Reaching for Rebecca

Chapter 59

RYAN'S POV

"Ryan!" I heard someone shout my name across the hall. "Bradley!" The voice got louder and I soon saw Mason bounding towards me – shoving people out of his way. I was instantly put on red alert.

"What?"

"Becca," he wheezed but roughly grabbed my bicep and started dragging me down the hall at high speed. I dropped a few pencils on the ground from the sudden movement but didn't care at the moment.

"What about Becca?" He kept pulling me but didn't answer. "Mason what happened to Becca?!" I realized I was close to shouting now and some of the other students meandering in the halls were giving us looks.

"Hurt. Kate told me. Landon's with her." For a split second I wonder how long he's been searching for me to be so out of breath but my mind goes back to what's important – Becca.

Mason finally releases my arm and I run right behind him and realize he's headed to the nurse's office.

"Thanks," I put my hand on his shoulder and sprint past before plowing through the door. Landon jumps up immediately and puts his finger to his lips as a signal to be quiet.

"What's going on? Where is she? What happened?" I whisper nonstop questions furiously.

"Sit down Ryan," my best friend states snappily.

"I need to see her. What's wrong?" My voice is steadily rising in volume, showing my panic.

Landon gets up once again and pushes me into the chair by my shoulders. "She's getting checked out. Sit down and be quieter for Christ sakes!" I try to fight him for a second but he's just as strong as me.

"Well can you at least tell me what the fuck is going on? Why is Becca here again?"

"After gym some of us got let early so the coach could talk to the footballers and cheer squad. Obviously, Becca was the only girl to get dismissed early so she was in the locker-room alone..." I felt myself stiffen up. "I was changing in the guys locker-room when Kate suddenly ran in screaming my name. She told me that Mel hurt Becca and so I ran to go get her." I leapt out of my chair and Landon did the same.

"I'm not going anywhere. Just keep talking," I seethed while pacing back and forth in the tiny makeshift waiting room.

"She wasn't conscious so I carried her here. Nobody else saw her in the halls and I told Kate to get you. I don't want to freak you out," I immediately stopped pacing and glared at him. "Her back was bleeding a little bit and Kate told me to be careful of her head. I didn't touch her hair or anything because I didn't want to make it worse so I don't know if she was bleeding there or not."

Just as I was about to freak out some more, the nurse entered the room through a side door which I immediately went to.

"You can't go in there!" she ordered but I wound around her and went to Becca. She was awake and crying, all curled up with her knees drawn to her chest. I had no words at all and just wrapped my arms around her tiny body. She seemed frightened at first but must have quickly realized it was me since her arms wrapped around my neck to pull herself closer. She hid her face in my neck and her sobs became much louder. My heart was hurting for my girl and all I wanted to do was run my hands through her hair or down her back but I couldn't. I didn't know what hurt. I reached under her bottom and lifted her up – her legs wrapped around me and I spun us so I was now sitting on the exam table and she was on my lap.

"Baby it's okay. I'm here." I kept repeating these words over and over in the gentlest voice I could manage. "You're okay Becs. I'm right here."

I still felt her crying a few minutes later but her body was no longer shaking from the sobs. Carefully, I pulled my head back to see her face and started wiping the tears from her blue eyes.