Remember Me

3. The Truth

The next few weeks I had the same routine. Go to school, go to the hospital, do homework, make dinner and sleep. I hadn't seen Nea at school for a long time, I was worried but I told myself,
I barely know her! Not that it made a difference. There was just something about her that bothered me, it was probably because I saw her at the hospital and hadn't known why she was there. I wanted to ask her if she was okay but it was like she just disappeared.

I came to school one morning, very tired from staying up to do homework after a long visit at the hospital. I went into the bathroom to splash water on my face for a little bit of a wake up. As I opened the tap I heard crying, it was so soft but somehow I could hear it. I listened at each stall for the sound of sadness but it wasn't coming from inside the bathroom. I looked around and saw a high window that looked over the schools back side verander. Running out of the bathroom, up the stairs, through crowds of people I got to the crying sound and I saw her. Nea, holding herself in foetal position. Her eyes were dark and heavy, her shirt soaked with tears and her face painted with sadness. I jumped over the balcony, landed next to Nea and handed her a tissue. She took it from me and wiped her tears. I put my arm around her, trying to comfort her as best as I could. "Nea, what happened?" I said with so much concern but she couldn't even meet my eyes, she just cried. So, I just sat there knowing she wasn't ready to talk.

The bell rang for first period, second period, third period, then fourth, then fifth and then sixth. I just bunked six classes I thought to myself and Nea cried for all six, should that even be possible, I mean how much water can one human being have in their body to cry for so long. I looked at her, she didn't look at me but out towards the hills behind our school. "That's how our school got it's name." I said, trying to start a conversation.

"What?"

"The school is called Crescent Hill High. The reason being it's surrounded by hills that form a crescent shape around the back of the school."

I gulped as she paused, looking at me as if I was mocking her. "Aren't you supposed to be new," she asked? I smiled a little before replying, "I used to be in this school. My family moved away and then back here," Nea nodded. Her sadly painted expression was fading a little, she was peaceful as she looked over the hills, with their beautiful greenery.

The bell rang for last period. I only knew because all the boys started piling onto the field for practice. Nea tried to stand up but she fumbled a little so I placed her hand on my one shoulder and helped her up. When we got back onto the second floor Nea's head sank, her face grew sad again and I couldn't help but ask why.

"Can you keep a secret," she asked with big eyes.

I hesitated before nodding. I didn't even know Nea, we met yesterday but after spending a day comforting her it's as if I knew her all too well. I readied myself for what she was about to tell me, I felt as if it would traumatize me if I didn't.

"I have anxiety. But the really bad kind. It's.......it's fatal," she said as though just uttering the words killed her.

I held my breath, hoping if I held it long enough all my questions would just digest but they didn't. So I just bit my tongue and tried not to be a blabber mouth. Nea looked at me, her eyes started to tear and her body started to shake. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug, feeling the fast-paced beat of her heart against my own chest. She was so scared and so alone, she didn't talk about it or didn't have friends to talk to. She would just sit there on the verander when she felt she couldn't take it, that's where she's been these past few weeks. I held her around her shoulders as we walked to the nursing office. The nurse stared at me like I was some alien, probably because in this situation I was. The nurse layers Nea down to sleep and sent me out but Nea spoke up.

"Can she stay with me? Please," her voice sounding shrill.

"I don't mind," I said hastily. I didn't mean to say it but I did. Something about Nea drew me to her. I was so worried about her life but I had so many problems of my own. The nurse allowed me to stay. I sat there, Nea clasping my hand so tightly that it hurt but all I could do was stare as she silently drifted off to sleep.