Hunter
“Go!” I shout out to my friend Steve. I’m standing by the water fountain with my friend Steve. The water fountain squirts like crazy when you hold down the button so I stand back with my mouth open like a crocodile waiting for Steve to launch the water into my mouth. He holds down the button and the water shoots into the air into my eyes. I shriek. “Shoot!” Steve cries. Some other students passing by look at me funny and keep walking. “You’re so fucking weird, Hunter!” one kid named Joe, calls out. Everyone else laughs. I scowl at him. “Shut up!” I yell. When I look to see who else is staring at me, I catch a girl’s eye. Her name is Katy. I look away my cheeks glowing. “Take a tiny step forward.” Steve instructs me. I ignore him and walk up to the water fountain and spray water in my face trying to swallow as much as possible.
I pull away water dripping from my chin. Steve laughs. “You’re crazy.” he jokes. I laugh and begin to feel somewhat queasy. The late bell rings and me and Steve exchange nervous glances. “We’re late.” I mumble nervously. “No shit Sherlock.” He says sarcastically. I shoot him a dirty look. My stomach flips again. “I don’t feel so good. Maybe we should go to the nurse.” My gut twists and turns. “Wait. For real or do you just want and excuse to be late.” He asks. “As good of an excuse it is, I really don’t feel all that great.” I admit. He still looks doubtful. “Well then let’s go before you puke your intestines out or something.” He jokes. “My what?” My stomach jolts. I fall to my knees and puke all over the white, tile floor. From the look on Steve’s face I know he believes me now.
Steve and I go to the nurse. He goes back to class leaving me with the intimidating nurse. He is tall with buzz-cut hair and is glowering at everyone. “Why are you here?” he asks annoyed. “Um . . . I threw up?” I reply. It comes out sounding like a question. “You’re the second person today.” He marvels. He hands me a thermometer and I shove it under my tongue. I look around the room at the scary posters. One poster shows a girl eating a hamburger next to a toilet. It says “BULIMIA” in big letters. It shows the risks and warning signs. Another poster as a girl holding a cigarette. There are squares that reveal parts of her insides like her organs. Her lungs are coated in dark charcoal. What were labeled as “intestines” were moist and slimy looking. My thermometer beeps and I look at it. It says my temperature is normal. Before the man comes back I grab my books and hurry to class. I’m not sick so I don’t need to stay there any longer.
