Chapter 3: Paranoid
"Dad, why didn't you wake me up? I'm going to be late for school." Ephram came running down the stairs with his hair half-combed.
"Relax. I'm granting you parental permission to miss your first class. I saw you had a rough night, so I decided to allow you a few more minutes of sleep." Andy explained as he inserted two frozen waffles into the toaster.
"Where's Delia?" Ephram inquired. "It's usually never this quiet."
"Irv picked her up a long time ago." Andy busily poured orange juice into Ephram's mug. "Must've been some dream you had last night. My jaw still hurts. I'm lucky I can still chew."
"Sorry I hit you." Ephram apologized.
"Like I said, it's alright." Andy said. "Ephram, I was thinking. Maybe you shouldn't go to school today." Andy's concern had grown after witnessing Ephram's distress. He didn't want Ephram out of his sight.
"I can't miss the big game after school. They'll notice if they don't see me sitting in the bleachers. Besides, I already said I was going."
"Does it have something to do with Amy being there?" Andy teased. As far as he knew, Ephram never cared much for basketball until now.
"No. Can't I go because I want to?" Ephram shot an offended look at his father.
"If you say so." Andy shrugged as the crispy golden waffles popped out of the toaster and Andy put them on a plate for Ephram. "I'm worried about you. How long have you had these nightmares?"
'Dad playing the shrink, as usual' Ephram thought.
"Off and on but not every night." Ephram confessed.
"And it's always the same dream?"
"Yea. I don't feel like talking about it." Ephram crammed a large helping of waffles into his mouth. "Don't worry. I'm fine."
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Andy reminded. "And chew before you swallow." Ephram rolled his eyes as he listened to his father nag him.
"I'll give you a ride to school. But you call me if anything, OK?" Andy said.
Timidly, Ephram made it thru the day without drawing any special attention. Being more of a wallflower than a wildflower, he was used to being on the sidelines and admiring the view from afar. Observing was his specialty in life. There was a lot to be learned by watching people. He didn't like being suffocated with attention. He needed his space to breathe.
The pain in his left arm gradually returned. It was identical to the pain he felt in his dream. It had started to get difficult raising his arm above his head. He massaged his left shoulder with his right hand. Although it helped a little bit, he still didn't think it was important enough to tell his father. He was just glad the school day was over.
"Hey Ephram. There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" A smiling Amy called, as she strolled down the hall with Colin conveniently clinging to her waist.
Ephram piled a few more textbooks into his locker as his two friends approached.
"If I stand corrected, I would think you were trying to avoid us today." Amy kidded folding her arms across her chest.
"Why would I be avoiding you?" Ephram looked squarely at Colin with his piercing greenish-gray eyes.
"It's just that you missed chorus this morning. And it was kind of surprising - no, let me rephrase that - shocking for Mr. Perfect Attendance Record here." Amy continued. "What's the deal?"
"So. I missed one class. What's it to you?" Ephram grew paranoid that Colin said something to Amy about the hospital incident. It was clearly a love- hate relationship between Ephram and Amy.
"Nothing Ephram. We were just worried." Colin jumped in.
"Worried? What do you mean by that?" Ephram's anger started to flame.
"Ephram, we just meant it wasn't like you to cut class unless you had a pretty darn good reason to." Amy pursed her glossed lips.
The conversation was brought to a halt when they heard a thumping noise getting louder and louder. It was Bright walking towards them in his team uniform dribbling a basketball.
"You guys ready to go to the game? We are gonna cream those guys." Bright hooted getting hyped up for his basketball game. Colin and Bright exchanged secret handshakes and goofed around a bit. "Whoa, the gym is packed!!"
"Hey squirt. What's the story?" Bright nodded to Ephram. All eyes fell on Ephram - like they all knew something he didn't know.
"I don't have to answer to any of you. I don't have to justify myself for everything I do. You like to keep tabs on me, is that it? It's bad enough my life came to a stand still in this shit-hole. Why don't you find someone else to spy on?" Ephram yelled furiously. His heart jumped and a pressure point was growing in his upper back.
"What'd I say?" Bright exclaimed in confusion looking at Amy and Colin for the answer.
"Ephram, relax." Colin said calmly. "Why are you so angry?"
"Oh, Shut up! Just mind your own damn business and shut up!" Ephram roared and slammed the door of his locker. A bolt of pain hit him so hard he gave a shrill cry and held his chest.
"Ephram! What's wrong?" Amy fretted. Colin placed a hand on Ephram's arm but Ephram shoved it away.
"Nothing. Just leave me alone. All of you!" Ephram shouted and hid his agony. He walked towards the exit door in a huff.
