly.

“Two things you can smell.”

I sniffed, before starting to smile. “Ice cream and pastries.”

“Wait, really?” Lucas sniffed the air himself, before smiling. “Huh, vanilla. Last one, one thing you can taste.”

“A lot of spit,” I said, my breathing mostly back to normal. I made a face though, “and it’s not that good.”

“Glad to have you back, partner,” Lucas said, sticking out a hand to pull me up. I grabbed it and he pulled me to my feet. “Glad to know that that actually works.”

“You didn’t know if that would work?”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve ever used it before. I just figured it would be smart to have on hand after your last attack, in case it happened again.”

I smiled at how thoughtful my boyfriend was, before frowning again. “Sorry, Lucas, I just… I don’t want to lose anymore of my friends.”

“I get that,” Lucas said. “Believe me, I do. But they’ve been by our sides, even when we weren’t there for each other. They’ll still be there for us now.”