Troubled

THIRTY

KYLE GARCIA

I know she was going to bolt as soon we were dismissed, I mean she avoided my gaze steadily throughout the session. And I read somewhere if you stared at someone hard enough, and will them to look at you they will. Liars. She never turned, while I willed her to look at me.

Knowing her, I get up just as fast, she stood up and then plopped down back.

"Wow, all these to run away from me?" I ask getting slightly annoyed. I just wanted to apologize.

She didn't move a muscle. She didn't even act like someone was talking to her. Typical of her.

"Did something happen between you two?" Miss Suzie asked. Her brows creased as she looked between me and Cora's still figure.

I was standing above her, she sat still, looking straight ahead, the only thing in front of her were the peeling walls, and the Ten things you need to know about your mental health poster that looked the newest.

"Kind of." I mumble towards Miss Suzie.

I don't want her to ask further questions because I most definitely will not be answering them. So I squat, that way I was eye to eye with Cora.

"Hey. Listen.." I start before I notice her eyes. They weren't blinking.

I snap my fingers in front of her face, no response. I wave my hands. Still no response.

"Hey Cora! Cora!!"

She didn't move a muscle, her eyes never blinked.

"Something is happening with Cora, she's not blinking. She's not moving." My words tumbling on each other as I try to say the words as fast as I can.

"What do you mean she is not moving?" I hear Miss Suzie coming out of her desk to my side.

I place a finger under her nose, her breath is warm on my finger. Relief floods my entire being, I don't want to think what I thought she was.

"Cora. Cora?" Miss Suzie called as she shook her slightly.

Cora's body shook but she doesn't blink, or speak, she just stared ahead.

"Are you guys pulling something?" Miss Suzie's voice had grown worried.

"Why on earth is that the first thing that comes to your mind? Why would you even think we would do this because of you?" I snap at her.

She runs her hand through her hair, I didn't mean to snap at her, but she was the adult in this situation, she was supposed to know how to handle things, why was her first thought a prank?

"I didn't.. I don't.. sorry. What do we do now?"

I rub my palm across my face as I look back at Cora, she hadn't changed her position all these while, she was still frozen, looking straight ahead.

"I'll call 911." She said reaching for her phone.

I stop her just time before she dialed it.

"What are you doing? We need to help her."

I look at her frozen face. I clench my fists, I have no idea if what I was doing was wrong or not.

"She said no hospitals." I shut my eyes as I speak.

"What do you mean? Has this happened before?" Her voice had a sense of urgency.

I sigh before collapsing into the sofa.

"It was different from this. But something did happen and she was adamant about the no hospital thing."

"What do we do now? What did you do then?'

I ignored her questions, and turn to face her as she paced.

"What is she here for?"

She kept pacing. In silence.

"Miss Suzie, I need to know."

"If she wanted you to know she would have shared it with you earlier. I would like to respect her privacy."

I swallow thickly. My eyes go back to her unmoving form.

"Her parents. You must know her parents, they will know what to do."

It was like a veil was lifted from her eyes. She picked up her phone again and dialed someone, I'm guessing the closest of Cora's relative to her.

"She is not answering." Miss Suzie had started to whisper. I would like to think that was how she got worried.

"Try her father."

"I don't have his phone number. Just the mother's." She looked apologetic.

"Keep trying till she answers." I say and try to get Cora's phone.

It was hard to search her pockets, so I decided to check her bag. It was full of everything but her phone.

"What are you doing?" Her eyes were wide and her whispers harsh.

"Trying to find her phone. Her dad's number should be in it." I roll my eyes at her.

I find the old phone in the front pocket of her jeans, thankfully it wasn't a deep pocket.

It had a password, of course, nothing could ever be easy.

"It has a password." I tell Miss Suzie as I stand up from my kneeling position.

"Try her brother's name." She still whispered.

"I don't remember his name."

She stared at me wide eyed. Aren't therapists supposed to be smart?

"His name is Cory."

Our heads whip towards the direction of her voice.

"Cora!!"

She had unfroze. Her face was the usual blank expression. But she was looking at us, her eyes were blinking again.

Miss Suzie ran to her, collapsing beside her.

"Are you okay?" She placed her palm on Cora's head.

"Just peachy. I spend the most of my time here after school and you don't know the simplest thing about me. Give me back my phone I would like to leave."

She was back just like that. Like someone flipped a switch inside of her and this was the end result.

When I don't move from my spot, I don't know what is rooting me there, fear maybe? She snatched the phone from my hand.

"Thank you for not calling 911." Was the last thing she said before slipping out of the clinic.

Snapping out of it, I follow her. She was slow this time. She was taking her time, maybe her head still spun from the spacing out. But I follow behind. This girl intrigued me so much. She was the math problem I was hell bent on solving.

"Spit it out." Her voice is even and silky. I felt like I could thread it.

"What was that? I deserve to know, I was worried."

She didn't turn back, her steps were still the same. I was still following from behind, at least two feet behind her.

We had walked a bit before she responds.

"You deserve to know." She repeats my statement. Her voice even.

"You deserve to know because you were worried. Not because you are fishing for gossip?"

I frown. I can't get mad at her. Her voice is even, like we were discussing the weather.

"You deserve to know something about me, because you were worried. Don't I deserve some privacy?"

My mouth open and close like a fish out of water.

"Your friend already told you didn't he? He told you what was wrong with me."

My brows crease in confusion.

"He is right. I'm troubled."