After half dragging the girl, Sandra, down the hallway, lit by
emergency lights, Briar found himself waiting nervously for news on her. He
paced back and forth in front of the nurse's door. He didn't know why he
was so worried. He hadn't even said one word to her, yet he felt like he
was connected to her. He felt like they had something in common, a certain
bond, and that was why he was infatuated with her.
The door slowly opened. He rushed up to meet the nurse.
"How is she?" He asked.
"She is fine. She has a gash near her eyebrow caused by falling debris, but she also suffered from a panic attack that was real close to being a nervous break down. Once she gets her breathing back to normal you can come on in and see her." Said the nurse with false enthusiasm. Something else had happened that the nurse didn't tell him about.
"It's reassuring to see a boyfriend care so much about his girlfriend. You must love her very much."
Before Briar could set the woman straight, she went back inside. Briar wondered how Tris would react if she heard that. He flinched at the thought of her tormenting him the rest of his senior year and promised himself that she would never find out.
About five minutes later the door opened again and the nurse let him in. Sandra was sitting on the old junky bed, her breath staggering.
"I'll leave you to alone." The nurse said as she left the room.
"You ok?" he asked as the door came to a close.
What a stupid thing to ask when someone just suffered a big panic attack. One point for Briar.
She looked at him and smiled. "I guess so. I'm Sandry." She said extending her hand.
He shook it. "I'm Briar."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Your name is Briar?"
"Well actually it is Brian, but everybody calls me Briar…even the teachers."
She giggled. "My real name is Sandra, Sandra Toren, but I guess you already know that. You're in my 5th, 6th, and 7th aren't you?"
"Yep."
"What do you think of Debate? Don't you think…" and before he knew it, he was lost in a lively conversation. When the lights flashed back on the principle, Ms. Moonstream, came on and told everybody to leave class and go home before another earthquake hit.
"See you around." Briar said as he got up.
"Yeah, see you." She replied.
Seeing that she was having troubles lifting herself off the bed, he helped Sandry get up. She was light and delicate in his hands.
"Thank you." She replied as she walked away to her locker.
"Your welcome." He said to her even though he knew she was to far away to hear.
~~~
Sandry walked into the front hallway of her uncle's house. She looked around. The hallway had an olive green pattern painted on it. It looked like vines. For some reason, even though she had seen this hallway millions of times before, she saw it differently; it reminded her of somebody, she just didn't know who.
Before she could dwell on the thought, her uncle came rushing to her.
"Are you all right? These earthquakes are so…Sandry, you are hurt!" He exclaimed.
"It is only a cut and the nurse cleaned it up. I am fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Do you have any homework?"
"Just a little. I couldn't finish it in study hall."
"Well go upstairs and finish it up. When you are done come down for dinner."
"Ok Uncle."
She watched him walk away before she headed up the stairs. She walked into her room and shut the door. She plopped on her bed and set her bag on the wood floor. Her room was big, yet cozy. It's walls were painted a light purple that were decorated by hangings she had made throughout the years. She had stopped making them after her parents died. She shuddered.
It was hard not to think of them. It was hard not to miss them every second of the day. It was hard to stay calm in the dark when the vision of her parents, lying there dead, crossed her mind. It was hard to live.
After a few minutes of silently crying, Sandry got out her school things and got to work.
The door slowly opened. He rushed up to meet the nurse.
"How is she?" He asked.
"She is fine. She has a gash near her eyebrow caused by falling debris, but she also suffered from a panic attack that was real close to being a nervous break down. Once she gets her breathing back to normal you can come on in and see her." Said the nurse with false enthusiasm. Something else had happened that the nurse didn't tell him about.
"It's reassuring to see a boyfriend care so much about his girlfriend. You must love her very much."
Before Briar could set the woman straight, she went back inside. Briar wondered how Tris would react if she heard that. He flinched at the thought of her tormenting him the rest of his senior year and promised himself that she would never find out.
About five minutes later the door opened again and the nurse let him in. Sandra was sitting on the old junky bed, her breath staggering.
"I'll leave you to alone." The nurse said as she left the room.
"You ok?" he asked as the door came to a close.
What a stupid thing to ask when someone just suffered a big panic attack. One point for Briar.
She looked at him and smiled. "I guess so. I'm Sandry." She said extending her hand.
He shook it. "I'm Briar."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Your name is Briar?"
"Well actually it is Brian, but everybody calls me Briar…even the teachers."
She giggled. "My real name is Sandra, Sandra Toren, but I guess you already know that. You're in my 5th, 6th, and 7th aren't you?"
"Yep."
"What do you think of Debate? Don't you think…" and before he knew it, he was lost in a lively conversation. When the lights flashed back on the principle, Ms. Moonstream, came on and told everybody to leave class and go home before another earthquake hit.
"See you around." Briar said as he got up.
"Yeah, see you." She replied.
Seeing that she was having troubles lifting herself off the bed, he helped Sandry get up. She was light and delicate in his hands.
"Thank you." She replied as she walked away to her locker.
"Your welcome." He said to her even though he knew she was to far away to hear.
~~~
Sandry walked into the front hallway of her uncle's house. She looked around. The hallway had an olive green pattern painted on it. It looked like vines. For some reason, even though she had seen this hallway millions of times before, she saw it differently; it reminded her of somebody, she just didn't know who.
Before she could dwell on the thought, her uncle came rushing to her.
"Are you all right? These earthquakes are so…Sandry, you are hurt!" He exclaimed.
"It is only a cut and the nurse cleaned it up. I am fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Do you have any homework?"
"Just a little. I couldn't finish it in study hall."
"Well go upstairs and finish it up. When you are done come down for dinner."
"Ok Uncle."
She watched him walk away before she headed up the stairs. She walked into her room and shut the door. She plopped on her bed and set her bag on the wood floor. Her room was big, yet cozy. It's walls were painted a light purple that were decorated by hangings she had made throughout the years. She had stopped making them after her parents died. She shuddered.
It was hard not to think of them. It was hard not to miss them every second of the day. It was hard to stay calm in the dark when the vision of her parents, lying there dead, crossed her mind. It was hard to live.
After a few minutes of silently crying, Sandry got out her school things and got to work.
