Anthrophobia

Suzanne Wittly was going to her fifth high school in just two years. Neither one of the schools ever worked out for her. When something went wrong she would beg her mother to move her to a different school. Suzanne’s mother, Miranda, usually agreed with her. She knew what Suzanne was dealing with at school. Teenagers could just be so horrible and insensitive to one another’s feelings. There was just one time when Suzanne wanted to leave from her first high school but Miranda said no. It was the middle of her freshman year and she came home crying. Miranda flat out said no, that she was being overly dramatic.

Suzanne disappeared after that. A day later, Suzanne’s Aunt Winifred called Miranda telling her Suzanne was safe. Suzanne was begging her mother to let her go to the high school down the street from her aunt’s house. Both her mom and aunt decided to let her go and she started attending Hill View High School. Things were going great, for the most part. Miranda actually thought that her daughter was going to live a normal life for once. She was wrong. Suzanne freaked out one day and left school earlier than intended. It wasn’t her fault she was like this. She could blame her grandmother for having all those flowers and vines in her backyard, but that wouldn’t be fair.

Eleven years ago, when Suzanne was 5, she used to visit her grandmother who lived in Bakersfield, California. She had a nice house with a gorgeous backyard. It was filled with all sorts of flowers, trees, vines, and a vegetable garden. In the midst of it all, there was a fountain. Suzanne was in awe every time she visited her. It was like her garden came right out of a fairytale story her mother read all the time. Suzanne just love going outside and smelling al the flowers.

Suzanne went outside, just like any other day when she would visit, thinking about sitting by the fountain or picking an apple from the apple tree. Her grandmother was talking to her but she never heard her. She was too busy day dreaming about the garden. All she did was nod and run out of the house through the sliding door. She turned around, walking backwards, to see her grandmother smile and shake her head. She then walked up the stairs and into her room. Suzanne put her little hands on over her mouth and let out a small giggle.

That giggle was immediately stopped when she felt something curl around her leg. She looked down to see a vine, covered with thorns, wrapped around her petite ankle. She let out a low cry as she tried to wiggle out of the vine. It only caused more damaged as the thorns sunk into her skin. She started squirming around, trying to get out of the vines, when her back hit a wall. Suzanne felt as though they came to life and now moving around her. She closed her eyes tight and screamed. The vines were now wrapped around her arms, legs and torso, their thorns cutting into her skin. She opened her eyes again to see her grandmother rushing towards her and a single flower, wilting over her head.

That was the last thing Suzanne saw. Ever since then, she’s been afraid of flowers and vines. If she ever comes across them she gets overwhelmed, runs away, and bursts into tears. Her mother told her that she had a phobia of flowers. It was called Anthrophobia. Suzanne looked at her mother in disbelief when she heard this. She never thought there was an actual phobia of flowers.

It was now the first day of her fifth high school. She got ready as she normally would and ate breakfast. After that, she walked to the school, seeing as how it was only five minutes away. Suzanne took a deep breath and entered through the double doors. She looked around and saw that it looked like a typical high school filled with posters and fliers, and rows of lockers. She let out a sigh and started doing what she typically did when she went to a new school. She checked in at the main office and went to her first class. She hoped everything was going to turn out fine. She took a deep breath and entered the room. Everyone was staring at her as she gave the teacher a note. She told her to go take a seat in the back. Suzanne nodded thinking it wasn’t so bad.

It’s been three weeks now and everything was absolutely fine. She stayed away from the school’s garden and enjoyed her life. In reality, this always happened. Everything would be fine but then the next day it would go downhill. Suzanne didn’t think so, though. She thought things were looking brighter now. She walked into her fourth period, which science and sat next to one of her newest friends, Ashley.

“Hey, Ashley,” Suzanne greeted as she came up to her and sat on the stool next to her.

Ashley gently waved. “Hey, Suzy, how are you?” she asked her friend.

Suzanne shrugged and looked at her closed notebook that was currently lying on the desk. “I’ve been alright. Could be better though,” Suzanne told her.

Ashley looked as if she was about to say something but stopped when she heard the teacher, Mr. Daniels, step into the classroom. Ashley sighed and picked up her pen ready to take notes. Suzanne opened my notebook and also picked up her own pen.

“Today, class,” Mr. Daniels started. “We will learn the basics of a flower. In order for us to do that, we will look at real flowers.”

Suzanne’s heart stopped beating when she heard the word ‘flower’ being said from her teacher’s mouth. She looked wide-eyed as she saw a pot filled with flowers on his desk. Her breathing became ragged as she felt herself getting a panic attack.

“Suzanne, Suzanne, are you okay?” came Ashley’s worried voice. Suzanne took another deep breath and finally felt herself relax a little.

