Chapter 13.
One faint is a worry. Two in one day is apparently a big problem requiring attention from not only the nurse, but also my homeroom teacher, the deputy head, and my parents. Yes, they called home. While I was unconscious, actually. I was told this when I awoke. This time, Pete Black had carried me to the nurse's office, and half of the eighth grade had followed. Thankfully, they had all been shooed away, except for my friends. This time, I'd been out cold for fifteen minutes. By the time I woke up, Stacey had gone to finish eating, Abby had had to go and see a teacher, Mary Anne had been sent to collect all of my stuff, and Claudia had given them my phone number and gone to collect my homework for the rest of the day. Pete was sitting in a chair not too far from me. The nurse, Mr Kingbridge, and Mrs Simon were in a closed-off part of the office, so I couldn't hear what they were saying.
I tried to sit up, and Pete looked up from the magazine he had been reading. He gave me a grin, and asked if I was okay. He's a friend, sort of. We don't really hang out much any more, but I've known him since preschool, and we've always got along. I was glad he was there, and not someone else. Pete isn't nosy and demanding like other people. He believes firmly in minding your own business, unless there's a crime involved. I told him I was fine, just embarrassed, and thanked him for his help. He nodded and shrugged, which is his version of saying 'you're welcome, and if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine with me.' I gave him a smile and rolled my eyes as the nurse and others came bustling in. He got up to leave, telling me to feel better soon, and enjoy the afternoon off I had just managed to land myself, before escaping to the safety of the hallway. I heard him greet Nannie outside the door, and felt a little relief crawl into my mind. I mean, at least it wasn't Mum or Watson. Mum would have questioned me into a nervous breakdown, and Watson would have been over-the-top worried. Nannie would take it as it was: just a faint.
Which she did. She walked into the room, took one look at me, and said:
"She looks fine to me."
The nurse opened her mouth to speak, and then glanced at me. Nannie can be very abrupt, and nobody seemed to know how to start. I took advantage.
"I am fine. I only fainted. It's not that big a deal. I would've told them not to call, but I was unconscious when they did." Here, Mrs Simon found her voice.
"We might have let it go, if it were an isolated incident. But it wasn't. She fainted first thing this morning, too." Nannie's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at me with new concern. Damn.
"You weren't called then," continued Mr Kingbridge, "because she recovered quickly and seemed fine. She's been a little on edge this morning, but apart from that there didn't appear to be any problems." At this point, two things happened. First of all, I gave up all hope of convincing anyone that I was okay. Second, in came Mary Anne and Claudia with all of my stuff, homework included. They were both very verbal with their relief that I was awake and well. Which didn't help. Nannie made her mind up. She looked at me closely, nodded, greeted my friends, thanked my teachers, and before I knew it she had guided me out of the school, across the car park and into the Pink Clinker.
As she started the car, she asked if I had eaten lunch, or just fallen into it. She was smiling slightly. I told her I hadn't really had the time. She nodded briskly, and drove me to a nice, quiet, friendly restaurant that she knows I like. In the car park, before we got out of the car, she asked how I was feeling, and if I knew what was wrong with me. I told her the truth: I was fine, and yes, I knew what was wrong. She nodded again, and took me inside. I knew she wasn't finished. But it looked like for now, at least, she would just leave me to tell her what was wrong in my own time.
One faint is a worry. Two in one day is apparently a big problem requiring attention from not only the nurse, but also my homeroom teacher, the deputy head, and my parents. Yes, they called home. While I was unconscious, actually. I was told this when I awoke. This time, Pete Black had carried me to the nurse's office, and half of the eighth grade had followed. Thankfully, they had all been shooed away, except for my friends. This time, I'd been out cold for fifteen minutes. By the time I woke up, Stacey had gone to finish eating, Abby had had to go and see a teacher, Mary Anne had been sent to collect all of my stuff, and Claudia had given them my phone number and gone to collect my homework for the rest of the day. Pete was sitting in a chair not too far from me. The nurse, Mr Kingbridge, and Mrs Simon were in a closed-off part of the office, so I couldn't hear what they were saying.
I tried to sit up, and Pete looked up from the magazine he had been reading. He gave me a grin, and asked if I was okay. He's a friend, sort of. We don't really hang out much any more, but I've known him since preschool, and we've always got along. I was glad he was there, and not someone else. Pete isn't nosy and demanding like other people. He believes firmly in minding your own business, unless there's a crime involved. I told him I was fine, just embarrassed, and thanked him for his help. He nodded and shrugged, which is his version of saying 'you're welcome, and if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine with me.' I gave him a smile and rolled my eyes as the nurse and others came bustling in. He got up to leave, telling me to feel better soon, and enjoy the afternoon off I had just managed to land myself, before escaping to the safety of the hallway. I heard him greet Nannie outside the door, and felt a little relief crawl into my mind. I mean, at least it wasn't Mum or Watson. Mum would have questioned me into a nervous breakdown, and Watson would have been over-the-top worried. Nannie would take it as it was: just a faint.
Which she did. She walked into the room, took one look at me, and said:
"She looks fine to me."
The nurse opened her mouth to speak, and then glanced at me. Nannie can be very abrupt, and nobody seemed to know how to start. I took advantage.
"I am fine. I only fainted. It's not that big a deal. I would've told them not to call, but I was unconscious when they did." Here, Mrs Simon found her voice.
"We might have let it go, if it were an isolated incident. But it wasn't. She fainted first thing this morning, too." Nannie's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at me with new concern. Damn.
"You weren't called then," continued Mr Kingbridge, "because she recovered quickly and seemed fine. She's been a little on edge this morning, but apart from that there didn't appear to be any problems." At this point, two things happened. First of all, I gave up all hope of convincing anyone that I was okay. Second, in came Mary Anne and Claudia with all of my stuff, homework included. They were both very verbal with their relief that I was awake and well. Which didn't help. Nannie made her mind up. She looked at me closely, nodded, greeted my friends, thanked my teachers, and before I knew it she had guided me out of the school, across the car park and into the Pink Clinker.
As she started the car, she asked if I had eaten lunch, or just fallen into it. She was smiling slightly. I told her I hadn't really had the time. She nodded briskly, and drove me to a nice, quiet, friendly restaurant that she knows I like. In the car park, before we got out of the car, she asked how I was feeling, and if I knew what was wrong with me. I told her the truth: I was fine, and yes, I knew what was wrong. She nodded again, and took me inside. I knew she wasn't finished. But it looked like for now, at least, she would just leave me to tell her what was wrong in my own time.