I'm In Love With A Rebel

A Pounding Heart

Two weeks passed before I was in school again.
"Glad to see you back, Donaldson," Pete, Jesse's friend who I hated, patted my back.
"Uh... y-ye-yeah... gr-great..." I stammered; I still hated anybody touching me.
All the girls who regularly hung out with me and my best friends ran up to me and gave me hugs. I felt like I couldn't breathe and wanted to yell "get away!" so badly. I pleaded with them inside my mind. Stop! Please! Get away!
"That must've been some nasty cold!" Barb remarked, after they all broke the hug.
"Uh... yeah... it...it was awful."
They all smiled and left. I felt so uncomfortable being around people who touched me often- even people who didn't touch me! I felt scared just when they smiled.
For a week, I hadn't let Jesse kiss me, and I hadn't kissed him. He told me he understood, but I could tell he was disappointed. He still came to visit me, climbing through my window. But our visits were short now; he asked how I was doing, I'd say not good, he'd be sorry to hear that, I'd agree, and then nothing. Our conversations ended then.
I just didn't feel comfortable, and now it was already nearly March. I didn't know what I was going to do...
******
After lunch, I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take all the people looking and touching and smiling.
During gym, I felt my head getting dizzy, and my stomach feeling queasy. My eyes were loosing focus, and my breathing quickened. I grabbed onto the basketball goal, trying to calm myself. I had no idea what was going on, and that scared me more. Was I dying? Fainting? What?!
"You okay there, Donaldson?" Our gym teacher insisted on calling us by our last names.
My heart pounded faster, and I tired screaming "help!", but nothing came out. I panicked as I felt myself sinking to the floor. I heard foot steps all coming towards me, and my name being yelled.
"An ambulance!" I heard the teacher say, and that was when my eyes clouded over and all I could see was darkness.