Speaking Without Words

Ch. 3

I was barely awake and extremely tired but I knew there wouldn't be anymore sleep for me tonight. I looked at my digital clock. It was only 1:48.

Great, I thought, still five hours and twelve minutes before 6. I rolled out of bed and flipped on my lamplight. There was only one way to sleep again without dreams and that was to be so exhausted that I wouldn't remember going to sleep or nothing after becoming so exhausted.

I rummaged around in my closet and pulled on a sports bra, long-sleeved athletic shirt, and athletic shorts. I quickly slid on my running shoes and grabbed my phone and headphones. I silently slipped out of my room and down the stairs, skipping the second to last squeaky step, and heading to the garage.

One of the benefits of my parents sleeping on the opposite end of the house than the garage is the fact that they don't hear things that happen in the garage. I hopped on the treadmill and started off as a walk.

I went to set up my playlist and saw a banner across the top of my phone.

"Hey, how's life?"

I ignored it, I would deal with it later.

After pressing play, I started to jog, letting my body fall into the groove of running and my music before turning up the speed a few notches. I was soon lost in lack of breath, pounding of feet, music, and determination.

I kept pushing myself, not slowing down. When I finished, I was going to be so exhausted I would barely make it up to my bed and fall asleep so fast and sleep so deep I wouldn't dream.

I don't know how long I ended up running for but it was a while. I looked at my phone, 3:30. Not too bad. I cooled down and then stumbled upstairs. I think I took a shower but I'm not one hundred percent sure.

I know I fell asleep because I woke with a start. There was a blaring noise and I slammed my fist against my alarm clock, turning off the infernal device. However, I didn't kill it so it went off again in five minutes. I groaned and shoved off my covers unwillingly. I half fell half slipped out of my bed and somehow managed to brush my hair and put on somewhat decent clothes.

I avoided the mirror, already knowing that I would look like a raccoon partially through evolution.

I thumped downstairs and started brewing myself coffee. I grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and started to eat it. I then returned upstairs to pack in my stuff. It was already 6:50 and I was supposed to leave in ten minutes. I went back downstairs with a renewed purpose.

I poured myself a cup of saving grace, added a little bit of angel, sprinkled in some heaven and headed out to my Prius. It was a nice little car and was great for school because of the charging spots in the parking lot.

Great, I thought to myself as rain started pouring down, I should've left twenty minutes earlier.

When I finally parked, I took out my phone to let my parents know I had made it to school when I remembered the text from Colin.

I sent out a quick text saying I had made it and composed a small essay about how I was in fact, too busy to teach anybody anything and to please forgive me and blah blah blah. I sent that message and herdaled towards the library.

As I barreled into the library,  just happened to trip on a carpet, and fall flat faced right in front of Austin. I looked up, most likely resembling a tomato

I got up quickly and stumbled again when I put pressure on my ankle. I gasped and fell forward into waiting arms.

I heard a screech and looked over to find Taylor sprinting towards me.

"Are you alright?" She said in a rush. Even after knowing her all these years, her worrying nature has never changed.

I nodded, what was the big deal? I just fell. That was it. Nothing new.

Mrs. Levi ran over, took one look at it and sucked in a breath.

Is it bad? I quickly signed to her

Can you not feel it?

Not really It's been injured before so I don't really feel anything in that one.

Good, then don't look down.

Wanna know what I did next? I looked down. My shoe was covered in blood and gore. I felt tipsy. Strong hands grabbed my shoulders and it took all of my might to not scream. Austin must've mistaken it for something else because he picked me up.

He had an arm under the crook of my legs and the other under my arm.

"Wrap your arm around my neck," he said, "hold on a bit so you don't fall."

I look at Mrs. Levi, scared. She signed to me that she would come too.

It was then that I finally felt the throbbing and sharpness of what had happened.

Austin walked me over to the nurse's office where she promptly screamed and called 9-1-1. I noticed my sleeve on my right arm had hiked up and I quickly pulled it down, but not before earning an inquisitive glance from Austin

"What was that on your arm?"

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit, I grabbed a piece of paper off the counter and a pen.

Nothing, I wrote.

"Ok," he said, "if it's nothing, then may I see?"

Shit. Shit. Shittity shit.

He walked over to me and held out his hand. I gave him a high-five, knowing full well that was not what he wanted. But instead of looking irritated, he grabbed my hand. I flinched and tried to pull back. Memories were flooding in fast and I couldn't control them.

He pushed up the sleeve and breathed in sharply. His other hand came up and started tracing the word. This time he let my hand go when I pulled against him. I pulled my sleeve down just as the paramedics came in.

The bell had rung a few minutes ago and Austin was already late. I wrote on the paper; "go to class. I'll be fine. You're already late as it is."

Moments later my phone buzzed on our way to the ER "I'm not putting this off. I want to know what happened."

I ignored it, not even wanting to know how he got my number, and let the sedatives do their job, making me slip into unconsciousness.