Psalms 42 || Tori Kelly

Behind The Bleachers

Thrusday—September 18th

9 AM

Brianna and Abiah stood outside their first period class, hesitantly. "Are you sure about this?" Brianna asked, running her hand along her best friends arm for support. Abiah new how important her grades were to her parents and she couldn't afford to fail.

"Uh, yeah," she shrugged, following her peers into the class and sitting the back corner.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Jeeter greeted, placing a stack of papers on the desk and starting his lesson. Amber, a class friend, leaned into Brianna and Abiah with a smirk.

"His girlfriend's so lucky. Look at that shirt," she giggled. "I can only imagine the six pack under it," she continued. Brianna played along, but Abiah shuttered. The thought of his abs rubbing against her chest, pushed Abiah into a silent panic attack. Her breathing picked up and her forehead started to perspire.

"B, you okay?" Brianna asked in whisper, trying not to cause a huge disturbance. Abiah started to pant as tears started to pour down her flushed cheeks. "Biah?" Brianna called.

In a moments notice, Abiah was up from her seat and in a sprint out of the room. "Ms. Murillo!" Craig called with no response. Everyone stared in confusion as Brianna grabbed their stuff and followed after her. "Ms. Greenstone!" He called again.

"Biah, slow down!" Brianna yelled as she watched her friend burst into the empty gym and scurry to the top of the middle set of bleachers. Abiah dropped onto the blue plastic seat and dropped her head onto her arms. "Biah, what do you need?" Brianna asked, placing their stuff under her legs and pulling Abiah into a hug.

"I want my mom," she whimpered. Briana scrambled to grab her phone a dial the mother's number. She rubbed Abiah's back with one hand and placed the phone to her ear with the other.

"Does she know? What am I supposed too—"

"Brianna? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Tori asked, not sure why her daughter's bestfriend was calling her at the beginning of the school day.

"Umm, I am, but we were in class and Biah, she—" Brianna struggled. She didn't know what to say without giving away to much.

"Brianna, where is Abiah? What is going on?" Tori panicked. She didn't even care that André was now listening and probably worried.

"We are in the gym. She's having a panic attack. You have to come down here and get her or something," Brianna answered. She could hear some shuffling on the other end, but couldn't truly make out what was happening.

"Take her to the nurse. I'm calling the school and your mom and coming to get both of you," Tori said before abruptly hanging up. Brianna watched her phone lock and frantically started to gather their things.

"B, you gotta breath. Your mom wants us to go to the nurse to wait for her. She's coming to get us," Brianna said, helping her friend up. With tears still streaming and her breathing shaky, Abiah wasn't able to speak so she just followed her support system.

About halfway down the empty hall, Brianna dropped the heavy backpacks and turned her focus on her best friend. "Honey, you have to calm down. You're going to make yourself sick," Brianna said. "Breath with me," she said, dramatically slowing down her breathing so Abiah could catch up. "In," she coached, taking huge gulp of air and holding it for a moment. "Out," she continued. Abiah did her best to follow her friend, but as soon as she took her eyes off of the 14 year old ahead of her, she saw the locker she used to hold herself up after the incident ten feet from the classroom she dreaded.

"I can't— I can't do this," she cried. With force Abiah shoved Brianna off her and took off towards the back exit. The opposite way that they were going.