haven’t had the shakes in three days, so you’ll get me.”
I walk quickly over to the door and throw on my flip-flops, knowing I can’t stand anything else against my skin, and run out the door. “I can walk!”
I slam the door and hurry down the sidewalk, then stop as Pax backs out so he can go by. For a fleeting second, I wonder if he will tell me to get in. When he doesn’t, I don’t let it bother me, not one bit.
Once at school, I go to my locker and hurry to first period class, where I look at the seat I normally sit in and see another girl, Monica, sitting next to Lana. I look around and find the only seat available is in the front row.
Not wanting to cause a scene, I walk up and sit in it. I hear whispers behind me and try to ignore it, but they don’t go away. I feel emotions burn, building inside of me, and choke them back as I hear people, those I thought of as, at the very least, classmates and some school friends, hissing a one word descriptive about me. I slide down in my seat and try to focus on the lecture, but it is nearly impossible.
When I walk into my next class, it happens again and, in the next, the same thing.
At lunch, I retreat to the library and get lost in my homework.
I only look up when Claire walks up to my table. “Why the hell would you post that video? My parents have been fielding phone calls since that night!”
I shake my head. “I didn’t know I posted it. It must have happened when I fell. It—”
“Oh, please.”
“I swear, Claire. I would never do that. I took it down as soon as I realized—”
“A bit too late. Do you know how many people saw that? Re-gramed it? Shared it on Instagram and other social media outlets?” she snarls.
I slide out of my chair and begin walking away.
“All because you are jealous of her and Pax—”
I shut the library door behind me and turn to walk down the hall. I look up, and Pax is standing against his locker with Ryan.
“Bitch,” Ryan hisses.
“Enough,” Pax says as he turns his back and walks away from me.
At gym class, I am putting on my sneakers when I hear whispers. I look up to find a group of my classmates whispering and pointing. I tune it out and continue getting ready. Once in the gym, I realize immediately that it’s not going to get better, but I push myself, anyway. In the middle of class, Coach Douglas sends me to the nurse’s office.
I sit and wait for the nurse to come back as she instructed. Then I look up when she and the guidance counselor, Mr. Roach, walk in, and they both sit.
“Is there something you’d like to discuss, Hadley?” he asks, as if I am hiding something.
“No, I was called down here, but I’m not even sure why,” I answer honestly.
“Well, a few students brought the coach information about the lacerations on your feet. We are concerned, Hadley.”
“Oh, well, they’ll be fine. I ran barefoot and—”
“Stop for a moment, Hadley.” I look up at him. “We know everything that went on this weekend. We also know how physical pain can relieve emotional pain. We’d like to offer you some help.”
Although stunned is an understatement, I sit quietly while a storm brews inside of me. I try to think of ways to calm myself down, but they all lead to Pax.
I stand up, and they both look shocked as I walk over to the nurse’s metal desk in the corner of the room.
“Will you please call my mother and ask her to come pick me up? I’m not feeling all that well.”
“Why don’t you sit down and let us talk to you?”
“Will you please call my mother and have her pick me up? I’m not feeling well,” I repeat.
“Hadley—”
“Will you please call my mother and have her pick me up. I’m not feeling well.”
“Have a seat, Hadley,” Mr. Roach’s voice becomes stern.
“Will you please call my mother and have her pick me up. I’m not feeling well.” My voice rises as my focus turns to the sky.
“If you would sit down, we can discuss calling
I walk quickly over to the door and throw on my flip-flops, knowing I can’t stand anything else against my skin, and run out the door. “I can walk!”
I slam the door and hurry down the sidewalk, then stop as Pax backs out so he can go by. For a fleeting second, I wonder if he will tell me to get in. When he doesn’t, I don’t let it bother me, not one bit.
Once at school, I go to my locker and hurry to first period class, where I look at the seat I normally sit in and see another girl, Monica, sitting next to Lana. I look around and find the only seat available is in the front row.
Not wanting to cause a scene, I walk up and sit in it. I hear whispers behind me and try to ignore it, but they don’t go away. I feel emotions burn, building inside of me, and choke them back as I hear people, those I thought of as, at the very least, classmates and some school friends, hissing a one word descriptive about me. I slide down in my seat and try to focus on the lecture, but it is nearly impossible.
When I walk into my next class, it happens again and, in the next, the same thing.
At lunch, I retreat to the library and get lost in my homework.
I only look up when Claire walks up to my table. “Why the hell would you post that video? My parents have been fielding phone calls since that night!”
I shake my head. “I didn’t know I posted it. It must have happened when I fell. It—”
“Oh, please.”
“I swear, Claire. I would never do that. I took it down as soon as I realized—”
“A bit too late. Do you know how many people saw that? Re-gramed it? Shared it on Instagram and other social media outlets?” she snarls.
I slide out of my chair and begin walking away.
“All because you are jealous of her and Pax—”
I shut the library door behind me and turn to walk down the hall. I look up, and Pax is standing against his locker with Ryan.
“Bitch,” Ryan hisses.
“Enough,” Pax says as he turns his back and walks away from me.
At gym class, I am putting on my sneakers when I hear whispers. I look up to find a group of my classmates whispering and pointing. I tune it out and continue getting ready. Once in the gym, I realize immediately that it’s not going to get better, but I push myself, anyway. In the middle of class, Coach Douglas sends me to the nurse’s office.
I sit and wait for the nurse to come back as she instructed. Then I look up when she and the guidance counselor, Mr. Roach, walk in, and they both sit.
“Is there something you’d like to discuss, Hadley?” he asks, as if I am hiding something.
“No, I was called down here, but I’m not even sure why,” I answer honestly.
“Well, a few students brought the coach information about the lacerations on your feet. We are concerned, Hadley.”
“Oh, well, they’ll be fine. I ran barefoot and—”
“Stop for a moment, Hadley.” I look up at him. “We know everything that went on this weekend. We also know how physical pain can relieve emotional pain. We’d like to offer you some help.”
Although stunned is an understatement, I sit quietly while a storm brews inside of me. I try to think of ways to calm myself down, but they all lead to Pax.
I stand up, and they both look shocked as I walk over to the nurse’s metal desk in the corner of the room.
“Will you please call my mother and ask her to come pick me up? I’m not feeling all that well.”
“Why don’t you sit down and let us talk to you?”
“Will you please call my mother and have her pick me up? I’m not feeling well,” I repeat.
“Hadley—”
“Will you please call my mother and have her pick me up. I’m not feeling well.”
“Have a seat, Hadley,” Mr. Roach’s voice becomes stern.
“Will you please call my mother and have her pick me up. I’m not feeling well.” My voice rises as my focus turns to the sky.
“If you would sit down, we can discuss calling
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