Replacement (Undergoing Major Edits)

Chapter 4~The World Stops

Gah, this story is killing me! I can't stand the fact that I wrote something so cliche! Once the whole story is uploaded, I will begin the edits. A lot of edits. Because I love to edit. 

...Did you get the joke?

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The whole world stopped turning for Artie. 

One of his oldest friends looked like a statue. Un-responsive, shivering, and crying. They all tried to pry the phone from her hands, but it wouldn't budge. She held on to the phone as if her life depended on it. For all they knew, it probably was. Then she just...collapsed.

One minute she was answering the phone, and the next she was in his arms, limp as a rag-doll. 

"I-I think Mrs.Weston is still here."  Miranda pointed to the door at the back of the hallway. She just witnessed her best friend,no,her sister, break down right in front of her. All over some stupid phone call! Once she got her hands on the person who was doing this to her sister, ooh, he wouldn't be able to move for a week! Miranda had never seen this side of Cassidy before, so...vulnerable with Seth and Artie trying to hold her up. 

"Can you go get her? It doesn't look like she's waking up." Artie kept his eyes locked on Cassidy while he spoke.

"I'll be right back!" Miranda ran off to the nurse, 

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Seth asked as they placed her back up against the wall. 

Artie sighed, he had never seen her like this before. He hated it. He hated not being able to protect her from the...whatever it was that had been causing her to feel like this. How long had it been going on anyway? What is she not telling him? He decided that he was going to find out who this person was, and why he -or she- was messing with Cassidy. His Cassidy. 

They heard a series of whimpers, and random words from the fragile girl. The two boys exchanged confused glances, and Artie knelt down beside her.

"Miranda will be back with the nurse any second now, Cassie, it'll be okay." he soothed, but she started to hyperventilate at the sound of his voice. 

"Artie...please...make him stop."

He completely shattered in a thousand pieces. Hearing one of the strongest people he knew, beg for him to save her, but he couldn't. He didn't know how to help her, at least, not in this situation. 

"What do I do?" He intertwined his fingers with her's, but she wouldn't wake up.

"I-I don't know...Miranda should have been back by now," Seth sounded distressed.

Cassidy's face contorted with, what appeared to be, pain. 

"Stop him, Artie, please."

"I'm trying, I'm trying," his voice cracked. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, this was killing him. Just watching her while she kept pleading, crying, and in obvious pain. 

"I'm right here, you're okay, he can't hurt you. No one will ever hurt you." He whispered gently. More whimpers came from the girl's mouth. 

"I found Mrs. Weston!" Miranda announced as she ran up to the three teens. 

"What happened here?" Mrs. Weston asked, examining the girl against the wall.

"I-we-we're not sure, she just fainted." Artie kept caressing her hand, he had to have some reassurance that she was still alive. Still breathing. Still Cassidy.

"Hmm, it looks like a panic attack of some sort."

"Do people usually murmur, and whimper when they have a panic attack?" Miranda asked.