I Can't Breathe

Ch 2

"Mom..." I yell so she can hear me from downstairs, no reply. "Mom?" I yell again but louder this time. Still no reply. "MOM!" I yell at the top of my lungs (Literally) I start to cough. Yelling, I think to myself, is not good for the lungs. 

"Alex?" I hear my mom call. "ALEX!" She screams as she's running up the stairs. She bursts through the door while saying, "Alexandria, honey, whats wrong, are you okay?"

"Yes mom, I'm fine." I say whith a sigh.You see, this is why I can't feel normal in this house, my parents are paranoid that something is always wrong.

"Alex, you can't worry me like that. I just got out of the tub" she says, gesturing to her body, wrapped in a towel, her blonde hair wet and dangling just above her shoulders.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I say only half meaning it. "I needed to ask you something." I continue

"It's alright sweetheart, what do you need?" she asks. The panic, now drained from her face, a look of worry replacing it.

" I was wondering if I could drive to the pep rally and football game tonight." I blurt out. I know the answer already, but it's worth a try.

"Alex..." she starts to say but I cut her off.

"I want to drive only because Hanna's moms car is in the shop, Jordanna keeps failing her driving test and Morgan's parents took her licence away after she missed curfew last time, I'm the only one who can drive and I really want to go tonight. Pretty please..." I say, pulling out my best puppy dog eyes.

"I... Fine" she says with a sigh " But you know the rules, obey the laws of the road, if something starts to hurt go straight to the hospital and call us from there and back by eleven, call us if you'll be later. Okay?"

"Okay!" I say excitedly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!" I blurt rapidly and get up and give her a hug. It's rare that I ever get this much freedom.

"Okay, but hurry up if you want to be there on time you have to leave in half an hour" she says, a smile creeping up on her face.

"Okay, thank you again!" I squeal 

"Get going!" she says with a laugh

"Okay" I say and grab my water proof oxygen concentrator and run hop in the shower. 

I turn it on. The hot water feels good on my cold skin. I wash my hair and body and get out. I wrap myself in a towel and go back down the hall to my room. I change back to my normal concentrator and I walk over to my bed and check the time on my phone. 6:11pm. The pep rally starts at 7:30 and it will take an hour to pick up Jordanna, Morgan and Hanna. I plug the hair dryer in and make sure that my phone is charging. I text my friends telling them that I can drive tonight and within seconds get replays form each of them saying they'll be ready when I get there. Then, I open my closet and grab a pair of leggings, my red shirt and my big grey hoodie. I go to my dresser and get a bra, some underwear and socks. I get dressed and check the time. 6:19. Perfect timing. I dry my hair and brush it out. I grab a beanie and pull it on. Then grabbing my phone, I run downstairs dragging my oxygen tank behind me. 

" I'll be back at eleven." I say as I grab my purse and the keys to the 4Runner. 

"Okay, have fun" I hear my dad say from the kitchen. The hear him closing the refrigerator door.

"Try and watch for Cole, okay." my mom says from her office.

"I will, bye" I call as I close the door.

The cold September air bites at my skin as I walk down the driveway to the 4Runner. I unlock the door and heave my oxygen cart in to the vehicle. I extend the cord and place the cart in the back seat, plug my phone in and close the door. I turn the car on and back out of the driveway. This is exciting, I think, I get to drive! I turn down the road and onto the highway. I'll go pick up Morgan first because she lives out of town, then Jordanna, then Hanna because she lives the closest to the school. Its a 20 minute drive to Morgan's house.