i'm with you, every step of the way

Chapter 8

After Thanksgiving break ended, everyone at school became really busy as there is only a month left in the semester and there seems to be a ton of activities going on. Natasha has been beating herself up over studying for finals and doing her semester projects and she has been getting less and less sleep lately.

"Nat, seriously, you should take a day off," Pepper told her after seeing her look as she entered the room. "You look like you can collapse any minute now," she said, concern evident in her voice.

"Nah, I'm fine, I just need to finish my history project then I'll take a long nap tonight," she smiled up at her, weakly, and sniffled. She felt like she's going to get sick. The weather has been horrible lately, with snow and the bright sun alternating.

"Okay, but I'm just saying that you need to take care of yourself too, it can't be all about school work," Pepper repeated and rubbed her back as she pulled down her beanie lower.

There happened to be a surprise assembly for sophomores and juniors that is mandatory for everyone to go and join during homeroom. Everyone groaned upon hearing that it will be some physical activity competition between the two grades because it's just way too early in the morning for games. Everyone reluctantly dragged themselves to the gym where they are blasting music and whistles. Not many students were there since everyone has different periods of homeroom. However, it's as if everyone Natasha doesn't like is there so for her, it really is torture. And what's even worse is that Bucky is absent today because he has a really high fever so it's only Natasha with Pepper and Maria huddled together.

Their homeroom class was to play jump rope, with the upperclassmen holding both ends of the rope and each one sophomore would play until they reach 5 and their classmate would go next, and so on until everyone went and they would switch.

This made Natasha extremely nervous because as it seems like the universe is teaming up against her, Sharon Carter and one of her friends were in charge of the rope. She knew once it gets to her, she will be doomed. Good thing it was in alphabetical order and she was somewhat last, but it gives more pressure to her because she needs to complete that or else the points of her team would be affected. Once it was her turn, she gulped- she knew she will screw this up.

"Romanoff, go!" the voice of Peggy Carter, the head of their physical education classes, called her up.

Natasha's eyes met Sharon's and she saw that there's a glint in the other girl's eyes. Natasha reluctantly started to jump along, counting out loud. The first three ones was good, but when it came to the fourth one, the rope was suddenly higher and faster, resulting Natasha to lose balance and she fell. The first to hit the ground was her hip and she felt her head hit the ground and she almost screamed from the pain that it brought her, along with the sparks in her vision. She heard some laughs in the room while others just stared, and heard Pepper and Maria run in her direction.

"Oh my gosh, Nat," Pepper gushed, leaning down to help Natasha sit up, while Maria was holding her back so she won't fall again.

"Can you stand?" Peggy approached them after silencing the class.

"Uh, I think so?" Natasha replied, and tried to stand but noticed that her ankle was swollen and she almost fell back down again, if it wasn't for Maria and Pepper holding her up. She tried to drown out the sound of giggles and whispers of "wimp" behind her.

"I'll carry her to the nurse's office," they all turned to look behind Natasha, where a worried looking Steve is standing.

"No, I'm okay, I can walk there," Natasha said through gritted teeth. The last thing she wants in the world is to be further humiliated by having to be brought away by, of all people, Steve.