My asthma is giving me serious trouble today so I decided to write a stupid drabble about it.
Tori's POV
Hollywood Arts has lost their minds. Well, more than before at least. They've flown off the rocker with impressive force. Why do I think this you ask? Well, as I'm standing here outside in the middle of January, fidgeting with my brand new "fresh from the factory" Hollywood Arts official gym uniform, I think I have the right to complain. The school board decided that it "wasn't fair" that we're the only school in the district that didn't have mandatory gym class and replaced one class on our schedule with an hour of humiliation. Our new coach stumbled out into the field and looked down at his clipboard. He looked like one of those guys that played football and got hammered every weekend in high school and flunked out of college. He cleared his throat and scratched his hairy neck with a pencil.
"Umm, so you guys will be taking Physical Education for the remainder of the year…We're gonna play sports and stuff…" He paused and stared at his clipboard again and ran to grab some footballs. I sighed along with the entire class. I was SUPPOSED to be taking an extra vocal class this semester but instead I'm freezing my tush off in the middle of a makeshift athletic field. I grumbled under my breath and glanced over at Jade who looked stormy but strangely nervous.
"Ridiculous right?" I said, studying the underlying nerves she was trying to conceal.
"Yeah, this whole thing is stupid." She growled, "We're art students, not gorillas."
"Does anyone here even know how to play sports?" I said, watching several of my peers attempting to position their hands around the footballs. The coach cleared his throat again and waved his meaty arm to get our attention.
"Um, so apparently you're supposed to take the mile run test before we do anything fun." He said, "It's five laps around the field…I think." Everyone groaned except Jade who looked paler than usual and noticeably panicked.
"What if we don't want to run the mile?" Jade said to the coach, lacking her usual intimidating fire.
"Then you fail for the whole year." He shot back, probably having heard the same question a million times, "Now line up and get ready to run!" We all positioned ourselves on the imaginary starting line and took off when the coach blew his whistle. I'm pretty athletic so a mile wasn't anything but an inconvenience in my day. Most of the other kids seemed to be having a pretty easy time with it except Jade who dragged behind the pack, gasping for air after the first lap. I slowed my pace until I was jogging next to her.
"Everything okay?" I said, watching her attempt to answer in between gulps of air.
"I'm…Fine…get…away…" she grunted, pushing me away with a frail shove. I backed off slightly, still watching her out of the corner of my eye. She seemed to wince every time she took in a shuddering breath and was constantly wiping her mouth on her jacket sleeve.
"Is something in your shoe?" I asked, running closer to her again.
"Why…would you think that?" She wheezed.
"You look like you're in a ton of pain, you sure you're okay?" I asked skeptically. Jade was about to snap at me when she began to cough forcefully into her sleeve, stopping and doubling over on the side of the field. She glared at me, blood running down her chin.
"I'm fine you loser." She growled, flinching and clutching her chest.
"Jade! Oh my God, you have asthma?" I shrieked as she fell to her knees, breath only a shallow whisper.
"Argh…my…chest…" She panted, coughing up another dribble of blood.
"Crap, crap, Jade where's your inhaler?" I said frantically checking her jacket pockets.
"Don't have one." She groaned.
"Are you insane?"
"I don't…want to be…weak…"
"HELP!" I yelled, "SOMEONE CALL AND AMBULANCE!" The coach, finally noticing that one of his students was practically dying, dropped his clipboard and started yelling into his walkie talkie. It was an odd moment watching Jade struggle to breathe in the middle of a frozen field. Her face was flushed and her black hair was falling out of its ponytail. I bit my lip and grabbed her hand, cradling it in my lap as we waited for help.
"Don't stop breathing," I murmured, "Just keep going. Help is on the way." Jade whimpered and attempted to take a deep breath.
"God it hurts!" she cried out, crushing my hand. The coach was attempting to hold the crowd of students back, many of whom her gawking at the powerful Jade West now helpless in the dirt.
"They must think I'm pathetic," Jade said with a sad smile, chest heaving and blood running down her face.
"Stop talking!" I hissed, "Save your breath!" Jade snorted and rolled her head to the side, looking at the mob of students. I spied the ambulance in the distance, sirens wailing and tires flattening the grass. They screeched to a halt and four paramedics jumped out of the back, struggling to wheel the stretcher across the thick weeds. They finally reached Jade and I, grabbing her and putting her roughly on the stretcher. I ran along-side the paramedics, Jade's hand still in mine, until we reached the ambulance. I hopped in the back with Jade, sitting closer to her. One of paramedics about to kick me off when his friend nudged his arm and nodded toward our hands. I blushed slightly and kept Jade's hand close to my chest. The paramedics immediately put an oxygen mask over Jade's mouth and nose to help open up her lungs.
"Where's her inhaler?" one asked me.
"She doesn't have one."
"Is she crazy? She's got some of the worst asthma I've seen!" He cranked up the oxygen level on the machine and hooked up some kind of medicinal vapor to the side. Jade gave a sigh of relief and took several deep breaths even though her eyes were still shut. Her fingers curled around my hands and squeezed in a slight thank you. It was all I needed to know that she was going to be okay.
I like this. I'm gonna make it a TWO SHOT :DD