My Will To Live

CHAPTER 4-School

I woke up the next morning with a raging fever. I got the feeling that wound could be infected. I decided not to look at it. There was red all over my tiny pillow.

Then I realised something weird. There was no sounds. The house was too quiet. Wait. Where were my parents? What time is it? To my horror, my clock read 10:00am. I was late . Like really really late.

I immediately rose from the bed. The moment I get up , I felt giddiness , but ignored it. I had to get to school or they'd suspect something. I hurried into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I could feel my skin burning but I ignore the fever.

There was no breakfast set out on the table.

I arrived in school for PE. The teacher ignored me. He didn't care about me. No one did. When he asked everyone to pair up , I was alone. He didn't even say anything . He said we were going to be running outside school, and we'd need to run with a buddy, in case anything happened to us. Obviously he didn't care what would happen to me.

Once we were all paired up, we started running. As soon as I started running, I knew I was in trouble. I felt giddy and ready to pass out any minute. I also felt completely tired, as if I'd run a million miles without even stopping. And I wanted to throw up. After running a few steps, I stopped. I had difficulty breathing too.

"Margie Danielle Arizona! Keep running or you'll run fifty laps on your own later!"

I decided to keep on running. I did not, I repeat, did not want to end up running fifty laps on my own. I had to try and run these three laps. Then I was safe.

Thankfully,I manage to run the three laps. When our PE teacher calls for a break , and everyone stops , black dances across my vision . Any movement of my head causes giddiness and my knees seem to grow weak and I just about keep myself upright. I can feel my hands shake and pain rips right across my stomach. A bead of sweat forms at my temple and I can feel the wound pulsating painfully .

The break is over and our PE teacher gets us to pair up. Christine decides to partner Wilson, so I'm left with Marjorie. The teacher decides to begin the net ball module. Before going to Marjorie , I adjust my hair so that it prevents the probably already bloody plaster from being seen .

"Hi, you're wearing your hair differently today." Marjorie passes the ball in a chest pass, and I thankfully catch it before it hits my head. I pass it back.

"Yeah, I decided to try something new." Shoulder pass. I jump and catch. Who knew that concealing a wound would make you good at net ball?

"Yeah, that's nice. Good to mix it up a bit...um "

"Margie."

"Yeah . Good to mix it up a bit Margie."

"Thanks."

We make small talk for the next few minutes and for the first time ever , I really genuinely talk to someone else and actually feel good . I probably used to feel like that, when my mom, dad and sister were still around. Now it's like someone took over my mom and dad's bodies. My sister had disappeared a while after the abuse started .The abuse had started from when I was nine years old.

I actually manage to ignore the pain from the wound.

The coach blows the whistle. We stop, and all get ready to go back to class.

"It was great working with you ."

"Thanks, you too Marjorie."

Marjorie goes and talks to Wilson, and the brief sense of warmth that I had with Marjorie vanished. My head aches , the world is spinning in disturbing circles and my joints ache.