The Arabella Conundrum

Part Fourteen- The BFF Acquisition

It was me who normally walked away from Theo. It was me who normally stormed off. It was me who normally was horrible to him with words.

Why did he just storm off?  It didn't sit right in my stomach. He wasn't acting in character. I should have been the one snapping at him, that's the way it normally goes. He didn't normally blow me off and boy did it hurt more than it should have.

I frowned, deeply confused. Thoughts were racing through my head.

Why, why why. Why did he just say that? Why did he look like that? Why was he gripping his head like that? And why on earth do I have this urge to go and chase after him even though I was still mad at him for the other night.

I shouldn't care this much about what he was doing, I shouldn't care this much as to why he was holding his head in his hand and I certainly shouldn't care that much about him.

I sat there for about 30 seconds, tapping my fingers against the table.

"Arabella stop," Charlie whispered and placed his hands on top of mine to stop them from tapping. I paused, my fingers falling still.

"I have to go." I said suddenly.

"What?" Charlie asked. "Go where? After that grumpy boy?"

Charlie didn't sound impressed.

I didn't reply though just stood up, taking my bag and grabbing Theo's things too. I heard the teacher shout after me but I didn't stop.

I headed down the corridor and felt a sense of urgency in my steps as I raced to find Theo. I had a bad feeling for some reason. I wasn't sure why I did but I just felt that something bad was going to happen. I took the steps down the stairs two at a time and jogged down the corridor of the next floor and still didn't see him.

I swiftly raced down the next flight of stairs to the ground floor. I scanned the corridor and spotted the black haired stumbling boy heading outside down the steps. I broke into a jog to catch up with him.

"Theo," I called when I was within a few metres of him. "Hey, slow down."

He was surprisingly walking quite fast for somebody who was stumbling.

His figure did begin to slow down though.

It stopped.

He stopped.

I saw him.

I could see what was happening.

I was frozen though, I couldn't move as I watched it unfold in front of me.

It was like the world had turned into slow motion. An awful slow motion movie that you cannot get out of.

His body came cascading down to the floor as his limbs gave up all the support they had for him. Suddenly everything seemed to speed up as he slammed into the ground with a loud thud.

"THEO!" I screamed as his body lying on the floor began to convulse and shake.

No. No. No. immediately the worst came into my head. The thoughts were racing and racing. I can't do this, I cannot watch again... I scrambled to the floor and took his head in my lap as his body continued to spasm.

With all his moving I saw a dog tag around his neck. A medical dog tag. I managed to grab a hold of it and realisation suddenly dawned on me.

Epilepsy.

It is epilepsy. Just phone 999, get help, he'll be ok. I dug my hand into my pocket and retrieved my phone. I dialled 999 and rummaged around his bag for any medication that would make him any better.