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"Raleigh can you-" the teacher's voice gets cut off by my woozy state. My fingertips become tingly as the rest of my body goes numb.
"Raya!" I hear another female voice whisper yell at me, but I'm too weak to respond.
My head slowly moves down, and my eyes start to shut. I feel her hand reach my forehead before the desk does, and before I know it, I'm out.
She screams and screams, but I don't wake up. I hear her calling my name, but nothing moves. Wake up, wake up, I tell myself, but nothing changes.
It's bad, she's still screaming. Her hands roam my body, shaking me, trying to regain my consciousness; but everything feels fuzzy.
She becomes louder and louder, but I still cannot move. Everything is black, like I am dead, but I know I am not. I have been here before.
The light starts to return slowly at a piercing level. "Raleigh! Come on, wake back up, you're still driving!" She screams through her panic-stricken state right as I regain my consciousness.
I don't wake up fully, but everything hits me at once. I'm driving a car. Fear erupts through my body as I go into shock. My first instinct to jerk the wheel becomes a reality, causing everything to go black again.
Waking up, I breathe deeply and raise my head from the hand beneath me. I quickly hide my face in my hands, shaking my head softly. I wish it was all a nightmare, but sadly it was all reality.
I feel a hand on my back. "Hey, Raya, you doing okay? You were breathing kinda heavy," I look up from my hands to see Athena's brown eyes search over my face.
I smile a bit at her concern and give a slight nod. Her hand leaves my back, and she runs her hand through her wavy hair.
"I know you haven't been to school in a month, but it's weird for you to have an episode in the morning," she whispers, twisting her hair in her fingers, "I mean- I don't know, maybe I'm going crazy." Athena sighs and glances away.
I slowly move her hand out of her hair, getting her attention, then respond, "it's okay, Mads. It's just been a lot, you know?"
"Okay," she smiles softly. She moves her attention back to the teacher and I look at her a second longer, noticing she dyed her hair a lighter chestnut color since I last saw her.
Athena is the only real friend I have had since the accident. She's the only one who truly understands how to take care of me, even after everything that's happened. Sometimes I wonder how she can deal with me and my fainting spells. Must be scary having a friend that passes out daily.
I take in the classroom around me and notice the majority of people turn their heads quickly from my direction. Whispers of rude comments fill the room, and it doesn't take long for me to feel out of place. I've been here for three years and it's all the same. People laugh and point and say awful things. I would be used to it, but I feel too vulnerable to get them out of my head. It doesn't help that I became the most hated person.
After a long hour, the bell finally rings, and the students rush out to leave. Athena and I take our time gathering our stuff because there's no point trying to get through the halls right after class ends.
When we head for the door, the teacher calls from behind, "hey Raleigh, can you come here for a second?"
I make eyes with her, then I look back at Athena, who gives me a nod. I walk to her desk, messing with the straps of my bag. "What do you need?" I ask, tilting my head.
