Nerve Wreck

Chapter 17

"What?! Why?!"

"Calm the fuck down mother Teresa."

A fuming Jessica sat back down at their table. The rest of the girls looked at Terra worried.

"What are you looking at me for? I'm not dying. I'm just not going to school anymore."

"So, you're dropping out?"

"No. My mom transferred me to online school."

"Huh, okay. I get it. With everything that's been going on." 

"Bingo."

The girls all sat in silence for a while, unsure of what to say. Jessica just sipped on her root beer trying to calm down a bit. Thankfully it was working. She understood why but just didn't want to go through her school day without her crazy friend.

"Well if that's all can we change the subject?"

"Uh, sure-"

"Tomorrow's the big day! We're all still going together, right?" Hannah quickly said looking at Terra and Gina.

"Yeah! Been looking forward to it!"

"Same! Got the day off tomorrow for it!"

Jessica listened in smiling a bit to herself. Why was everyone acting so normal? She knew that living in constant fear isn't the way to live but what was going on was just too much for her to handle mentally. She felt like she could be targeted any minute. She knows that the other girls must feel the same way. For some reason, they are just so much better at hiding it. She never got to tell them about that attack the other day. Her ex had her neck skinned and then burned. Her hands cut off and burned. She's still alive but still... that's just brutal...

'Hey... what's going on?! What is this place..?'

She looked around only to notice that she had no idea where she was but it smelled like rubbing alcohol. The smell was so strong her nose began go feel as if it were on fire. Her eyes began to water and she could speak even if she wanted to...

"Earth to Jessica?"

"Hmm?"

"I was asking you if you're still coming tomorrow?"

"Oh. No."

"Okay. Why not?"

"Cuz I'm fucking scared and want to stay home." Everyone stayed silent.

They looked down at their table and took in what she said. Scared. They were all terrified but didn't want to entertain that feeling anymore than they have to. They knew what was going on was awful but didn't want it to dictate their lives. Maybe they should be safer.

"I don't want to go either..."

"Gina? But you even asked for the day off!"

"I know. I just need space to breath..."

More silence. The girls just ate their food once it was placed on their table and simply thanked their server once done without speaking to eachother. Getting up, they left and Hannah quickly started to get in the car to start it up.

No one talked. Not the whole dive to their homes. No one really knew what to say either. It's been quiet for so long it'd be awkward to just start talking like nothing was wrong.

Once Jessica got home she rushed to her parents to greet them. They quickly asked what was wrong. Of course they noticed something was wrong with her. They were her parents after all and Jessica was a very expressive person as well.

Jessica tried to take breaths to calm herself but ended up having an anxiety attack to which her parent quickly reacted to by hugging her and assuring her that everything would turn out okay. She wanted to believe then. She really did. Something in there brain knew that no matter what nothing would ever be the same and that things were far from okay.

After a while she finally began to calm down. Once she felt she could talk again she explained what was wrong to her parents. Shocked, they simply held their daughter and told her that they were so sorry they didn't notice anything was wrong before and that they were there for her. It didn't make her feel any better. It's the same things they always said. Every single time...

Sleeping was a rather easy task that night as all of her emotions completely drained all the energy she had. She didn't dream. Not that night. But she knew she was asleep. She felt she was unconscious and felt nothing but relaxed in the pitch black her mind had left her in.

Slowly, she began to feel aware again and realized she was waking up. Rubbing her eyes with the side of her palm she rolled over to her side and reached for her phone on her night stand. School? Fuck that. She simply turned off her alarms for the day and continued to lay in bed as she began to feel tired all over again.

"Jess? Honey, are you awake?"

"Mmm..."

"Are you going to stay home today?"

"Mhmm..."

"Okay... good... morning? Hah.. sleep good hon." Her dad closed the door as quietly as he could.

She felt lucky to have such cool parents. She felt herself fading away as she let her eyes close for a continued slumber.