"What's eating him?" Bright wondered.
"He's been acting weird ever since the semester began. Your guess is as good as mine." Amy replied to her brother.
"Somehow, I don't think he's well." Colin muttered. "I'll catch up with you guys at the gym in a few minutes."
Ephram released the exit door with a bang. His temper and rage always got the better of him. He yelled at the only friends he had for no reason and they probably hated his guts right now. He couldn't go back in there. Besides, he didn't like basketball anyway.
He went for a walk to cool off his fury. It wasn't two blocks until the pain in his arms reappeared. The pressure shifted to his back. He sucked in a breath but it didn't help. It was getting harder to draw a breath. Something was terribly wrong. He had to call his father. He fished his coat pockets for his cell phone but then he remembered he left it in his locker at school. Finding his father was the easy part - he was positive his father was still at the clinic. The hard part was he had to walk it.
The more he walked, the worse the pain got in his upper back. By the time he reached the fourth block, he was already hugging his chest. His legs started to drag. He was so close - just one more block to go.
Ephram stumbled against the corner of a brick wall. He wanted so bad to sit on the pavement and rest but he knew if he sat down, he would never be able to get back up again. However, Ephram didn't know he was being followed.
"Ephram! Are you sick?" Colin came out of his hiding place running to Ephram's side upon seeing him lurch for the wall.
"Why are you following me?" Ephram said between labored breaths. Colin saw Ephram's colorless face and the dull gaze in his friend's eyes.
"You don't look so good." Colin observed. Ephram hobbled slowly away. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong with you?"
"I don't need your help." Ephram said without turning around. Another twinge of pain in the chest caused him to grab the nearest structure to steady his balance. This caused great alarm in Colin.
"I know you don't, but I'm going to help you anyway." Colin replied nervously. "You look like you're about to pass out." Not understanding Ephram's condition, Colin tried to pull Ephram's arm over his shoulder for support when Ephram gave a blood-hurdling scream. Colin froze not knowing what to do.
"I have to get to my dad's office across the street." Ephram said biting back the pain. Colin nodded and did his best to help without inflicting any more pain.
'It was just like in the dream' Ephram thought. Was Colin the dark massive shadow? It couldn't be because he was not scared of Colin at all. Colin was hardly the overpowering darkness that his dream depicted. Colin was harmless. It HAD to be something else.
*end of chapter 3 *
"Dad, why didn't you wake me up? I'm going to be late for school." Ephram came running down the stairs with his hair half-combed.
"Relax. I'm granting you parental permission to miss your first class. I saw you had a rough night, so I decided to allow you a few more minutes of sleep." Andy explained as he inserted two frozen waffles into the toaster.
"Where's Delia?" Ephram inquired. "It's usually never this quiet."
"Irv picked her up a long time ago." Andy busily poured orange juice into Ephram's mug. "Must've been some dream you had last night. My jaw still hurts. I'm lucky I can still chew."
"Sorry I hit you." Ephram apologized.
"Like I said, it's alright." Andy said. "Ephram, I was thinking. Maybe you shouldn't go to school today." Andy's concern had grown after witnessing Ephram's distress. He didn't want Ephram out of his sight.
"I can't miss the big game after school. They'll notice if they don't see me sitting in the bleachers. Besides, I already said I was going."
"Does it have something to do with Amy being there?" Andy teased. As far as he knew, Ephram never cared much for basketball until now.
"No. Can't I go because I want to?" Ephram shot an offended look at his father.
"If you say so." Andy shrugged as the crispy golden waffles popped out of the toaster and Andy put them on a plate for Ephram. "I'm worried about you. How long have you had these nightmares?"
'Dad playing the shrink, as usual' Ephram thought.
"Off and on but not every night." Ephram confessed.
"And it's always the same dream?"
"Yea. I don't feel like talking about it." Ephram crammed a large helping of waffles into his mouth. "Don't worry. I'm fine."
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Andy reminded. "And chew before you swallow." Ephram rolled his eyes as he listened to his father nag him.
"I'll give you a ride to school. But you call me if anything, OK?" Andy said.
Timidly, Ephram made it thru the day without drawing any special attention. Being more of a wallflower than a wildflower, he was used to being on the sidelines and admiring the view from afar. Observing was his specialty in life. There was a lot to be learned by watching people. He didn't like being suffocated with attention. He needed his space to breathe.
The pain in his left arm gradually returned. It was identical to the pain he felt in his dream. It had started to get difficult raising his arm above his head. He massaged his left shoulder with his right hand. Although it helped a little bit, he still didn't think it was important enough to tell his father. He was just glad the school day was over.
