The Heart of A Dragon Rider

Chapter 10: Truth

Hey guys! How was your Valentines Day? :D

Georgie Henley as Quince above.

Enjoy!

MAJOR EDITS AND CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.

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I could hear the blood pounding in my ears as I brought the white towel up to my face and buried into it, taking deep and labored breaths. Sweat trickled down my skin like water droplets on a water bottle sitting out in the hot, stuffy summer weather.

I felt warm, sticky fingers touch my arm and I lift my face from the towel and gaze at the source of the touch. My eyes fix on Leslie, one of my basketball teammates, who was looking at me with slight concern. "Are you alright?" she asked me, frowning.

"I'm fine," I replied back to her, shaking my head to rid myself of some of the heaviness beginning to cloud my thoughts. "I'm just sort of tired." My eyes fix on the game, watching my teammates move against the other team.

"Are you sure?" she mumbled, her eyes still on me though this time on the side of my face. "You're really pale, Faye. You look like you're going to be sick."

"I'm sure," I snapped unknowingly, followed by a wave of dizziness that made me have to hold back a loud gasp. "Really, I'm okay. Just need to catch my breath is all."

Leslie hesitated, her blue eyes looking from me to court as the coach called her on to replace another teammate. "Faye-" she started, running her fingers through her blonde hair.

"Go-" I insisted, waving her off as I sat down and folded my hands, taking deep breaths. "Coach called you on, you need to go." Leslie bit her lip, then with one more unsure glance at me she jogged onto court.

The game continued, but I didn't start feeling any better. My hands felt clammy and cold, but the rest of my body felt like furnace at it's highest temperature and my throat was dry. But I pushed it all way, telling myself it was a mixture of nerves and the workout the game gave me. Soon enough, coach called me back to court and I hurried to my feet.

I was beginning my way onto the court, and the girl I was replacing grabbed my arm with wide eyes. I knew her, vaguely, and her name was Noel. She squinted at me and said, "Are you feeling okay? You look-"

"Stop." I shrug my arm from her grasp, but she doesn't move to try and get my arm again. "I feel fine, really." Without waiting for her answer, I turn and quickly continue my way onto court.

The rest of it was a blur, but I'll recap on what happened. I had made my way halfway to get to my team, my legs shaky and my eyes locked onto the court with determination larger than ever. However, as I was approaching closer, my throat started to close and a dreadful sensation rippled down my skin that knocked me off my feet. Literally. I remember my knees giving out, and me dropping to the ground.

The room spun around me as my body fell forward and landed with a slight sharpness to my cheek when the wood met my face, and the rest of my body seemed to go numb. The sounds around me were heavy, but I could hear the echoing of voices and footsteps. Crowds of my teammates above me, coach trying to get my attention.

"Faye?" I peeled my eyes back open, forcing them not to close as the light hit my face. My coach was crouched above me, her eyes filled with concern and anxiety. "Can you hear me? Give me two fingers if you can.."

Her voice was fuzzy, and my hand was weak. But I managed to lift it and gave her two shaky fingers in the air while swallowing slightly. What was happening to me? I couldn't be dehydrated, because I've been making sure of that for the last week or so. It was probably exhaustion, and I stupidly didn't listen to my body earlier when I felt clammy and dizzy.. but those felt like dehydration side effects. Oh, what did it matter right now anyways?