Fly Away With Me

I groan as the real world comes rushing at me through the darkness of unconsciousness all too quickly. My eyes open to be met with a burning bright florescent light. I squeeze them shut tight and wait for them to adjust. All my limbs feel like jelly. I feel so weak. It is an awful feeling. Someone enters the room and my eyes shoot open as I sit up quickly. It’s just a woman in the school’s staff uniform.
“Oh, you’re awake” she says cheerily.
I nod before frowning in confusion. The room is mostly white. There are a few other beds similar to the one I just woke up on. A thin blue blanket is draped across my legs. This must be the school’s first aid room. The one place I didn’t want to wind up in.
“Are you alright, dear?” The woman asks kindly as she comes over to me.
“Fine” I groan as I slide my legs out of the bed.
I find my shoes have been removed and placed neatly beside the bed.
“Do you want me to call your mum to pick you up from school?” she asks.
“No thanks” I reply too quickly but rush on before she can think too much on it, “I’ll just go back to class. How’d I get here anyway?”
“Your friend brought you in here, he said you fell and hit your head” the woman replies.
What friend? As far as I know Zoe thinks I’m some kind of monster; and I have no argument against that. Holley and Christian hate me. Blake hasn’t spoken to me. Zach is just being, weird. What has gotten into him? Who could have brought me here?
“Who?” I ask.
“He didn’t give a name,” the woman replies, “Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon.”
Without further explanation she walks out of the room leaving me thoroughly confused and battling a pounding headache. My whole body is shaking with the effort to sit at the edge of the bed. Another student is lying on a bed in the corner of the room. It is a girl at least two years younger and she looks at me wide-eyed. I must look like Hell. My body is covered in bruises, the cut on my face has swollen and I’m shaking like a leaf.
“Are you okay?” she asks quietly.
She looks very frail and her face is pale.
“Fine” I reply sarcastically.
She sinks back into her bed giving up on staring at me, about time. I force myself up from the bed and stumble forward. Christian has really stepped out of line this time. Just as I think I’m going to trip and pair of arms wrap around me, saving me from another injury. My head shoots up to look at the owner of the hands. Confusion sweeps through me. It’s Lucien?
“Are you alright?” he asks me with an unreadable expression.
“Yeah” I respond in a weak voice.
Didn’t he hate me? Wasn’t he supposed to be away from school?
“Do you want to sit down?” he asks.
Instead of waiting for a reply he just sits me back down on the edge of the bed. I stare at him confused.
“Good to see you too” he jokes after a moment with a weak smile.
“I’m confused” I state.
“You look it.”
“Didn’t you hate me? Weren’t you off learning a family trade?” I ask, blurting out questions.
“Slow down, I don’t hate you and I had to wait for the trade experience because my dad had an emergency” Lucien replies before smiling at me, “How could I hate you?”
I don’t reply with anything more than a sceptical expression.

“Are your parents coming to pick you up?” Lucien asks before looking to the doorway.
“No.”
We sit in silence. Just before Lucien attempts to say something the same woman from earlier walks in with a serious expression.
“Lillian?” she questions and I nod, “The principal expects you in his office immediately.”
This must be about my little incident in science. I shakily get to my feet. Strength is still yet to return to me after Christian and those boys have been attacking me today. Life just gets worse and worse. As I try to slip my shoes on I need Lucien for support. The woman’s face softens as she sees my condition.
“Are you well enough?” she asks.
I want to twirl around and bitterly ask her whether I look it but I hold my tongue and just nod.
“I can phone home if you want” She tells me.
“Please don’t”
“It’d be better if I phoned home for you.”
“No, I don’t want that.”
She walks over to her computer pulling up my home number. Before she reaches for the phone, I snap getting frustrated.
“I said don’t!” I scream at her startling everyone.
She looks at me confused.
“But you aren’t well” she argues trying to move my hand out of the way.
“You won’t be well if you dial that number” I hiss from between gritted teeth.
She is taken back by this and Lucien steps in.
“I’ll escort her to the principal, thank you very much for your help” he tells her before grasping my shoulders and guiding me outside.

I can’t help but need to lean into him for support as we slowly make our way to the principle.
“What happened back there, Lillian?” Lucien asks me. “Are you always this angry?”
I sigh and attempt to walk without his help but fail.
“Everything just been so stressful,” I answer vaguely.
“But in science, after school with Brad and then just before with the nurse” Lucien says recalling all the events he has witnessed me lose my calm.
“Just stop, please” I whisper trying to focus on not collapsing.
Every inch of my body feels as if an entire weight set has been attached to it. The air around me is enough to weigh down on my limbs. I lean into Lucien to keep my upper body partially supported. Each step is difficult and my shoes drag on the pavement.
“You don’t look well” Lucien murmurs.
“I’ll go back to sick bay once the principal has finished chewing me out” I promise him.
As we’ve walked my hair has fallen in front of my face masking my swollen cheek. Lucien brushes it aside for me then winces when he notices Sophia’s present to me.
“Who did this?” he mumbles inspecting my cheek.
I turn my face away from him, pulling away from his gentle hand. Finally we reach the admin building. Lucien opens the door and helps me inside. The receptionist glances up at us for a moment.
“No, the First Aid room is the other way” she tells us before returning to her computer.
“I’m Lillian, the principal called for me” I say barely able to raise my voice loud enough for her.
I need more rest. I need time to replenish the energy that was stolen from me. I need time to heal. The receptionist checks a note on her desk and looks at me with new eyes; I’m no longer a frail child but rather an unruly delinquent. She quickly regains composure but it’s too slow, I already know she dislikes me from whatever that post-it note said.
“This way,” she says in a snippy tone.
Lucien helps me to the principal’s door.
“You can’t go in there” she tells him as if he is insane for trying.
“Does she look like she is able to get herself in there?” Lucien asks refusing to leave my side.
I guess he hasn’t changed since I first met him. The woman pauses before giving up and returning to her desk. Lucien helps me into the chair in front of the principal’s desk. The principal turns his eyes on me and I shrink back under his judgemental gaze.
“Close the door” he instructs.
Lucien gets to his feet and follows the command.
“Now Lillian, I believe you had an outburst yesterday” he says in a stern tone.
I nod trying to keep my eyes open. If I make it through this meeting with the principal without falling asleep it will be a miracle.