The sound of the whistle comes loud and clear. There's no mistaking it. Bodies not as sweaty as mine push past me running forward to complete their laps while I stand still. I'm too scared to move or maybe I'm just not in the mood to run.. mind you I'm never in the mood.
"Abby and Noah I'm sure you both heard the whistle", Coach says and my brows crunch up. Did he just say Noah?.
I look behind me to see Noah with a straight face. "Hi, didn't know you were here too", he says and I sigh. He never listens does he?.
"You think you can do it now?", He asks coming to stand by my side. I look up at him then turn to look at the track then back at him. I nod and he gestures for me to go first.
"Princesses first", he says and I smile moving forward. "It's okay Abby, I'm here no matter what", he says after a while of me just standing and not moving.
I turn back to say thank you but coach has other plans as he blows his whistle at us.
"Get a move on it", he yells and I actually flinch. Noah doesn't seem to be bothered as he simply looks back at me with a smile.
"Whenever you're ready", he calmly says and I nod.
I look forward once more but this time with the intention of actually running. You can do this Abby. Just forget about all the times you've passed out on this track and was revived by water and the laughter of the whole class or the times where you threw up and got laughed at. The times where you couldn't finish the lap and just got an F for it. Forget about all of it and focus on now.
I start and so does Noah. "Don't go too fast. You're gonna get tired quickly", he tells me so I reduce my pace.
The whole class which had already started a long time ago were now coming back. The crowd separates Noah and I as I find myself going to the last track while he two tracks away. I'm too slow to keep up with everyone so it's just like I'm getting in their way. I try to slow down so the crowd can surpass me but I don't get the chance to. A hand pushes me from behind and I find myself falling to the ground.
If I were on a skateboard, you'll totally believe the way I'm sliding through the track. It's almost like there's grease on it.. okay maybe it's just my sweat making the track slippery cause I'm really sweaty.
I guess everyone's too busy trying to finish their lap that only a few people laugh as they run by. I try to get up but I fail too. I'm too weak. My legs and arms hurt. I put my face down in defeat. This is why I hate P.E, it never works.
"Hey", I hear so I put my head up to see a pair of white sneakers in front of me. I trail them up to the owners to see Noah.
"How bout we sit down?", He asks and I nod. Noah grabs both of my arms and helps me up to a sitting position. I move out of the track so I'm sitting on the grass. He comes down to sit next to me.
"And what's wrong with you two?", Coach Peterson asks walking quickly down the track to meet us on the grass. Some people were running to finish the lap now.
"My heart's rate is too high and she's got a bruise on her arm", Noah casually explains to him and I'm looking down at myself for any bruise. I unfortunately find one on my elbow. Guess he found out before I did. Weird because I'm the owner of my body.
Coach takes a good look at us before saying,"Never knew you had heart rate issues..", he trails writing down something, probably a permit, on his clipboard. "But you, I knew you had problems since the year started", he says directly at me then hands us each a permit. We take it.
**
When we get to the nurse's office, Noah puts his permit into his pocket then pushes me forward.
The nurse on duty looks up from her desk and to us with squinted eyes. "What seems to be the problem?", She asks pushing back her seat to come to us.
"She bruised her arm on the track", Noah tells her before I can even get a word out of my mouth.
She looks at me and when she sees it's me she sighs, "Abby isn't there a better subject than P.E you could do", she says and I want to hold onto my elbow but I stop myself from touching the bruise.
Nurse Judy is one of the school's oldest nurses and due to my frequent visits to the infirmary we've become more than just acquaintances.
"Let me guess you got pushed again?", She asks and I sigh with a single nod so she sighs too. "Did you push her?", She turns to Noah and he quickly shakes his head.
"No I didn't", he says and she nods.
"Okay, I just thought someone was owning up to their mistake today", she says having a look at my bruise. "It's not too bad as the last one", she says gesturing for me to take a sit on the bed.
"Take a seat while I go get you an ice pack", she says going in to the other room.
I walk over to the bed taking a sit on it. Noah walks up to me, "What'd she mean by last time?", He asks and I look down. Noah squats down in front of me so I have no option but to look at him.
"It's nothing", I say and he doesn't seem satisfied with my answer but he lets it go moving to sit beside me on the bed.
Nurse Judy comes out with an ice pack. She hands it to me and I take it pressing it against my elbow. "Just keep doing that and you'll be fine", she says with a small smile which I return.
