Strange Days at Blake Holsey High
Chapter 5: Black Out.
"Marshall? Marshall Wheeler? Is---is that you?" Aryn asked getting to her feet quickly.
"Yes... that's me. Who are you?" asked a confused Marshall. Aryn looked around to everyone else's faces staring back at her. Too much attention, not good. I am crazy. Going insane... Aryn looked around quickly before she ran off down the hallway with everyone else screaming her name.
She ran down the halls with no intention of stopping. The hallways were empty, and all Aryn could hear was the blood rushing into her ears. Her head pounded with every step she took, not looking back, only looking forward. She rushed out of the doors leading to the outside and her freedom. Her chest heaved heavily up and down with every heaping breath she took. A painful stitch ran up her side and forced Aryn to double over. She limped to the side of the wall with her hand putting pressure on her side. She bit her lip fiercely and turned her head to the side, closing her eyes tightly, turning away and shutting everything else out. She turned off everything, feeling nothing, hearing silence, and seeing total darkness. She didn't hear the people coming after her, or when they touched her shoulder and called her name. She was out of it.
Aryn woke up groggily in her own bed late. She had no idea what time it was, her vision was still obscure. She tasted dried blood on her lips and in her mouth. The blinds were closed over the window, but she saw some light filtering through so it couldn't be that late. She sat up gingerly, moving her hands, stretching her muscles back and forth, up and down. She pushed her legs over the side of the bed and rested her hands on her knees, arching her back in a cat-like manner. She got to her feet slowly, looking at the alarm clock on Corrine's desk. It read 7:05 pm in bulging, bright red letters. Aryn shook her head in a vain attempt to try to rid herself of the memory block she was having. She heard the door open behind her, and quickly whipped her body around to see who it was. Of course it was Corrine followed by Josie. Aryn looked at them wearily before glancing down at the ground.
"Uhh– Aryn?" asked Corrine, but Aryn interrupted her almost immediately.
"Can we not talk about it? I would rather we not. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I think I am good with that." Aryn still would not look at them.
"Sure, sure. It's fine. Just weird about you knowing Marshall and him having no idea who you are. Not weird at all..." Josie was mocking Aryn.
"He just went to one of my old schools... that's all. Not a big deal really. We were kids, I shouldn't have expected him to remember me. I just have a large memory capacity for things about your best friend..." mumbled Aryn, who was fumbling with the same string on her skirt from the morning.
"You're best friend?!?" asked Josie and Corrine raising their voices. Aryn looked up and saw the different looks on their faces; one of amazement and one of shock. Aryn knew she shouldn't have said anything, this would just create more drama. Aryn turned back around and grabbed her backpack, rummaging for something inside. She pulled out her CD player and walked out of the room, with Josie and Corrine staring after her.
Aryn walked down the hallway putting the headphones to her ears and skipping around on the songs. She was walked outside, not looking at anyone on her way. She walked outside and slid only a mere glance to the place where she collapsed this morning. Aryn kept walking until she was out of ear shot of everyone else and sat down underneath a shady tree. 'Our Time is Running Out,' by Muse was currently playing into her ears. She leaned against the tree and breathed deeply, singing the song over and over in her head. This was another way of blocking people out. Aryn took her back sharpie marker and started coloring her nails as she sang along with the song unconsciously aloud.
She was in the middle of the third verse when someone tapped her shoulder, making her jump, hit her CD player with her hand and make a huge line on her finger with the marker. She looked up to see her assailant, but they were consumed by darkness and the light was casting a big shadow on them. Aryn jerked the headphones off her head and shadowed her eyes with her hand. Her assailant was Vaughn. She sighed and pushed stop on her headphones waiting for Vaughn to speak.
"You sing really good." he said. It sounded dumb, but Aryn had no idea what he was talking about.
"Could you sit down or something, this is making my neck hurt. And what do you mean by me sounding good? It's well first of all, not good, and I wasn't singing aloud." she replied, putting the cap back on the marker.
"Yes, you were. I just heard you. I wasn't insulting you or anything, it was really good. What were you singing anyway?"
"It was 'Our Time is Running Out,' by Muse. But I wasn't singing." Aryn said as she looked over at him. She could see why Josie liked him, and she could see why he liked Josie. Aryn, herself, wasn't attracted to him like that. He wasn't her type.
"Oh well. What was up with you this morning? You just kinda ran out of the room and passed out. It was freaky. We had to carry you back up to your room.." Vaughn said, but was cut off by Aryn.
"We had to carry? We who?" He had her full attention.
"Me, Lucas, and Marshall. You weren't as heavy as I expected, but it might be because I am in football... Lucas and Marshall..not so much." He said with a smile.
Aryn looked away. She'd been hoping that Marshall hadn't of been one fo them, but he was. That could have jogged his memory, or it could not have. It was probably only fifteen after seven or so, and she had nothing to do. She would need her assignments from class, since she missed them. She slept long, she hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Thought plagued her day and night. Thoughts about anything and everything.
"I just had too much unwanted attention on me this morning. It scared me and I ran like a bunny rabbit. I really scared everyone didn't I? Hmm.." she said, going back to messing with the string on her skirt.
"Hmm..what? And yeah, you scared us." Vaughn replied.
"Hmm..nothing. Nothing at all. So... oh yeah. Uhh.. What did you dad want to talk to you about last night? If you don't mind my asking.." Aryn asked.
"He just wanted to talk about school and how it was going...stuff like that."
"But he said he had some important matters to speak to you about... Oh well." Aryn ripped the string off her skirt. Now it was free, and she was twirling it around her fingers.
"Hey, wanna go get some dinner? I am starved. Coach made us work extra hard today." Vaughn asked. Aryn shrugged her shoulders and replied,
"Sure, just let me put this back in my room. If Josie and Corrine are there, we can ask them to come along too." Vaughn nodded his head, and they both started back across the lawn.
Aryn and Vaughn climbed the stairs and walked the hallway to Aryn's room. She opened the door, and found not only Josie and Corrine inside the room, but Lucas and Marshall inside and sitting on her bed.
Author's Note: Oh me gosh thank you for all the reviews. So many for such a small category. It takes me awhile to come out with a chapter, but I found myself with a lot of free time..unsurprisingly. I was listening to 'Our Time is Running Out' by Muse while I was writing this, and they are really good, you should all check them out. That particular song is on their cd entitled 'Absolution.' Mmm. Now for some individual shout outs...
Lexa- It's getting really good? It's getting really good? I'm hurt.
Bobsayshimh- School just started last Monday. I feel sorry for me too... aww. School sucks. I have made new friends though, all guys strangely enough, but it's all good.
NikeGirl13- Yes, you do sound desperate. I have been that way meself before. I actually thought that it wasn't all that great. But, eh..thanks. Am I one of the only ten good ones on here? Ooo lala. Mmm.
Okay. That's good. No one else loves me enough to comment. Ladeda. I'll post more later. New season starting September 9th I think...yay. I can't wait!