~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 7.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It was a Monday. Not only a Monday, but a dreary Monday comprised of on and off showers, forty degree weather (which is very cold of Hillridge in early October), and one hundred percent cloud cover. It seemed all the students were tired and grogy, as were the teachers.
Gordo crossed the relatively empty hallways. All the bus-riding students had departed, so besides the building being empty, it was also quiet. Gordo had his bookbag and coat on as he was going through a side exit out of Hillridge High.
The exit was at the end of hallway in the back of the building, between the auditorium and some classrooms. The only students who went there for classes were the drama and music students. As he pushed open the door, he heard some breathing and the faint call of his name.
He turned around to the end of the hallway. Empty. He opened the door again.
"G-G-Gordo-o-o." A quiet voice stuttered. He turned to his left and noticed a girl. She was a very heavy-set girl with brown hair in a pony tail. She had small beads of sweat on her forehead and she looked very fatigued. Her body lay limp, only supported by the wall. Gordo rushed to her side and noticed who she was right away.
Danielle was teased tremendously for her weight, but did little to stop it. Everytime she ran in gym class, everytime she tried to squeeze her way into a slightly smaller desk, people snickered. He didn't know if she knew it or not. But the worst part was that most people couldn't even sympathize with her. When a fellow freshman died last year after being hit by a drunk driver, her and a couple of her "friends" were heard snickering in the back of the huddled mass that was gathered to dedicate a tree for him.
Despite all that, he looked worried. "What, what's wrong?" He asked frantically, taking her hand into his.
"I-I-I c-can't-t fe-e-el," she stuttered out then taking a breath, "m-my l-l-legs..." She stared blankly at Gordo's worried face.
"Stay right here. I'll be right back." He then ran to the main office to call 9-1-1.
* * * * *
Lizzie and Jeremy sat in the bleachers next to the track field, laughing. They were hacking out plans for next Saturday.
"How about... hm bowling?" she suggested.
"Bowling?" he asked questioningly. "Not very romantic if you ask me."
"Well I didn't know romantic was what you were going for." She smiled at him.
"Why wouldn't I want to be in a romantic place with you?" He said leaning closer, making her grin grow. She had no response. "There's no one I know cooler than you, or funner to be with, or..." By the time something in Lizzie's head clicked and recognized where she heard that before, she heard loud sirens pass the road. They were both snapped out of their gaze of each other as they saw the ambulance turn into the school parking lot.
* * * * *
"I'm sorry sir but you will have to step back." The EMS man said to a running and out of breath Gordo, through a small gathering of students and faculty. They had all gathered at the sound of an ambulance.
"Just.. What happened?" he said, trying to keep pace with Danielle's bed(sorry I didn't know the word for it... that bed on wheels that ambulances use).
"Given you're description - slurred speech, numbness of limbs. We think she suffered from a stroke."
"A stroke?" He stopped.
"I do admit it is extremely rare in teenagers, but that's the most reasonable explanation and given her medical condition, it is possible."
Gordo tried to keep up with the bed. Before they carted her into the ambulance, he looked at her so helpless on the bed and asked, "Can I ride with her?"
"Sorry we can't allow that. But I'm guessing you can visit her at the hospital if you want."
"Alright..." he sighed when he watched the doors of the back of the ambulance close. He seemed too concerned, too worried for someone who didn't even know her and especially someone who had a reputation as Danielle's. Some teachers and students took notice of Gordo's strange behavior, namely being one Miss McGuire.
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It was a Monday. Not only a Monday, but a dreary Monday comprised of on and off showers, forty degree weather (which is very cold of Hillridge in early October), and one hundred percent cloud cover. It seemed all the students were tired and grogy, as were the teachers.
Gordo crossed the relatively empty hallways. All the bus-riding students had departed, so besides the building being empty, it was also quiet. Gordo had his bookbag and coat on as he was going through a side exit out of Hillridge High.
The exit was at the end of hallway in the back of the building, between the auditorium and some classrooms. The only students who went there for classes were the drama and music students. As he pushed open the door, he heard some breathing and the faint call of his name.
He turned around to the end of the hallway. Empty. He opened the door again.
"G-G-Gordo-o-o." A quiet voice stuttered. He turned to his left and noticed a girl. She was a very heavy-set girl with brown hair in a pony tail. She had small beads of sweat on her forehead and she looked very fatigued. Her body lay limp, only supported by the wall. Gordo rushed to her side and noticed who she was right away.
Danielle was teased tremendously for her weight, but did little to stop it. Everytime she ran in gym class, everytime she tried to squeeze her way into a slightly smaller desk, people snickered. He didn't know if she knew it or not. But the worst part was that most people couldn't even sympathize with her. When a fellow freshman died last year after being hit by a drunk driver, her and a couple of her "friends" were heard snickering in the back of the huddled mass that was gathered to dedicate a tree for him.
Despite all that, he looked worried. "What, what's wrong?" He asked frantically, taking her hand into his.
"I-I-I c-can't-t fe-e-el," she stuttered out then taking a breath, "m-my l-l-legs..." She stared blankly at Gordo's worried face.
"Stay right here. I'll be right back." He then ran to the main office to call 9-1-1.
* * * * *
Lizzie and Jeremy sat in the bleachers next to the track field, laughing. They were hacking out plans for next Saturday.
"How about... hm bowling?" she suggested.
"Bowling?" he asked questioningly. "Not very romantic if you ask me."
"Well I didn't know romantic was what you were going for." She smiled at him.
"Why wouldn't I want to be in a romantic place with you?" He said leaning closer, making her grin grow. She had no response. "There's no one I know cooler than you, or funner to be with, or..." By the time something in Lizzie's head clicked and recognized where she heard that before, she heard loud sirens pass the road. They were both snapped out of their gaze of each other as they saw the ambulance turn into the school parking lot.
* * * * *
"I'm sorry sir but you will have to step back." The EMS man said to a running and out of breath Gordo, through a small gathering of students and faculty. They had all gathered at the sound of an ambulance.
"Just.. What happened?" he said, trying to keep pace with Danielle's bed(sorry I didn't know the word for it... that bed on wheels that ambulances use).
"Given you're description - slurred speech, numbness of limbs. We think she suffered from a stroke."
"A stroke?" He stopped.
"I do admit it is extremely rare in teenagers, but that's the most reasonable explanation and given her medical condition, it is possible."
Gordo tried to keep up with the bed. Before they carted her into the ambulance, he looked at her so helpless on the bed and asked, "Can I ride with her?"
"Sorry we can't allow that. But I'm guessing you can visit her at the hospital if you want."
"Alright..." he sighed when he watched the doors of the back of the ambulance close. He seemed too concerned, too worried for someone who didn't even know her and especially someone who had a reputation as Danielle's. Some teachers and students took notice of Gordo's strange behavior, namely being one Miss McGuire.
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