How Not to Survive High School

Chapter 5 - Panic

Cricket, why oh why cricket! Indoors to! Split into two teams we were told half were batting and the others were fielding, (if this sounds wrong it probably is, at Grovewood they make up the rules as they go along) there were really far to many of us but like I said, they don't have any real rules at Grovewood.

"Darling, it's barely difficult! All you have to do is not hit anyone in the head! It's simple really!" Eliza tried explaining what to do as we waited in the que to bat "Oh look you turn, break a leg darling! Though not literally." I stepped to the batting post, I think that was what it was called, the bowler lobbed the ball toward and I swung. Actually hitting it! To send it flying straight for miss. She dodged just in time but I was already half way around the pitch, almost to the end! So close! SLAM! My hand collied with last post! To only find I had been out the whole time. Brilliant.

"You can't win 'em all Al," Mo sympathised as the teams switched, Jay had been laughing her head off saying,
"You should practice you aim, maybe you'd hit her head on next time!" Laughing it off me and Eliza wandered to our team. I was stationed to deep field as I'm a terrible shot, my hand eye coordination is all over the place! Eliza is probably one of the best though, so she was on post what felt like miles away.

Through the game I became increasingly bored, there were tons of others around me, most better catchers. Then there was the heat, wearing my jumper had definitely been a bad choice. So; bored, tired and hot? All adds up to a wandering mind! I was taken to a world where I a brave sorcerer was fighting a corrupted king in the land of limbo! When all of a sudden I was brought back to harsh reality.

You know when time seems to slow? That happened in that moment, looking to the left I thought it would skate right by, but no! Of course not! SLAM! I was sent backwards slightly at the impact, everyone suddenly surrounded me. For a few seconds, I'd say about 10, it didn't hurt, Jay said it must have been shock.
"Are you alright?"
"Why weren't you looking!"
"Allie!"
People were shouting in my ear before Eliza came rushing, "EVERYONE GET OUT IF THE WAY! AND STOP GAWKING, SHE'S NOT A DODO!" They all made way for her entrance. "Allie darling! Are you alright?" She asked worried, while others called miss over,
"Silly, silly, silly girl! AND THIS IS WHY WE ALWAYS CONCENTRATE!" The teacher shouted,
"I'm ok Eliza! Really, it was just a tennis ball.*" I calmed her down, pearing through the crowed I noticed miss telling Jay and Mo to stay back. I was ok, kinda. The pain had almost evacuated leaving a slight burning in its wake.

Miss went on a long rant about me not paying attention. And though before insisting I was fine, I now began to feel increasingly, I'm not really sure how to describe it. It felt like someone was clutching my lungs tight, not in a pain way, in a shortness of breath way. The world went dull at the edges, it's hard to explain it really, my mind is repelling me from remembering it, in a way. All I remember well, is starting to hyperventilate and trying to keep tears back, then quickly turn to Eliza, who now was refusing to leave my side, and saying, "I need to go, now."

In the changing rooms I imedietly burst into tears, at my shoulder was Eliza. Looking back it could have been worst. It was my first massive one of the high school, my biggest was in year 5, but that's another story, I'd had alot of relativity small ones in year 7 and one or two in 8 but this was scary. Staying in there would have made it worst, so it was barley anything. I would have been fine too if that annoying teacher hadn't called me out and used me as an example! To anyone who's had the joy of never having a panic attack before, this probably sounds like one of my many petty over reactions, and oh I wish it was. But, these are real, and they are very horrible. I'm sure at least some can relate...

*The school is to cheap to get real cricket balls.