Thanks for 150 reviews (actually 155)! I come back Monday morning to see that my reviews had spiked from 125 to 140. Then I went to sleep again and they jumped to 155. Crazy, thanks jgoss.
Btw, Charlie wouldn't exactly be a nickname for Charlese, it would be more of a nickname for Charlotte. Char would be Charlese's nickname.
Also, another celebration! *throws confetti* I'm on 50 author fav/alert lists! Whoo! :D
And they've released Autobot profiles! They changed everyone except Crosshairs, and presumably Optimus. They're bringing in Hot Rod into Transformers, about damn time!
Chapter 29
Red.
Crimson.
Dark red.
Black.
Blood.
Pain.
Shit.
Help.
Groaning, I slumped myself onto the ground and held onto my calf, only to send searing pain up my leg. I could feel the blood dripping and pooling under me, creating a darker, deeper red with each drop. My jeans didn't do much to stem the flow, nor did my hands gripping it.
Then I felt nothing.
It was as though my nerves decided they didn't feel like going through the pain anymore. They just... stopped. I stared blankly at the blue sky, lying on my back and letting whoever it was tend to my leg. Hands appeared on either side of my face, landing on my shoulders and firmly kept me down. As if I could go anywhere...
Then my nerves decided to start up again and I let out a cry as I felt a burning pain on my calf. It felt like someone took a hammer, slammed it against my calf, then took a hot piece of metal and placed it there to burn. It was excruciating. I squirmed under the hands, as if they were causing the pain. I wanted to get away from it.
But everyone knows it's not like you can run away from pain.
So all I could do was lie there, sit through the pain and hope for it to end. But it didn't. In fact, it became worse. A face appeared above mine, a gruff visage greeted me. He spoke, more like growled, "How do you think it felt for all of those other people?"
Tears poured out of my eyes, either from the pain or the guilt. I weakly lifted my elbow and stared blankly at the blood that covered it and the floor.
Red.
"Did you have to shoot her?" Another voice said. He sighed, "Hit a damn artery. She's losing too much blood."
No...
"She deserves it," The gruff voice states from above me, he was glaring down at me.
Stop!
I let out a pitiful whine and squirmed, what have I brought upon myself?
"Ironhide, keep her still!"
A couple minutes had to of passed until I had the sudden need to sleep... My eyelids refused to stay up, I let them fall and my vision grew significantly darker. But I wasn't unconscious, no. I could hear everything just fine, even the blood pulsing in my ears.
My back felt wet and I shifted around, immediately uncomfortable. The hands on my shoulders pressed down harder and stopped my movement. The pressure on my leg also pressed harder, trying to stop the blood. The pain subsided again.
It became harder to breath.
Was I really losing that much blood?
Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale...
"Sideswipe, get your aft over here and make yourself useful!" A voice barked. Silence enveloped my ears before returning to sound, "Hold her leg, keep the blood from-... No, Sideswipe. Pressure stops the blood; press harde-... Yes, there you go. Now stay like that."
I felt something being placed over my face, it sat on my nose bridge, my cheeks and chin. Then I felt air fill my lungs and I could breath. Was this... An oxygen mask?
Is it really that bad?
"You idiot! You couldn't have simply chased her?" The same voice was scolding someone.
A familiar baritone voice replied, "You have not seen that femme run."
"Sunstreaker's right, she can run like hell," Sideswipe said, his voice much closer than the other two. I let out an airy chuckle, run like there's no tomorrow.
I could just imagine Sunny shrug as he said, "Shooting was the only option," Silence, then a yelp in pain, "You and your damn wrenches... What else was I supposed..."
The voice was cancelled as Sideswipe spoke to me, "Charlese? C'mon, don't die." I felt my lips pull up into a smirk, as if I'd die. I got a chuckle in return, "Yeah... Okay. I guess bleeding out for you isn't much."
Oh, you have no idea.
