Finding a Twin

Chapter 10 : School nerves

Chapter 10

A little while later...

Riker POV

The bell rang, and I quickly walked towards Jeff's classroom.

Please let him be ok...

Jeff walked out, and I grabbed his arm, making him jump about a foot in the air.

"Hey. It's just me. Calm down," I said, pulling him closer to me.

I could feel he was shaking. I led him down to the cafeteria. We had study hall, so we could just chill. There was hardly anyone here since this wasn't a lunch period.

"So how was english?"

"Awful."

"Why? What happened?"

"I hate it."

"Why?"

"Because I just do."

I sighed.

"Well try to relax. You have every other class except seventh with me. You'll be fine."

"Riker, I want to go home."

"Jeff... We can't until school's over."

He laid his head on the table, and covered his head with his arms.

"Jeff..."

I started rubbing his back slowly.

"Jeff, it's going to be ok. The first day's always the hardest. But you'll be fine. I promise. Come on. Sit up."

"No..."

"Jeff, come on. Please?"

I wrapped me arms around his stomach, and started trying to pull him up. But he wouldn't budge.

"Come on!"

Jeff lost his grip, and he came flying onto my lap, which knocked me off my seat. Jeff landed on top of me on the floor.

"Oof..."

Jeff got off, and sat down in his seat. I got up too.

"Everything will be fine, ok? Trust me. Is anything wrong? Do you feel ok?"

"My stomach hurts."

"Is it nerves?"

"Probably..."

"Try drinking some water. It might help."

"But then I'll have to go to the bathroom."

"So? Go between classes."

"I just want to go home."

"Jeff, you can't."

"I'm not going to be able to make it through the whole week. I can't, Riker!"

"Shhh... I'll help you, ok? Please don't cry."

I hugged him, but he felt so tense.

We just sort of hung out until the period was over. We didn't do much. Jeff was really stressed out, and just kept saying the same things. But then the bell rang, and we had to go to calculus.

I introduced him to the teacher again and everything, and Jeff sat next to me. During math, we'd get taught the lesson, and then we'd get time to start our homework, and we could work with other people, so I was doing it with Jeff. And he was like... amazing at it. Calculus wasn't my best subject, and I was actually sort of copying his work... Just a little...

And then we went to study hall again. It was a lunch period though, so there were a bunch of people in the cafeteria.

"R-Riker, n-no!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"I c-can't go in t-there!"

"Where? The cafeteria?"

"Please, no! T-too many p-people!"

"Ok, ok... Um... We could go to the senior lounge if you want. It's just a quiet room where only seniors can go. We can just sit in there, ok? Not many people hang out there."

"Ok."

I took him to the senior lounge, and we sat in the back of the room.

"So... You don't like a lot of people?" I asked.

"T-they m-make me have p-panic attacks..."

"Oh... Alright... Um... Have you ever thought about counseling or anything?"

"Riker, my parents would barely pay enough attention to me to keep me fed. You really think they would've considered counseling?"

"Ok, good point... But mom would. If you think it'll help, and you want to go, she'll find a way to make that happen."

"No, I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust people. I only trust you."

"Only me?"

"You're nice and you don't hurt me like everyone else."

"Jeff, anyone in our family won't hurt you. They love you."

"I don't know them, and I don't trust them. People would always tell me to trust them. They would gain my trust, and then they'd set something up so that I would get hurt. W-what if y-you're p-planning on d-doing that!?"

"Jeff, calm down. I would never hurt you. I promise. And I never break promises, ok?"

"You really won't hurt me?"

"No, Jeff. I promise, I will never ever hurt you."

Later...

Jeff POV

We had lunch after study hall, but I was too scared to go buy anything. There were too many people, and I was afraid.

Riker said he'd go buy us lunch, but that meant he'd being leaving me here all alone. I was vulnerable to everyone.

I was pretty much panicking inside until he came back with our lunches.

"Hey. Still ok?" Riker asked, handing me a sandwich.

"Yeah... I think so... Riker, I'm not going to be able to eat all of this."

"It's ok. Just eat what you want. You can wrap up what you don't want."

"Ok..."

"So next period you're going to be ok, right?"

"A-am I a-alone?"

"Yeah. We both have economics, just different classrooms."

"W-will you walk m-me there?"

"Yeah. And remember, if you feel like you're going to have a panic attack, just ask to go to the bathroom. There are bathrooms down all the main hallways. Just remember to look at your room number so you can find your way back."

"Can't we just go home instead?"

"No. Come on. You've made it through more than half the day. And we get to leave one period early because we don't have class. So you just have to make it through economics, and then you'll be fine."

"Will you come get me when class is over?"

"Yeah. I'll walk to your class, and then we can walk home. It's only about a 10 minute walk."

"Then how did it take longer to get here by bus?"

"Uh... Bus stops?"

"Oh... Right..."

"I know it's a little bit cold outside, but we only have to be out there for 10 minutes. It'll be even less if we walk fast."

"Ok..."

The period seemed to fly by, probably because I was dreading being alone. But the bell rang, and Riker walked me to my class.

I don't know if I can do this...