That One Year

Chapter 6

“Beth, Beth,” someone whispers.

“Beth, wakey wakey!”

I see nothing but darkness and I can’t tell who is calling to me. I want to shout out, but I can’t, my voice becoming trapped.

“Beth!” The voice yells and I feel a sharp pang that scares me half to death. I blubber and gasp as ice-cold water is thrown on me. A burst of light blinds me and I rapidly blink water from my eyes.

“Finally,” Angela mutters as her figure comes into focus.

I wipe my sopping wet hair away from my face and groan, my head pounding. This was the best thing she could think of to make me come to?

I shut my eyes and relish the comfort of darkness.

“What happened?” I moan, as memories become flooding back to me. “Oh God, how is that girl? Is she okay?” I worry, rubbing my hands up and down my face. I curse as I hit a bruised part on my face and my face screams out in pain. Forgot about that.

“You’re going to be in a lot of trouble,” Angela says, her voice travelling from side to side. I can tell she’s pacing.

I purse my lips. You think?

I ignore Angela and pull my knees up to my chest, burying my head in between. I can’t believe this.

“Finny, could you take care of her? I have to go to class,” I hear Angela coo, voice smooth as butter.

Something catches in my throat. ‘Finny?’

I can feel it now; someone else is in here, watching me. My heart begins to pound. Angela is one thing, but I certainly didn’t want to see anyone else right now.

“Sure thing,” A boy replies, and I cautiously open an eye.

A handsome boy is sitting in the corner of the room I’m in, his legs crossed. His green eyes sparkle like orbs and I can see his collarbones peeking through his white shirt. I shake my head, in déjà vu. I’ve seen him before.

“You’re awake, I see,” the boy says as Angela strides out the door, and I shyly avert my eyes from his gaze.

I instead look down at myself, and I bite my lip in embarrassment at what I see. The water splashed on me drenched my whole entire figure and I looked like a lost, homeless puppy. I could see the outline of my bra through my white shirt, and I quickly crossed my arms. Great. I see a cute boy on my first day of school and he probably thinks I’m some whore.

“I’m Finn!” The boy introduced himself, throwing me a grin. He pulls his chair closer to where I’m laying and looks at me.

Ahh. ‘Finny’.

“I volunteer here in the nurses office.”

So that’s where I am.

“I’m Beth,” I mumble, cheeks burning. I look anywhere but his eyes, and instead fixate on his khakis.

“That was quite a fight!” He laughed, and I swear it sounded like angels singing.

“Right,” I say, head spinning.

“Where did you learn how to fight like that?” He questions, taking a stress ball and throwing it up and down with ease.

“What?” Wasn’t it just primitive instinct to fight when attacked?

“You must have taken a class or something.”

“No...?” I laugh to myself; these nails were not made for fighting. “I guess I was just stronger.”