Instead of Me

∆22∆

For the next couple days, Mrs. Valentine allowed me to wait in her room between classes so that I could avoid the stares and whispers of most of my classmates. The shiner I had was still quite prominent, despite the sunglasses, and I could hardly open my eye still. The doctor also made sure I stayed out of school for half the day to allow my concussion to heal.

"How are you doing, Finn?" Mrs. Valentine asked me as I trudged into her room.

I sat down at the desk in front of hers. "Well, I still can't see out of my one eye, so that's fun. My head has been pounding since I woke up this morning. None of the teachers are taking my accommodations seriously. Annie is still mad at me about the photograph, but is keeping her anger sealed away because I got hurt. Eventually that's going to build up and she'll explode and, likely, never want to see me again." Mrs. Valentine dropped her pen. "So, I'm doing great," I said sarcastically. "Oh, and I almost forgot to add that the Valentine's Day Dance is tonight and I don't have a date, and Annie and Heath are still going together. I wouldn't go, but, see, I already told Annie I would, and we don't break promises."

Mrs. Valentine obviously had no idea what to say as a fake grin spread across my face. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Finn, I'm sorry," she said sincerely. She was silent for a moment. "What if you take Katherine with you to the dance. I'm sure she would enjoy it. Plus, she has a thing for you." She raised her eyebrows encouragingly.

I shook my head. Kat explicitly told me that she can't have a thing for me anymore. I don't blame her. Loving someone who obviously loves someone else is hard. "I can't do that to Katherine," I muttered, staring at my hands in my lap.

Mrs. Valentine stood up from her seat as the bell rang, signaling for me to go to class and for her to go to the library to make "copies." She grabbed a folder from a drawer in her desk. "Well, I expect to see you there, nonetheless."

I cocked my head to the side, furrowing my eyebrows together. "You're going to be there?" I asked curiously.

"Duh. It's named after me, Finn. Of course I'm going to be there," she said in a Valley Girl accent. It earned a chuckle. "I'm just teasing. Mr. Miller and I agreed to chaperone." As she passed me on the way to the door, she squeezed my shoulder affectionately. "You'll be okay, kid."

***

The doctor gave me accommodations, allowing me to leave class five minutes early to avoid the loud, crowded hallways when the bell rang. As I left class, I passed a janitor's closet that sounded like an entire shelf fell over inside. The noise pierced my ears and I felt as though I was going to pass out. So I figured out that noise sensitivity was definitely still a side effect from the concussion.

I walked to my locker, my fingers pressing into my temples. As I opened the door, I grunted as the squeaky noise just added to the oncoming migraine. I felt dizzy, leaning my elbow inside the locker and resting my head on it.

"Finn?" whispered a voice behind me. "Are you alright?"

I turned around to find Kat with a lavatory pass in hand. She truly appeared concerned, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Do you need me to take you to the nurse?" She brushed my hair back out of my face. "Your sweating," she muttered more to herself than to me, wiping her sleeve across my forehead.

The sudden dizziness caused nausea and I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out at the same time. I couldn't tell which one might actually make me feel better. I licked my lips, but they still felt dry.  "Please talk quieter," I whispered to her. "Everything is so loud." Even the constant buzzing from the fluorescent lights seemed to sound like a volcano erupting. I clutched my head to my forehead and leaned forward.