Hushed

Chapter Eight

Light breaking through darkness. Ah. Morning. Mm. I squint at the light and stretch in my bed. Nnnngh. Nope. Roll over. More sleep.

Then I see my clock.

Six fifty-eight---I'm goING TO BE LATE!!!!

Up from bed and run over to my closet. High waisted black skinnies with holes. Maroon halter. Lace jacket. I throw on a choker and a long gold chain necklace with a tassle on the end. Okay. Clock.

7:04. I run to my bathroom. Dry shampoo. Perfect messy bun and pearl earrings. Layers and layers and layers of makeup. Eyeliner is perfect. Dark matte lipstick and no breakfast. I slip black booties with fringe onto my feet. Time to go.

I run through the kitchen. Mum's gone to work already.

Down the steps down the steps down the steps steps steps steps steps steps. Finally I get to my car and head to school.

I get to school and start inside, heading straight to the auditorium. I always go to the auditorium because nobody goes in there. It's nice. I slip inside, avoiding being noticed. Breathe.  Clear my head of the nervous rush I get every time I walk around people. Whew. I turn towards the stage.

And stiffen.

Someone else is here. Standing center stage and watching me.

Dark hair. Tall. Muscles shown off by his fitted t-shirt and normalized by the dark jeans he's wearing. Lips that seem to twist up at the corners in constant mischief.

The gorgeous boy from yesterday. Oh no. Dread hits me like mum's punches. No don't think about that. You're at school, and you have the most loving, caring mother anyone could ask for.

Oh shoot he's talking to me.

Come on. You don't have to be afraid of me. I realize I was a bit forward yesterday. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I've never talked to anyone so shy.

How did he find me? Nobody has ever tried to come in here in the mornings. I thought I was safe.

You are never safe. Ever. Yes I know. I wish my mind were as silent as the rest of the world to me.

I won't bite, you know. Come here.

I look around, trying to ask him why he is here. He laughs.

I asked around and found out you come in here every morning, so I wanted to come hear you sing. His lips say and walks down the steps of the stage toward me.

Oh s***. Ah. Ah AH. Panic explodes in me, wrapping around my stomach. WHAT do I do? Snaking around my intestines.  Mmmngh. My stomach hurts all of a sudden. It creeps up the esophagus and spreads to my lungs and my useless vocal cords. Oh I'm gonna vomit. I realize I'm shaking my head. And trembling. Violently. And he...

He's worried. Terrified. The stage lights bounce off his brown eyes and I see the fear in him. He waves his hands wildly in a nonononono never mind motion.

I'm sorry. Don't sing. It's cool. I didn't mean to freak you out. Are you ofatubcd-- I lose track of what he's saying. Then I realize he's getting blurry.

And blurrier..

      And blurrier...

            Blurry and shadowed.

And suddenly I can't see anything at all. My eyes go as blank as my ears.