"Thanks".
**
Noah and I part ways as we both head to the locker rooms to change. I walk into the locker room and it's so unfortunate for me that it's not empty yet. I hate being here when there's people. They look and they judge.
I slowly move to my locker, open it, pull my clothes out then walk to a stall to change. Once I'm done I come out to get my bag from the locker.
"She's so fat she wouldn't dare to change here", a girl says from behind so I turn to look. The speaker has her shirt off displaying her perfect curves and toned stomach.
"No one would want to see those flabs anyways", the speaker's friend says and they both laugh.
I shut my locker aggressively and without even thinking I yell, "Being fat is not a crime", I clasp my mouth with my hands.
The two girls turn with shocked expressions before bursting into laughter again. I quickly grab my bag then run out. I almost hit someone at the door so I apologise before running away.
Why am I fat anyway? Is it because of genes? My mum's not that fat neither was my dad so I guess this is just my fault for eating too much. I hate being this way. I'm so open to insults. They come my way every darn day and I'm tired of it, it's so frustrating. I wish I was slimmer, thinner, sexier, curvier, prettier.. I wish I wasn't so.. me.
I stop running when I run right into someone. My head hits their chest so I stumble back rubbing my head. I look up to see the owner of this brick wall chest and my breath hitches when I see it's Ashton. The jock I'm tutoring.
"Uh I..", I trail getting cut off by a blonde who's standing right next to him. I didn't even know she was there.
"Watch it", she says and they start walking away. I stand stunned for a while before moving again. I can't believe for a second there I thought he'd recognize me. Guess I'm not as important as I think I am.
**
After my last class I unfailingly arrive at detention. The atmosphere is not what I expected it to be, mostly because I've never been to detention before and I just randomly carried this thought in my head about the place like it was some dungeon or something but coming here today I finally know how it is or what it is. It's a normal classroom and so I plead for a moment of silence for those of us who thought otherwise.
I take a seat by the window since it's empty and I pretty much think you can sit anywhere. I look around, a buzz cut boy is seating at the rear end looking lost and peaceful at the same time it makes me wonder why he's here and I also have an urge to draw him. A girl with dark eye liner and an edgy look sits on the last row which is actually the row closest to the door, nothing's gonna make me wonder why she's here. I look forward then bring my sketch book out. Since there's no teacher here I'll just enjoy myself a bit.
I take glances at the innocent looking boy behind me then start drawing. I'm not too good with abstract but I'm a pro at exploring imaginatively. So if I can't really make this sketch I'm on look like this buzz cut guy I can at least make it look like a cartoon version of him. That's how I basically draw Noah and I, like cartoons.
Just as I finish drawing the outline of his body and head the classroom door goes open and some guys walk in including Noah. He spots me ever so easily, normally he'd spot me even in a crowded class but now that it's just a few people in it he spots me even faster, walking over to me with a smirk.
"What's up?", He asks bending to see what was on my desk so I quickly shut my sketch book close then shove it into my bag.
"Uh nothing", I answer and he looks at me weirdly then looks behind to the buzz cut boy I've been glancing at, I hope he doesn't think I'm weird. I look back as well to take a look at him and luckily he's not concerned that four eyes are on him. He's more concerned on the bug crawling through the window sill.
Noah looks back at me, "You know him?", I look at him then quickly shake my head.
"Uh no", I say slightly stuttering and he squints his eyes at me.
"Oh, is he the mysterious crush you've been trying to impress?", He asks and my eyes widen. Mysterious crush? What the heck is he talking about?.
"I.. it's..", I trail unable to speak. I'm literally and utterly speechless right now.
"Oh it is him", he concludes.
"No he's not my crush", I finally say and he nods.
"So then you do have a crush?", He asks with a sly smile.
My cheeks instantly warm up and I suddenly start feeling hot, "I.. it's..he..", I close my mouth. I've become a stuttering mess.
"Who is he?", He questions taking a sit next to me. If only he knew who my mysterious crush was, he'd freak out, I bet he wouldn't want to talk to me anymore. He might even laugh, tell his friends and they'll laugh too.
I look up at him, "He's.. he's a secret", I say slowly. His brows furrow and his demeanor is next to confusion.
"Okay", He says nodding so I nod too looking away. I pull a book out of my bag then pretend like I'm reading. This is going to be a long detention.