“I’m, I’m fine, Ashley,” Suzanne lied. She looked down and thought for a second. “Actually, I’m not fine. Do you want to know something?” she asked her friend.

Ashley nodded and leaned in closer towards Suzanne. “I am deathly afraid of flowers.”

Ashley looked at Suzanne like she had really said she came from a different planet. She immediately started laughing causing Suzanne to go bright red. “Wow, you had me going there for a minute. That was a pretty funny joke.”

Suzanne was about to argue with her but stopped when Mr. Daniels put a flower pot, with a single purple tulip, on Ashley’s desk. “You two will need to share, seeing as how we ran out of them.” Both of them nodded but Suzanne’s nod was shakier than intended.

She scoot a bit to the side, not wanting to be anywhere near the plant. Ashley, still thinking that Suzanne was joking, grabbed the flower and put it front of her face. “Oh, look Suzy, it’s a flower,” she taunted.

Nobody expected what was coming. Suzanne screamed as loud as she could and literally sprinted out of the room, forgetting about all her stuff. Ashley looked frightened and shocked at the same time. She looked around and noticed people trying muffle their laughs but couldn’t. She placed the plant on the desk and started giggling. That made everyone burst out laughing.

Suzanne was already half way home. She was still running and her face was streaming with salty tears. She started sobbing as she made it to her house. She ran through the front door and into her mother’s arm. It seemed like Miranda knew this was going to happen.

“It happened again, mother,” Suzanne sobbed against her mother’s chest. “They had fl-flowers in the cl-class.” She hiccupped at the same time she was trying to dry her eyes. It didn’t work; the tears just kept coming down like a waterfall.

“I know, it’s okay,” she shushed her. She placed her daughter on the couch and wrapped her arms around her.

“I want to move!” Suzanne yelled, tears still streaming down her face. “I want to move now!”

Miranda sighed. “I’m not so sure Suzy. Do you know how hard it’s been to find a job every time?” she asked. Suzanne shrugged and looked down. “It’s very hard, but we’ll see, okay?” Suzanne nodded her head right away. “You’re still going to school tomorrow.”

Suzanne’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “NO! You can’t make me!” she shrieked as loud as she can.

“I can and I will,” Miranda said forcefully. She got up from the couch and made her way towards the kitchen. Suzanne yelled in anger and ran up to her room, crying her eyes out.

The next day, Suzanne timidly walked towards the school, afraid of what was going to happen. As she got inside, the bell rang signaling that it was time to get to class. She sighed as she saw people rushing to get to their classrooms. Suzanne walked into her classroom and heard an immense amount of sniggers coming from everyone’s mouth. She ducked her head down and proceeded to her desk all the way in the back. Her first period was somewhat fine, for the most part. It wasn’t until the end of third that it started getting hectic.

“Hey, Suzanne!” someone yelled. “Wanna be my girlfriend? I’ll be sure to give you flowers on out first date!” There was a chorus of laughs surrounding that voice. It must have been the jocks, Suzanne thought. She looked at the ground, not willing to look anybody in the eye.

“Suzanne, I’m going to give you a flower tomorrow. What’s your favorite?” a random guy asked her from the end of the hallway. She continued to walk faster until she bumped into someone. She looked up and was going to apologize but she was at a loss of words. She had bumped into a guy with black straight hair, ending at his ears, and bright green eyes.

“I, I-um, I’m sorry,” Suzanne smiled apologetically. The guy nodded his head and took her hand. He gently brushed he lips against her hand. Suzanne felt butterflies fly all around her body. That small gesture brought tingles from her toes to her head. It filled her whole body with warmth.

“It’s my fault, Suzanne.” The guy whispered. He knew her name but she didn’t know his. Here’s a present from me to you asking for forgiveness.” Suzanne saw that he had something behind his back. She wondered what it was. He pulled out his hand and in his hand was a bright red rose.

Suzanne’s smile instantly dropped as she tried to get away from him. It was tough though, because he still held her hand. She couldn’t breathe anymore. All the air that was in her lungs, vanished. The rose that was currently in the stranger’s hand was slowly coming closer. It was almost touching her face when she screamed. She screamed an earth shattering scream. The stranger covered his ears, dropping the rose and her hand in the process. Suzanne bolted out of the hall way and into another. She could still hear all the laughs from the other students as she ran. They always got louder and louder with every step she took. She had nowhere to turn too.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was only a couple minutes, she found a bathroom. She didn’t know which one it was. She went through the threshold and saw two guys in there. Suzanne had gone into the guy’s bathroom. She didn’t feel humiliated; she already was from the scene that just occurred. The two guys who were in there looked at her like she was crazy and rushed out. She closed the door on their way out and locked it. She slid down the door, sitting on her bottom.

She never won. She always lost when it came to her phobia, especially when it involved other people. There was never going to be a happy ending for her.