Drip.
Empty They Say.
There were two more people now. One was still too busy sobbing and the other was still asleep. How can Britnay actually question her? I can't even understand myself over her crying.
“That bitch!” She screamed.
I heard that one.
Drip.
“You don’t need to yell!” Z yelled back at her angrily. Maybe I should just talk to him. “We’re all in a confined space. Inside voices will do.” He almost growled.
“Shut up Z.” Britnay snapped back. “You’re just upset because you can’t tell what condition your poor girlfriend is in.” She muttered sarcastically. She probably thought no one would hear her, but her voice was loud to the point where she could whisper and it echoes.
Maybe I should give her one of the granola bars? The problem with that would be there isn’t enough for everyone, now that there’s six of us and four bars. My plan didn’t seem so genius anymore.
Drip.
Sniffle.
I felt bad for Z, I really did. I wanted to say ‘I’m sorry. I just can’t talk right now,’ but then I’d be talking and it’d defeat the purpose. I wasn’t talking. Period.
Drip.
“How many of us are there?” New girl mumbled.
“Six including you two.” Ari murmured, the quietest I’ve heard her. “I’m Ari.” She added and her voice was almost it’s normal happy.
“Z.” He mumbled.
“I’m Britnay.”
Drip.
“Uhm, I’m Sierra and my friend is Sidney.” Her voice was at a pitch where it hurt my ears and I found that rather annoying. It annoyed me even more than Britnay did. That’s saying something.
Drip.
“That’s only five.” Took you long enough.
“No shit?” Obviously Z was thinking the same thing. “You can count.”
“Shut up Z.” Ari groaned tiredly.
“Something happened to Lee. She hasn’t moved.” Z murmured. I didn’t think he’d explain. I figured it would be Britnay. I rolled my eyes at the thought and the fact that he called me ‘Lee’.
“Don’t call me that.” I snapped hoarsely without thinking.
Drip.
No one else spoke.
Drip.
I guess they were just as shocked as I was by my talking.
Drip.
“Leah?” Z asked excitedly.
“I guess I have to talk now?” I asked, clearing my sore throat. My throat hurt. My eyes hurt. My ears hurt. My head hurt. I hurt.
“Thank God.” He murmured and I could feel him leaning over me and I could feel him hugging me tightly to himself. I almost screamed it hurt so bad, but I held back and instead barely let out a small whimper. “Sorry, sorry, sorry.” He whispered and backed off quickly.
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not.” He paused, hesitating. “What happened?”
Drip.
I’m not answering that.
Drip.
I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.
Drip.
“Lee… please?” He pleaded and I closed my eyes tightly. Fighting off the foolish urge to tell him.
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped then after thinking about it for a second added, “please?”
“Not until you tell me,” then as if it were a second thought, “Lee.”
I groaned. “Leaver her alone Z. She doesn’t want to talk, she doesn’t have to talk.” Ari saved me and I leaned my head back to look at the ceiling and mouth ‘Thank God,’ knowing no one would see me.
“Fine.” Z sounded defeated.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
“Now that you’ve calmed down,” Britnay started. Oh, what a horrible way to start a conversation. She started whispering something to the new girls, I couldn’t make out what, but quite honestly, I didn’t care.
“Oh, I didn’t think about… I ha-“ Ari and Z screamed ‘shut up’ and Britnay whispered some more.
It still wasn’t very subtle.
“That bitch!” She screamed.
I heard that one.
Drip.
“You don’t need to yell!” Z yelled back at her angrily. Maybe I should just talk to him. “We’re all in a confined space. Inside voices will do.” He almost growled.
“Shut up Z.” Britnay snapped back. “You’re just upset because you can’t tell what condition your poor girlfriend is in.” She muttered sarcastically. She probably thought no one would hear her, but her voice was loud to the point where she could whisper and it echoes.
Maybe I should give her one of the granola bars? The problem with that would be there isn’t enough for everyone, now that there’s six of us and four bars. My plan didn’t seem so genius anymore.
Drip.
Sniffle.
I felt bad for Z, I really did. I wanted to say ‘I’m sorry. I just can’t talk right now,’ but then I’d be talking and it’d defeat the purpose. I wasn’t talking. Period.
Drip.
“How many of us are there?” New girl mumbled.
“Six including you two.” Ari murmured, the quietest I’ve heard her. “I’m Ari.” She added and her voice was almost it’s normal happy.
“Z.” He mumbled.
“I’m Britnay.”
Drip.
“Uhm, I’m Sierra and my friend is Sidney.” Her voice was at a pitch where it hurt my ears and I found that rather annoying. It annoyed me even more than Britnay did. That’s saying something.
Drip.
“That’s only five.” Took you long enough.
“No shit?” Obviously Z was thinking the same thing. “You can count.”
“Shut up Z.” Ari groaned tiredly.
“Something happened to Lee. She hasn’t moved.” Z murmured. I didn’t think he’d explain. I figured it would be Britnay. I rolled my eyes at the thought and the fact that he called me ‘Lee’.
“Don’t call me that.” I snapped hoarsely without thinking.
Drip.
No one else spoke.
Drip.
I guess they were just as shocked as I was by my talking.
Drip.
“Leah?” Z asked excitedly.
“I guess I have to talk now?” I asked, clearing my sore throat. My throat hurt. My eyes hurt. My ears hurt. My head hurt. I hurt.
“Thank God.” He murmured and I could feel him leaning over me and I could feel him hugging me tightly to himself. I almost screamed it hurt so bad, but I held back and instead barely let out a small whimper. “Sorry, sorry, sorry.” He whispered and backed off quickly.
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not.” He paused, hesitating. “What happened?”
Drip.
I’m not answering that.
Drip.
I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.
Drip.
“Lee… please?” He pleaded and I closed my eyes tightly. Fighting off the foolish urge to tell him.
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped then after thinking about it for a second added, “please?”
“Not until you tell me,” then as if it were a second thought, “Lee.”
I groaned. “Leaver her alone Z. She doesn’t want to talk, she doesn’t have to talk.” Ari saved me and I leaned my head back to look at the ceiling and mouth ‘Thank God,’ knowing no one would see me.
“Fine.” Z sounded defeated.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
“Now that you’ve calmed down,” Britnay started. Oh, what a horrible way to start a conversation. She started whispering something to the new girls, I couldn’t make out what, but quite honestly, I didn’t care.
“Oh, I didn’t think about… I ha-“ Ari and Z screamed ‘shut up’ and Britnay whispered some more.
It still wasn’t very subtle.