I'm Gone But You're Still Here

Chapter 16

The next morning, Valerie jotted down possible ways to pop her question. A true thought process went into finding the most strategic plan that would avoid any further conflict.

You'll be okay

You'll be okay

You'll be okay

An internal debate rampaged throughout Valeries' mind; a flood of negativity poured in. She swept her clammy palms onto her thighs to revert from seeming nervous. Obvious enough, though, her lungs began to give in on her, quickening her breath with every glance. Only to make matters worse, Olive happened to cross her vision, unoticing her friend.

Fuck

Better now then never

With one deep breath, Valerie shoved the crumbled paper and pencil info her pocket and set her eyes on Olive. Her thoughts rampaged as if a stampede had caught in her mind.

Do you take any pills?

Have you ever been medicated?

So, your father told me he takes pills...?

Her words choked in her throat as she made her way over. She thought maybe the fact that they weren't alone would help from any further conflict.

"Hey Valerie, didn't see walk over." She's been caught off guard, the words will be even more difficult to push out.

"Olive, I wanted to...we need to...it's important that we...uh"

Olive became confused, she was unfamiliar with Valerie acting so,strangly. Thankfully, it had no need to be pondered much longer.

"Oh, look at the time..."

Olive analyzed the time and thought to the pills jingling in her backpack.

"I've really got to go..."

Valerie simply nodded, washed over with the relief of the conversation, not bothered to skeptisize why she had to leave before the bell even rang.

Thank god...

SLAM!

Olive shook as she unfastened the cap of the bottle and spilled out a couple of multi-coloured pills. Slipping down the door, she sat and attempted to control the breath of her lungs.

Plop and swallow...

Plop and swallow...

Plop and swallow...

"Okay..." she sighed a gust of breath after swallowing the last gulp of water. Taking a few moments of air, she swung open the door and was once more exposed to the hallway. A bit loopy, Olive traveled to class, making it just in time for the bell. Her focus drifted in and out as the droning voice of the teacher buzzed.

It'll be over soon...

Soon, the lunch bell peirced, setting Olive and her classmates free of the classroom. A dizzy Olive stumbled to lunch with a spinning head; possibly a symptom. Once outside with lunch in hand, Olive took time to examine the symptoms of her new fix. She looked around the label with squinted eyes and careful fingers. "Nausa...dizziness...anti-"

It went without saying that Olive's new drug didn't seem to do much of anything besides give her an overwhelming yearn to vomit. Nevertheless, it's what's required of her to keep herself what people would refer as "sane".