"Slag, Sideswipe, more pressure! She's slipping unconsciou-"
"You are who you are... not your parents."
I slammed by algebra book closed, seething rage filled me as I looked up at the teacher who glared right back at me. She directed that message right to me, even though she said it in front of the class. The teacher narrowed her eyes, daring for me to say something, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you're an expert on my life and how I should live it," I gestured to her, "Please, continue while I take notes."
But I didn't say that.
I slumped in my seat as I felt a hand softly place itself on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. It was Charlene, I know her touch from anywhere. She always tried to comfort me.
The teacher glanced at the clock, then clasped her hands together and smiled, a fake, strained smile, and chirped, "Class dismissed!"
Everyone gathered their belongings and hurried out of the class, glad that the period is over. It was now lunch. I silently sat against the lockers in the hallway, eating my sandwich. I knew that it was pointless to try and eat in the café and to eat outside was even worse.
After I finished my small lunch, I stood and wiped my hands on my jeans.
"Oh, look! It's the idjit!" Laughter filled the hallway and I ignored it. I felt a hand on my shoulder, it pulled to turn me around, "I saw a piece of shit on the ground today... Reminded me of you!" More laughter, I waited for it to die down.
I smirked, "I would love to insult you, but I'm afraid that I won't do as well as nature did," I turned and began walking down the hallway, "I'm a little busy right now... Just call yourself an idiot for me. Would ya?"
"Ooo"'s and jeers filled the silence, I could just hear the person I just insulted, twice, fuming. And I was dying inside, believe it or not. From both laughter and pain. I felt a hand, once again, land on my shoulder, more harshly this time, and pulled me around. Then a fist connected with my stomach and, grunting, I slumped to the floor, onto my knees.
Something rose in my throat, and I realized it was bile. And I released it all over the floor.
Laughs filled my ears as I try to make myself seem smaller in this hell. I had my knees pressed against my chest and my arms over my head, as though to protect myself. I felt myself sob.
I had dry heaved my lunch after a student sucker punched me in the stomach. And everyone laughed. No one caring for my well bei-
My eyes flew open, and took me a few moments to become aware of my surroundings. I realized that there were two figures nearby; one sitting next to me, the other standing farther away.
I stared into the blue eyes that gazed into mine. Something squeezed my hand, and I looked down to see his hand enveloped mine. I looked back up at him, and recognizing that this was a silver holoform... Sides. I weakly smiled, something on my face decided otherwise. The oxygen mask was still on my face, helping me breath apparently.
"Hi," the holoform whispered. He returned the strained smile and I felt his thumb rub over the top of my hand.
I coughed before trying to speak, taking in a large amount of air before doing so, "Was the wound really that bad?"
Sides shrugged, "It hit a major artery. You lost a lot of blood... So, yeah. It really was that bad."
"Wasn't my fault. She ran," Sunny said from his position against the wall. He shrugged and crossed his arms. So it's my fault I got shot. That's wonderful to know.
I couldn't feel anything except a dull throbbing from my leg, it kind of hurt. And my scratchy throat was beginning to bother me. I swallowed the saliva in my mouth, hoping it would help my dry throat. I coughed again, "Ugh. I guess," I coughed and laughed at the same time, "I guess that's what I deserve, huh?"
"No."
They said simultaneously. Sunny turned his head, trying to hide himself from my gaze. I chuckled again, "Okay, okay... Just, do me a favor?" The two looked at me, I continued to laugh, looking at Sunny, "I'm a little busy right now... Just call yourself an idiot for me. Would ya?"
Sunny seemed to have... Smiled? It was a faint one, there only for a split second, but it was a smile. I returned the smile, trying to make it visible under the oxygen mask. Sunny shook his head, "Alright... I'm an idiot for shooting you."
"And I'm an idiot for running." I opened my mouth to say something else, but he cut me off.
He smiled, "No, I don't forgive you for anything."
But it seems he has.
August 14, 2016, 1:06 pm
