𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲 | robin buckley

(25) don't wake up

THE GIRL SCREAMED UNTIL IT WAS THE ONLY SOUND ANY OF THEM COULD HEAR. Sam reached for Robin's hand before she could think anything of it and the girls laced their fingers together, squeezing tight as their eyes opened wide in horror and disgust.

"What is that?" Erica stated in revulsion, staring at the movement inside of El's injured leg.

"There's something in there!" Nancy's brother exclaimed.

"Jesus Christ" Dustin stated, his voice screechy.

El continued to scream, reaching for Nancy's brother and holding his arm desperately. Everyone kept looking around in fear, Steve had his hand over his mouth as though he was going to throw up again, the ginger girl was standing behind Lucas in fright and Nancy was holding to Jonathon's shoulder, looking at him intently.

"Keep her talking" Jonathon said at last as he jumped to his feet, "Keep her awake, okay?"

Sam watched as he turned and started to sprint across the mall, shoes sliding on the floor as he steadied his pace. At the end of the long stretch of mirrored tiles and shining walls he jumped over the counter that the others had come from, full of kitchen supplies.

"Jesus Christ" Dustin stated again.

"Hey, hey, hey" Nancy's brother was saying loudly, "Stay awake... let's get her on this side, on this side!"

Nancy and Steve hurried forwards, lifting the girl carefully with their hair hanging over their eyes. Sam noticed the almost protective glare that both of them harboured.

"Easy, easy, easy" Steve muttered as they moved El into a different position so she was lying against Nancy's brother. Everyone was breathing deeply now as El whimpered. Sam felt she could never blink again, her gaze was completely rooted to El's leg as it writhed and she imagined all kinds of things lurking below the skin.

"You know, it's not actually that bad" Robin spoke breathlessly, "There was a... the goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire. This other girl slid onto her leg and the bone came out of her knee"

Sam turned and stared at the girl incredulously, annoyed that her mind had gone straight to the excitement over the idea of Robin playing soccer rather than the completely gruesome story she'd decided to whip out.

"Six inches or something it was insane" Robin added.

"Robin" Steve snapped.

"Yeah?"

"You're not helping"

"I'm sorry" Robin spoke under her breath and Sam held tighter to the girls hand, trying to hide her humour at her rambling as she heard the returning loud footsteps of Jonathon sprinting back towards them. He dropped to his knees beside Nancy holding a collection of items including a knife shining white hot; plastic gloves scrunched tight in his hand; a bunch of white tissues already frayed, a sky blue cloth doused in water and a wooden spoon which clattered onto the floor with an echo.

"Okay, alright El?" Jonathon stared at her, "This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?"

"He knows how to make a situation calmer, doesn't he" Sam whispered to Robin rather loudly, "real way with words"

"Okay" El was crying, tears streaming down her face and meshing with the blood slowly drying on her upper lip.

"Need you to stay real still" Johnathon continued as he pulled the plastic gloves over his hands and breathed deeply to himself, "Here, you're gonna want to bite down on this, okay?"

Mike took the wooden spoon from Jonathon and placed the handle between El's teeth, she held it there with a terrified expression in her eyes and suddenly Sam wondered why she was still there and not at home pretending none of this had happened. The girl was shaking, hairs standing up on her arms.