Bridge Jump (rewrite)

Chapter Eight: Weigh-in

Lindsey picked at her lips as she sat in the seat beside her mother. It was time for her weigh in. She couldn't help but bounce her leg and constantly change her position in the seat when she heard her name her head popped up. She waited for her mother to stand before she did. She could see the worry on the male nurse's face. He'd been there from the beginning; he knew she wasn't going to make the weigh in. She could feel her tears well up in her throat as she stood on the scale. She looked at the numbers climb and changes until it slowed and flashed at 115 pounds. She screamed in excitement. She exceeded her set goal of 110 pounds. The nurse happily hugged her before finishing vital signs and showing her to the room that she would be meeting the doctor. She looked up at her mother, an unapproving face on, and she knew why.

Lindsey sat in her room, finishing up some of her school work before submitting it online. She frowned as she glanced around her room. She looked at the window, walking over and pushing it open, a gust of cool air flowing in completely changing. A beat-up Ford Escort rolling down the road. She watched it pull to a stop in front of her home. The guy from the bridge pulling swinging out, a bat in hand. She felt her heart rate pick up, she rushed out her room and down the stairs towards the front door. She wondered how he knew the code to the gate. She threw open the door and pushing past security who already had their hands on their gun. She threw her arms around him kissing him. She pulled away and loudly said, "I thought you said you weren't going to come over."

He gave her a confused look, before deciding to play along, "I thought, I'd surprise you."

Lindsey took a hold of his hand walking him back towards his car before saying, "Are you an idiot with a fucking death wish? These guys are more shoot first ask questions later." She started to fume, "What are you even fucking doing here, Who the hell are you?"

"Don't fucking worry about who I am, all you need to worry about is that FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT in there you call a father likes to fuck little girls raw and get them pregnant and someone needs to beat the shit out of him," Austin shouted drawing the attention of security.

"just get in your car and leave." Lindsey scoffed turning and walking back to the house, only turning back to make sure that he did, in fact, get in his car and drive away. She stood at the open door until his car was no longer in view, one of the security guards laughing "tough break?"

Lindsey sat at the dinner table with her parents, her brother nowhere to be found. She frowned looking at her empty plate as her parents ate. She knew this was her mother's doing, she knew her mother didn't like her exceeding 100 pounds, but her mother needs to realize that that is not healthy for a 5'9" woman. She rose from the table walking to the front door, grabbing her coat and shoes before walking out the house ignoring her name being called. She found her way to bridge hours later. She sat on the ledge, trying to slow her breathing. She took a large bite of the hotdog she bought on the way. She loudly moaned at the taste. It had been forever since she's eaten anything like it. She quickly scarfed it down. Seconds later she found herself leaning over the railing throwing it back up.

"Too quickly Lindsey, you ate it too quickly." She spoke to herself; she began to repeat that over and over before it became a jumbled mess drowned out by her tears and sobs. She just wanted to be healthy, to be okay. She climbed up on the ledge, her hand tightly gripping the pole as she stood and let the wind blow against her ruffling her hair and clothes. There was a shuffling sound behind her. She glanced back catching a glimpse of him, the man from her house earlier, striking a match and lighting his cigarette. He glanced up at her, catching her eye a small smirk playing on his lips. She didn't know what snapped inside of her but she couldn't bring herself to look away from him, the blood dripping off of him. It was like she was hypersensitive, everything drawing in her attention overstimulating her. The constant buzzing of the light above her the sound of the city, she shuffling of his shoes against the concrete. Before she knew it she was on the ground, pain radiating through her knee. The man now before her hand extended, the words "are you okay?" escaping through his lips that held his cancer stick. She couldn't find the words to say, the world around her spinning. Then it was all black. She fell in and out of consciousness, she didn't know where she was or where she was being taken. The sound of sirens blaring around her making her head feel as though it were swollen. She forced her eyes to open catching Austin before her a worried expression on his face saying, "It's finna to be okay? You hear those sirens? Help is on the way I promise." 

"Are you an angel?" she asked, He shook his head before laughing, "The opposite."