Dale. I need to tell him what I know.
Scrunching up my face, I try to will myself to his side, but it doesn't work.
"Come on!" Desperation taints my voice as I squeeze my eyes closed again. "Arghhhh!" I let out a scream and hit the dirt. "Please! I need to go back!"
A thought skirts through the back of my brain. It's not a pleasant one, but the idea that I have no other choice makes me entertain it. Pulling in two quick breaths, I hold the third one and force my leg to bend.
My scream is lost as I black out.
I practically appear on Dale's lap. Flinching, I jump back from him and take a seat on the empty stool beside him. Mr. Moffat is droning on in his monotone voice about some equation with a ton of letters and numbers. There's a diagram on the board beneath the title Kinetic Energy.
My nose wrinkles and I look at Dale. His mouth is turned down at the sides. I look at the scar marring his features and think it's beautiful.
What?
I shake my head. What is wrong with me?
Yes, I am very happy to be sitting next to him right now, but Dale Finnigan? Beautiful?
Running my hand over my face, I smooth down my eyebrows and shake my head.
Pull yourself together, Nicole.
I study him for a moment longer. He's not listening to a word Mr. Moffat is saying. His eyes are a million miles away and if I could wipe that worry from his face right now, I would.
Leaning towards him, I whisper as softly as I can, "Hey, Dale."
He flinches and lets out a gasp.
"Mr. Finnigan?" The physics teacher stops and gives him a stern look. "I'm not waking you, am I?"
"Sorry, sir." Dale sits up straight and gives him an attentive look.
Mr. Moffat's glare lasts a beat longer then his bland expression returns along with his monotone explanation.
Scrambling for his pen, Dale turns over a fresh piece of paper and writes...
Are you OK?!?!?!?
I smile. "Yes. I'm fine... well not totally fine, obviously. I had a fall and now I'm even further down the bank."
Injuries?
"Nothing new. I think my head's stopped bleeding, but my knee is pretty bad and my elbow is killing me. I managed to cover myself with my jacket."
Dale smiles.
Good girl.
I don't suppose you suddenly discovered you're wearing a thermal under your shirt did you?
He looks at me hopefully.
I suppress a chuckle and reply, "The only thing I have under my shirt is a bra and your dog tags."
His head jerks towards me, his eyes wide.
"What? You gave them to me to wear, didn't you? What's the matter?"
He shakes his head and writes...
It's nothing. Keep them on.
I want to ask more, but can't delay my answer to his next question.
Remember anything else?
"Yes. Headlights."
So you were on the road?
"Uh-huh. I must have made it to the road and started walking home."
Left hand side?
"Yeah." I nod. "No wait. I was on the right. I was walking with the traffic."
You know you're actually supposed to walk against it on a road like that.
"Thank you, but that tip is hardly helpful now."
I know, it's just easier to spot cars and they can see you.
"Well, this one didn't."
You think you were hit by a car?!?!?
"Yeah. It was swerving all over the road."
Like a drunk driver or something?
"Maybe. I don't know."
And it hit you?
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it did. I don't remember exactly, but how else could I be where I am with the injuries I have. I remember falling and..." the word NICKY screams through my head and my air supply is cut off.
I bite my lips together.
Nicole?
"That's all I remember."
Okay, so all we have to do now is find the driver of the car.
"Yeah, because it's that simple. It could have been anyone... most likely some tourist who's now skipped town."
Dale drops the pen and rubs his right earlobe.
Hopelessness pounds against my shoulders. I could so easily give into its relentless rhythm. I can feel myself caving as I take in Dale's sad expression.
"I'm not going to make it, am I?"
Dale lets out a short breath and grabs his pen.
I am going to find you! Just STAY
Scrunching up my face, I try to will myself to his side, but it doesn't work.
"Come on!" Desperation taints my voice as I squeeze my eyes closed again. "Arghhhh!" I let out a scream and hit the dirt. "Please! I need to go back!"
A thought skirts through the back of my brain. It's not a pleasant one, but the idea that I have no other choice makes me entertain it. Pulling in two quick breaths, I hold the third one and force my leg to bend.
My scream is lost as I black out.
I practically appear on Dale's lap. Flinching, I jump back from him and take a seat on the empty stool beside him. Mr. Moffat is droning on in his monotone voice about some equation with a ton of letters and numbers. There's a diagram on the board beneath the title Kinetic Energy.
My nose wrinkles and I look at Dale. His mouth is turned down at the sides. I look at the scar marring his features and think it's beautiful.
What?
I shake my head. What is wrong with me?
Yes, I am very happy to be sitting next to him right now, but Dale Finnigan? Beautiful?
Running my hand over my face, I smooth down my eyebrows and shake my head.
Pull yourself together, Nicole.
I study him for a moment longer. He's not listening to a word Mr. Moffat is saying. His eyes are a million miles away and if I could wipe that worry from his face right now, I would.
Leaning towards him, I whisper as softly as I can, "Hey, Dale."
He flinches and lets out a gasp.
"Mr. Finnigan?" The physics teacher stops and gives him a stern look. "I'm not waking you, am I?"
"Sorry, sir." Dale sits up straight and gives him an attentive look.
Mr. Moffat's glare lasts a beat longer then his bland expression returns along with his monotone explanation.
Scrambling for his pen, Dale turns over a fresh piece of paper and writes...
Are you OK?!?!?!?
I smile. "Yes. I'm fine... well not totally fine, obviously. I had a fall and now I'm even further down the bank."
Injuries?
"Nothing new. I think my head's stopped bleeding, but my knee is pretty bad and my elbow is killing me. I managed to cover myself with my jacket."
Dale smiles.
Good girl.
I don't suppose you suddenly discovered you're wearing a thermal under your shirt did you?
He looks at me hopefully.
I suppress a chuckle and reply, "The only thing I have under my shirt is a bra and your dog tags."
His head jerks towards me, his eyes wide.
"What? You gave them to me to wear, didn't you? What's the matter?"
He shakes his head and writes...
It's nothing. Keep them on.
I want to ask more, but can't delay my answer to his next question.
Remember anything else?
"Yes. Headlights."
So you were on the road?
"Uh-huh. I must have made it to the road and started walking home."
Left hand side?
"Yeah." I nod. "No wait. I was on the right. I was walking with the traffic."
You know you're actually supposed to walk against it on a road like that.
"Thank you, but that tip is hardly helpful now."
I know, it's just easier to spot cars and they can see you.
"Well, this one didn't."
You think you were hit by a car?!?!?
"Yeah. It was swerving all over the road."
Like a drunk driver or something?
"Maybe. I don't know."
And it hit you?
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it did. I don't remember exactly, but how else could I be where I am with the injuries I have. I remember falling and..." the word NICKY screams through my head and my air supply is cut off.
I bite my lips together.
Nicole?
"That's all I remember."
Okay, so all we have to do now is find the driver of the car.
"Yeah, because it's that simple. It could have been anyone... most likely some tourist who's now skipped town."
Dale drops the pen and rubs his right earlobe.
Hopelessness pounds against my shoulders. I could so easily give into its relentless rhythm. I can feel myself caving as I take in Dale's sad expression.
"I'm not going to make it, am I?"
Dale lets out a short breath and grabs his pen.
I am going to find you! Just STAY
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