"Hey Ephram. There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" A smiling Amy called, as she strolled down the hall with Colin conveniently clinging to her waist.
Ephram piled a few more textbooks into his locker as his two friends approached.
"If I stand corrected, I would think you were trying to avoid us today." Amy kidded folding her arms across her chest.
"Why would I be avoiding you?" Ephram looked squarely at Colin with his piercing greenish-gray eyes.
"It's just that you missed chorus this morning. And it was kind of surprising - no, let me rephrase that - shocking for Mr. Perfect Attendance Record here." Amy continued. "What's the deal?"
"So. I missed one class. What's it to you?" Ephram grew paranoid that Colin said something to Amy about the hospital incident. It was clearly a love- hate relationship between Ephram and Amy.
"Nothing Ephram. We were just worried." Colin jumped in.
"Worried? What do you mean by that?" Ephram's anger started to flame.
"Ephram, we just meant it wasn't like you to cut class unless you had a pretty darn good reason to." Amy pursed her glossed lips.
The conversation was brought to a halt when they heard a thumping noise getting louder and louder. It was Bright walking towards them in his team uniform dribbling a basketball.
"You guys ready to go to the game? We are gonna cream those guys." Bright hooted getting hyped up for his basketball game. Colin and Bright exchanged secret handshakes and goofed around a bit. "Whoa, the gym is packed!!"
"Hey squirt. What's the story?" Bright nodded to Ephram. All eyes fell on Ephram - like they all knew something he didn't know.
"I don't have to answer to any of you. I don't have to justify myself for everything I do. You like to keep tabs on me, is that it? It's bad enough my life came to a stand still in this shit-hole. Why don't you find someone else to spy on?" Ephram yelled furiously. His heart jumped and a pressure point was growing in his upper back.
"What'd I say?" Bright exclaimed in confusion looking at Amy and Colin for the answer.
"Ephram, relax." Colin said calmly. "Why are you so angry?"
"Oh, Shut up! Just mind your own damn business and shut up!" Ephram roared and slammed the door of his locker. A bolt of pain hit him so hard he gave a shrill cry and held his chest.
"Ephram! What's wrong?" Amy fretted. Colin placed a hand on Ephram's arm but Ephram shoved it away.
"Nothing. Just leave me alone. All of you!" Ephram shouted and hid his agony. He walked towards the exit door in a huff.
"What's eating him?" Bright wondered.
"He's been acting weird ever since the semester began. Your guess is as good as mine." Amy replied to her brother.
"Somehow, I don't think he's well." Colin muttered. "I'll catch up with you guys at the gym in a few minutes."
Ephram released the exit door with a bang. His temper and rage always got the better of him. He yelled at the only friends he had for no reason and they probably hated his guts right now. He couldn't go back in there. Besides, he didn't like basketball anyway.
He went for a walk to cool off his fury. It wasn't two blocks until the pain in his arms reappeared. The pressure shifted to his back. He sucked in a breath but it didn't help. It was getting harder to draw a breath. Something was terribly wrong. He had to call his father. He fished his coat pockets for his cell phone but then he remembered he left it in his locker at school. Finding his father was the easy part - he was positive his father was still at the clinic. The hard part was he had to walk it.
The more he walked, the worse the pain got in his upper back. By the time he reached the fourth block, he was already hugging his chest. His legs started to drag. He was so close - just one more block to go.
Ephram stumbled against the corner of a brick wall. He wanted so bad to sit on the pavement and rest but he knew if he sat down, he would never be able to get back up again. However, Ephram didn't know he was being followed.
"Ephram! Are you sick?" Colin came out of his hiding place running to Ephram's side upon seeing him lurch for the wall.
"Why are you following me?" Ephram said between labored breaths. Colin saw Ephram's colorless face and the dull gaze in his friend's eyes.
"You don't look so good." Colin observed. Ephram hobbled slowly away. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong with you?"
"I don't need your help." Ephram said without turning around. Another twinge of pain in the chest caused him to grab the nearest structure to steady his balance. This caused great alarm in Colin.
"I know you don't, but I'm going to help you anyway." Colin replied nervously. "You look like you're about to pass out." Not understanding Ephram's condition, Colin tried to pull Ephram's arm over his shoulder for support when Ephram gave a blood-hurdling scream. Colin froze not knowing what to do.
"I have to get to my dad's office across the street." Ephram said biting back the pain. Colin nodded and did his best to help without inflicting any more pain.
'It was just like in the dream' Ephram thought. Was Colin the dark massive shadow? It couldn't be because he was not scared of Colin at all. Colin was hardly the overpowering darkness that his dream depicted. Colin was harmless. It HAD to be something else.
*end of chapter 3 *