“Here, we are,” Mum said, snapping me out of my trance.
We pulled up to the familiar entrance of my school with its big, black, iron gates gaping open creepily. “ Bye mum,” I said as I hoped out of our big blue Cherokee jeep.
“Bye,” mum replied, “ I’ll pick you up at five after your tennis lesson, ”she called as she began to slowly drive away just allowing me to slam the car door shut.
I reached my classroom just in time for registration and sat down next to my best friend Chloe. “ Abigail Burton?” Mrs. Peters called out in her efficient and strict voice but with a touch of kindness that it always held. “ Yes Mrs. Peters,” I awnsered.
After all the names had been called out, with the class joker, Guy Musson, being the only absence, we proceeded to do home work and catch up work until nine fifteen when we were told to get our games kit for P.E in the gym. As I got changed in the stuffy, chlostrophobic changing rooms I started to get a terrible headache and began to feel nauseous.
“ Abs are you O.K?” my friend Alice asked, her brow furrowed with worry and looking very concerned. “ You’ve gone very pale,”
“ Really, have I? I feel fine don’t worry,” I lied trying to sound as cheerful as possible.
“ Oh, O.K then. Are you coming up to the hall?”
“ Yes I am,” I replied with a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn’t quite describe. As if it was tucked in the very corner of my brain and I couldn’t quite reach it. Once in my school gym the bright neon orange lights seemed to pound into my head, giving out toxic waves that jabbed at my brain. I felt dizzy, light headed, sickly, hot and as light as a feather, with a strange sensation that I was able to float away leaving my troubles behind me. Then blackness, total, consuming blackness.
“ Abi? Abi?” I heard a voice calling me from some where far away and distant. “Where am I?” I thought, “Am I in a dream?”
I opened my eyes to be greeted by harsh, bright, stinging white lights.
“What the?” I exclaimed.
“Ah, Abi you're awake,” said the gentle voice of Mrs. Patterson. “You fainted in your physical education lesson which is why you are here. You’ve been out for quite a while now. How do you feel?”
“O.K I guess,” I replied, “But I have a bit of a headache,”
“ I thought so,” said Mrs. Patterson efficiently, “The best thing for you young lady is a good long sleep and a rest. I was wondering, are your parents at home?”
“My Mother is but not my Father,” I told her.
“Ok then, I’ll give her a call.”
“Well, I’m afraid nobody seems to be awnsering, are you sure shes at home?
“Um, yes definately, maybe shes hanging out the washing”
“Well i’m not busy so i’ll drive you round there. You can go home and sleep till you feel better, where your Mother can look after you.
Mrs. Patterson packed me up in her car and drove me back home. Once we had arrived at my house Mrs. Patterson stayed until she saw me open the house door and then drove off. I entered my house still feeling slightly sickly.
“Mum,” I called as I stepped into the hall, “ Mum?” I received no reply.
I walked into the kitchen and she wasn’t there. She wasn’t in the sitting room, dining room or study either so I climbed upstairs, and called her name again, louder this time. “Mum?”
Suddenly my mother burst out of my parents’ bedroom, wearing a dressing gown, and looking extremely flustered.
“Abi! What are you doing here?” my mother questioned in a high- pitched, almost hysterical voice.
“I fainted so the school sent me home,” I explained quickly, “What’s the matter with you?”
“Oh nothing, nothing at all,” my mother exclaimed while trying to subtly close the bedroom door, “Why don’t you go and boil the kettle for a cup of tea?”
“Who’s in there?” I asked, and pushed past my mother, into her bedroom.
What I saw was a man on my parents’ bed with only a sheet around him looking very worried and uncomfortable. “Please don’t say anything to your Father,” my Mother pleaded, “ It’s not what it seems.”
“Either you tell him or I will,” I said as I ran out of the room, down the stairs and out of the house. Outside on the lawn reality struck me. I felt crushed, betrayed and angry. Bile started rising up my throat ant I threw up. I started sobbing and fell on the floor feeling I would like nothing better than to die at that instant. I knew that day would change the way I saw life forever.
