Phoenix Blood

Aches & Pains

6:36am Monday

I woke up to the sound of something crashing, like a chair falling over, then I heard my Dad.

"Oh crap!"

He must have broken another china plate again, this would be the third plate he's broken in two weeks. I groaned and rolled over but I felt really heavy with two sharp pains below my shoulder balde.

Must be growing again. Nothing unusual, I've been having growing pains lately but non below the shoulder blades, must have a muscle there. I got up and slipped on my comfy slippers. I make my way downstairs into the kitchen for some breakfast. At first I wasn't certain in what to have but then I just poured myself some coco pops. I eat my breakfast with no interference, Mum must have already gone to work and Dad's in the garage probably either fixing what he broke or working on his Jaguar E-Type. After breaky, I went back upstairs and got changed into a pair of ripped jeans and my woollen white jumper my Nanna knitted for my birthday this year.

By 7:30, I was fed with food, change for school and my bag ready to go at my bedroom door, I had at least firty five minutes to spare, so I decide to message Jacob to see what he's up to.

Michelle: Wake up Sleepy Head

Jacob: I'm awake!

Michelle: Good, r u out of bed?

Jacob: ...😅

Michelle: Jacob! 😂 C'mon hurry up 

Jacob: 😂 I will! I will, c u soon!

At least I'm not going to be late for school.

I was relaxing on my bed, reading a comic book I recently found under my bed when I checked the time. It shows: 8:10. School starts at 8:45 but my bus should be at my bus stop in five minutes. I get up and rush around, putting the book away, collecting my bag and saying goodbye to my parents. I jog to my bus stop, luckily the bus hasn't been yet, I still have two minutes to spare. Jacob gets on the bus the stop before me and always saves me a seat, I couldn't stop smiling, just thinking of him running down to my bus stop in a hurry because he missed the bus at his stop would be hilarious! The bus pulled in and picked me up in no time, and at my surprise, Jacob's on board.

"I see you made it!" I say, smiling and giving him a shoulder nudge as he was focused on something outside the bus. He jumped when a nudged him, what a scaredy cat!

"Haha, very funny. I ended up getting to my bus stop ten minutes before it came, so I was lucky." He winked at me and patted the seat next to him, offering it to me. I sat down and relaxed, I still had the bad pain below the shoulder blades that is now feeling like a burning sensation. Jacob must have known I wasn't comfortable as I was squirming around.

"Are you ok Elle?" Jacob questioned with soft eyes, he had such a caring nature towards me, I always feel safe around him but this was important, and I don't want to start some scene.

"I'm okay, this seat's just a bit hard, I can't relax." Which worked well, he nodded and agreed that the seat was uncomfortable to sit on, luckily the bus ride was only short so I got moving again which took my mind off the pain.

I went to my locker and collected my books and supplies I need for my first two classes, Art and Maths. I had Maths with Jacob and I was on my own in Art as he has Building Tech. Art went swiftly as we were finishing our assignment paintings. We had to draw a season but with emotion, of course I drew Autumn, and it was pretty easy as I could just look outside and see the benchs under the trees with fallen leaves, I painted that scenary and added a joyful emotion with light paint colours. In Maths, we were just learning about Algebra, I not very good at it but the lesson flew by fast.

Recess came, Jacob and I are sitting on our bench under an oak tree,  all of it's leaves have made the bench invisible, it was such a beautiful area. However, the pain came back.

After school, I arrived home, struggling to walk, all the pain grew and I felt so weak. I told Mum I won't be having dinner as I'm too tired and sore, I ask her if she had a heat pack I could borrow.

"Sure dear, is everything alright?" 

"I'm ok, just growing pains." I thanked her for the heat pack and waddle upstairs, collasping onto my bed. As soon as I hit the bed I went out like a light. 

10:27am, Saturday

The week flew by fast but the pain grew painful and unbearable! I decided I would tell my parents about it.

I walk downstairs, in search for my parents but they weren't around, I looked in the lounge room, not there, searched the kitchen, wasn't there either, I went to the garage, the Jaguar E-Type was out, Dad must be zooming around the neighbourhood in it, I went around to the laundry room and had a look outside, Mum's busy doing some gardening.

"Mum, why didn't you tell me you were gardening? I would've came out and helped!" I sighed as a walked towards her, well, when I say walking, I was more like doing the zombie walk.

"It's alright, I was just watering the tulips and roses. How are you feeling?" Mum joyfully replied.

"It's about the aches and pains I've been having, personally I don't think they would be growing pains, they've been going all week. Unless I'm going to become a giant one day."

"Where are the pains exactly?"

"Kinda below the shoulder blade."

"You might have just torn a muscle badly, maybe just have a rest, don't walk around much, let your muscle heal."

I nodded and walked back inside, I wasn't against my Mum at all but are muscle pains really that bad? Do they go on for a week with a sensation of burning? I wasn't sure but definitely felt like a mid morning snooze.

I went upstairs and tried relaxing on my bed, but the pain was bad and it started feeling more like a cut, I was curious to see if there was anything on my back.

I got up and went to my standing mirror, and checked.

"Oh my gosh!" In shock I screamed!

...