Everything Beneath Me

My First Day

I saw his eyes. His beautiful eyes. I will never, ever forget them, as long as I live.

Chapter 3

Today was my first day for a lot of things. It was my first day to volunteer, yes, but it was also my first day back at school with, ugh, Todd.

Right when I walked into the double front doors of the school, I knew something was wrong.

"Look! Yeah, yeah, her! Pathetic." Some plastic girl made no effot to conceal the fact that she was talking about me. I didn't really notice her face because she wasn't the only one talking about me. I could hear voices, everywhere. I turned around, half the people behind me were staring with smirks on their faces. The other half were trying not to laugh. I checked myself over; nope, no toilet paper on my jeans, I can't see my bra through my shirt, yes, I did not step in dog crap. What were they laughing at?

I felt very self-conscious. Help me. I prayed.

When my best friend Derek came and hugged me from behind, I thought God himself sent me an angel.

"Thank goodness! Derek! Help! What are they laughing about? Why is everyone talking about me? And don't tell me they're not, I know they are." The words tumbled out of my mouth, and if Derek understood them, well, it was a miracle.

Derek smiled uncomfortably. "Well, Cat,.."He let his eyes wander around the entrance. "It's just... Todd Wilcox is saying..." At this he closed his mouth and gazed at me.

I took his face in my hands. "Derek, tell me." He looked questioningly at me, and I stared back just as fiercely.

"Fine..." He said. "Todd Wilcox is saying that you tried to sleep with him but he found out you had Herpes and turned you down." Derek said all in one breath.

"Oh..." I suddenly felt very small. So this is what it felt like? This is what it felt like to be slapped with words. I felt a thousand eyes piercing my skin. Crap.

"Umm... " Derek shifted ever so slightly. "It's not true, right?" His eyes begged me.

I have to admit, even though I was in a huge problem right now, I busted out laughing. I laughed and laughed until I was crying. Derek smiled a half-smile and looked confused. The rest of the student body must've thought I was on crack! But I didn't care. I just kept on laughing.

As soon as I got the breath, I replied, "No, no, no. Ew, never. I don't have any diseases, and Todd is a butthead, I'd never." I breathed in and out, my moment of laughter gone as quick as it came.

"That's good." Derek said. "May I take you to class, m'lady?" Derek and  I once had a huge argument on how guys should treat girls, and well, long story short, I won the bet, so he had to take my books to class for the rest of the year.

"Of course, my dear sir."  I let him take my hand, and we walked to the dreaded English class.

My first day at the hospital wasn't as bad as it seems. I kept looking around the corner and over my shoulder every five minutes just to see if anyone I knew was there. There wasn't. I eventually just stopped and became more relaxed.

There was a whole floor of the hospital, set off apart from the rest of the building, just for burn patients. At the front of the hall, there were the "mild" and so on until the end where the nurses with grim faces say "severe" I kept hoping that these people, whoever they are, get out of here soon. This place reminds me of a funeral home.

Speaking of, there is actually a funeral truck that comes every Monday. I guess that's why I chose Tuesdays to volunteer.

Anyway, my job was to walk into the patients room, smile, hand them food, smile, say somethinig nice, smile, pat their should if they're not "severe", smile, then smile harder.

At first I thought it was easy, then the cramping on my face began. I feel sorry for these people, but they leave my thoughts as soon as my two hour shift is over.

Sometimes I'd find a nook or a cranny to hide so the two hours will waste away, but it's very rare when I do find a corner. And I especially do not want to get caught.

Whatever sources my mother was hearing from about Samantha volunteering were absolutely, positutely right. When I first walked in, she was lazing around on the sofa barely passing the food to the patient. I walked over and said "Hi." She flipped of course.

Once I told her I was volunteering at the Burn Hallway, she switched over to the Burn Treatment area, ( two hallways down) and decided she was going to do everything perfectly. Including to spend a lot of time gossiping about me to the nurses, behind my back. Great.