When Words Fail

Chapter 10

I woke up with white walls surrounding me. For a split second I thought I was dead. Then I heard Tish's whimpers beside me. She was sleeping.

My head hurts. When I reached my temple with my right hand it was then I noticed a dextrose attached to it.

I sat down and Tish got up too.

"Are you okay?" she asked me, voice full of worry.

"Yeah. So what happened after that bitch hit me with her laptop?" I asked.

"You fainted. I came in right before she hit you and I rushed to the professor I first saw. I'm glad Ms. Johnson was there." She sighed, then smiled, her braces reflecting the light, "Those mean girls are suspended for a week."

"Okay." Was the only word that came out from my mouth.

After a moment of silence, I looked at her and said, "Thanks."

She smiled and nodded.

I grabbed the glass of water beside my bed, in time when Toni, Luke and their friends came in.

"You look bad." Brian said.

"Oh. Thanks." I rolled my eyes before gulping my water.

"How are you?" Toni and Luke said, at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"I think I'm fine." I said, not looking at them.

I tried to get up to put the glass at the clinic bathroom, almost losing my balance but Toni and Luke reached for me---again--- at the same time.

"I'm okay." I said as I shrugged their hands off me.

I took a deep breath and made my way to the bathroom. I put the glass in the sink before I noticed my face in the mirror above the sink.

There was it, a swollen reddish welt above my left eyebrows and a nail scratch across my right cheek. It reminded me of something, like this happened to me a long time ago.

An image of myself came flashing in my mind. Ambulance. Hospital. With these same distorted face.

The glass fell in my hands.