Oddball

Chapter Three

RHEA

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I gave one last glance at the full length mirror on my wall. Taking a deep breath, I smoothed down the knee length skirt of my black dress. I tugged anxiously at my capped sleeves and attempted a smile. I don't know why I was feeling this way, I had never actually spoken to Sam before. But maybe that was it, a kid died because he was alone, because he thought know one could help him. Maybe it was because, I too knew what it was like to cop shit from Peter and Ruby. Maybe it was simply because it was Micah's brother.

The notification came through to everyone late last night, a simple message stating the "unfortunate passing of Sam". It is requested that all students wear black mourning clothes tomorrow for his service instead of uniform." It had been a very long time since I'd had to wear my dress.

They don't call it suicide of course, that would ruin the pretty picture the teachers try so hard to create. Or hide behind. The 'unfortunate passing' however, still feels somewhat like a slap in the face. He shouldn't have felt he had to kill himself. He was just a kid.

"Rhea! ya comin?" Lisabeth calls up the stairs. I sigh and walk down to her. Liss doesn't normally come into my house in the mornings before school, but we needed help organising funeral wear so she slept over last night. Consequently we are both exhausted. Lisabeth looks up from her coffee and gives me a weak smile. "You look like crap." she says in an effort to make me smile. I offer her a grimace.

She gets up and hugs me. "It's horrible I know, but if we don't leave soon we're gonna be late again and Miss Gray is not gonna believe my excuse, even if it is a different one, six days in a row." we grab our bags and head out the door. I carefully make sure I lock the door properly.

---

No one can say we don't cut it fine when we walked through the door of roll call as the bell went. Miss Gray eyed us warily, not bothering to ask for a reason. I didn't bother pointing out that we were actually on time. I stared at my feet as we shuffled toward our seats. I glanced up as I pulled my seat out and caught sight of Micah. I froze. Holy mother of shit. He looked dead. Or  rather how I imagined dead people looked. his skin was pale, for him at least, large puffy bruise like bags ringed his eyes from crying and lack of sleep. His hair was messy and unbrushed and his eyes we glazed over and unblinking, devoid of all emotion. He was in another world, one where no one could follow. But scariest of all were the bloody scratch marks on his knuckles, his neck and around his hairline. The sort of marks left by fingernails in a desperate attempt to focus.

No need to say that Ruby and Peter were still making out at the front of the class, as per usual. However today, Miss Gray was not having it. "Ruby! Peter! Pull yourselves apart and have a little respect! Yes I mean you Mr Gizmo, get up and sit over there if you can't control yourself. Get up, go!"

Peter grumbled as he moved but at least he did. He didn't have to sit there for long however, as the bell went for first period after a few minutes.

And the day begins again.

...

I didn't want to admit it to anyone, but my dress was beginning to become incredibly itchy. Third Period; the middle of the day. The midday sun beat mercilessly against my pale skin as the whole school walked towards the outdoor hall. I could see Lisabeth a few meters away from me, she was already burnt.

Sam's memorial was about to begin.

...

I shifted uncomfortably on my seat. Lisabeth had been unable to cut across so we were seated a few meters apart. I don't know what I expected to happen at a memorial, but it wasn't this. Because of Peter and Ruby, Sam had had no friends. No one spoke for him, no one went on stage and told stories about what kind of person he was. No one stood up there and said it was Ruby and Peter's fault, that they drove him to take his own life. Not even Micah went up there. I felt horrible for Sam.

Consequently, it didn't last very long

Micah wasn't on the bus that afternoon. I caught Peta's eye, she sent a silent message of anxiety. I felt like he knew I was looking for him. That in itself was enough to make me worry, what and how did she know? I smiled grimly and looked away before someone saw. At this point I would normally have turned to Lisabeth to discuss whatever the hell we end up discussing. I couldn't today though because she left early from school. I felt numb. Shocked. I didn't want to go home, I wanted to go to Liss. I wanted to help her. I needed her, and now she needed me, but I didn't know how.

...

It happened shortly after Sam's memorial. We had a two minute break to get to our next class. Liss wasn't feeling well and was walking really slowly.
"Come on Lisabeth! We're gonna be late!"
"Shut up or I'll puke on you!"
I sighed. She was so melodramatic sometimes.

I turned away to continue heading towards class when a bunch of Peter's cronies run past and deliberately knocked into the both of us, pushing Lisabeth to the floor. She cried out as she hit the floor, her leg bending awkwardly. A loud crack seemed to echo around the hallway and everyone held their breath...

And she screamed.

Of course, everything just went to shit after that. Kids yelled out to and at each other in panic, girls whispering and looking sick, boys pretending to laugh. Ruby ran off to spread rumours, Peter came over to sort out the problem the only way he knew how.

He punched her.

her head snapped back and I saw her eyes go wide. The crack wasn't as loud this time, but it was unmistakable. She didn't make a sound as she crumpled, almost folding in on herself. Since she was mute - and unconscious for that matter - I screamed for her, loud and high pitched. Someone ran for a teacher, the rest crowded around the two of us, effectively cutting us off from Peter. I was thankful for that if nothing else.

Ms Grey came over to assess the damage. the look of horror on her face as she walked off to contact the ambos was unnerving to say the least. I raced after her, even though I hated to leave Lisabeth.

"Miss! Miss! What's going on? Is Liss gonna be okay?" I was no doctor, I couldn't tell an arterial cut from a veinal cut, let alone the damage a punch in the jaw could do. Peter had yet to deliberately knock me out yet, he preferred to toy around and make a mess. Ms Grey motioned for me to be quiet as she called the hospital. "Yes, one of my students, at the Secondary Campus...Punched in the jaw, potential broken leg...yes probably damage to her neck, she went down hard...Yes she's unconscious...thank you doctor, I'll see you soon...Yes, thank you. Good bye." Hanging up, she turned to me. "They'll come as soon as they can, they're leaving now. Why don't you go stay with Lisabeth now, make her comfortable in case she wakes up?" I nodded and walked back, just barely catching what Ms Grey said next.

"God help her if she does wake up."

...

She didn't wake up. The doctors put her in an induced coma when she arrived at the hospital. Severe spinal and nerve damage, smashed patella, broken fibula. Those are bones in the lower leg. But what's worst of all, was what the x-rays showed up, what wasn't meant to be there. They were only mean to show the broken bones, assess the extent of the nerve damage. They weren't meant to show us the cancerous lumps wrapped around her kidneys and spine, because Lisabeth is not meant to have cancer. She's not meant to. She can't.

But she does. And it doesn't look like she's gonna make it.