The Cure To All Disease

Chapter 12: Glissando

I continued to clutch the note all through the rest of the class. For some reason I think that reading in front of her would be weird, afterall she gave her words to me in note form for a reason that I don’t want to invade. Soon enough it was time for the class to exit, as my escort standing in the doorway indicated that it was time for him to bring me to my next classroom. I’m compliant not knowing whether or not there’s any other path for me to set my gaze upon.

She continues to lurk behind me like a foreboding cloud of dark mist observing my every movement, and every breath. I can't tell if she is actually eager to get to know me or she is establishing how much she despises me for invading her personal paradise in the corner of the classroom. The note of which I still hold now probably will provide me some answers. I'll wait until later but for now I have to endure her eyes burning holes through my back.

"Ambrose, how has your day been so far? Have you already made a friend?" When he begins this conversation with me I am still encapsulated by my profound thoughts, and the exceedingly great worry that came from them.

"S-sort of I guess, though I don't know exactly why she's still following me." I look back at her again but every single time I attempt to make eye contact she quickly glances away. She acts as though she wasn't intensely following me, rather just walking in the same direction.

"Have you even asked what her name is yet?" My escort establishes a completely valid point

"W-wait, that's something I'm supposed to do? Oh yeah, that makes sense. Um, wh-what's your name?" I twist my head to look at her, realizing this, her body jolts back in shock. Why was that question so baffling? Without a word she forfeits her ground she had behind me and marches away, her chin pushed into her chest.

"Well that's alright, you have gym next." The gym, that vast gym area was where I believed that I had first encountered Phenix, or perhaps it was the individual who claimed that he had nothing to do with me. This dilemma is very confusing.

"I think I kind of remember where the gym is."I suppose I remember how the gym looks and the hallway that leads up to those double doors, however the crisp layout has not yet been mapped in my head. However I've grown to know that with my flawed memory even that is more than I deserve.

"Well keep that information tucked away for when winter comes along. During the Autumn and Spring season we'll move to the outdoor court."

I was given the option to perch myself upon the bench facing this outdoor court he spoke of. I could have watched the heated game unfolding before me but my eyes kept drifting out of frame to the multi-colored veil of foliage. In addition to that Phenix is a prominent member of his team despite lacking height everyone seems to want on their team for this game of basketball. I know he probably doesn't want me to look in his direction, he already considers me to be not much better than a stalker.

This really burns, so I don't want to watch him anyways, so it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really matter at all, it doesn’t matter because I remember that friends don’t actually matter. I would much rather bury my face into my knees to obscure my view, and there is no one stopping me, so I did so. Cuddled up within my own embrace I find myself thinking of the strange hair I had discovered a little over a week ago.

I had almost forgotten about it completely, a piece of gray straight hair among my bed of dark coiled ones. I reach into my hat that I almost forgot to wear this morning in the hectic rush. Sifting through my hairs I blindly attempt to single it out, it's an impossible task though. However what bothers me more is that a blinking light has gradually invaded the upper half of my vision.

As I am eager to find the miscellaneous hair, I become more eager to search for the source of that light. Standing up from my seat I make my way down the row of whatever my escort called them. Reaching the ground my eyes rapidly search for the blinking light. At last I am able to locate it and carefully I reach towards it but that attempt ends unsuccessfully.

It was unsuccessful because as I was reaching a figure most resembling a person was hurling towards me. I couldn't tell who it was at the time as they occurred to me  as nothing more than a blur. Before I could react they swerved out of the way and somehow tripped over something sending them flying across the field to the other crashing into the outside wall of the building. What horrible luck? In trying to not injure me they ended up getting much more hurt than either of us would have been.

I stand up and turn around. That sounded almost metallic. Now that the individual is stationary I should now be able to realize who they are. Somehow realizing who this person is burning even more than before, my eyes settle upon Phenix as the dust settles. Though now it just seems that he's been pushed into a trance staring blankly, eyes widened with an occasional blink in between. Everyone pushes past me before I get a chance to ask if he's okay myself, but maybe that's for the better.

"Phenix! Are you okay?" I recognize this boy from my class earlier, the one who thought I might have been a stalker. Phenix, who had landed head first with his back aligning against the wall, rolls forward in a position where he can stand up. His clothes are dirty from rolling across the dirt, his face is also smudged with dirt and painted with a few bruises but it doesn't look like anything serious.

Phenix immediately marches in my direction as he stops in front of me glaring, the anger and frustration radiating from his dirt smudged face. "What the heck were you thinking wandering onto the field like that without warning? Are you an idiot?" Phenix growls reaching up to clutch onto my shoulder and then shaking me rapidly he continues. "If it were anyone else they would have gotten a lot more hurt than just a few bruises!"

"W-well I saw this flashing light and it was coming from the field so I-"

"You really think I'm a joke, don't you? Well, I don't care why you did it, don't try something like that again." Immediately after he finishes the noise returns, but it's more sharp and tense, cleanly piercing straight through my head. I clutch onto my forehead. For some reason I look up, and Phenix also wretches and clutches his forehead in pain. Was it something I did?

"A-are you okay?" I ask, it's the least that I can do right now, I was the one who caused all of this.

"Phenix, please go to the nurse, she'll get you a new pair of clothes too." The gym teacher, I forgot to mention him, he really only said a few words to me, which were my name, his name and telling me that I could sit out for the period. However, thanks to his words Phenix didn't say another word to me as he silently scuffled away from the scene. "Ambrose, tough first day huh?" Even though he hadn't seen my full day I guess the previous events made it obvious where it was going and it's been.

"Yeah I-I guess." This is all I say despite the fact I want to say  'I can't wait for Troy to pick me up' Never once in my life have I felt my cheeks flush like this as I trudge back to my seat, each step reminds me of wading through thick mud. I plummet into my chair and the seat has managed to become cold in the few moments I was away. I tilt my head up toward the sky, the vibrant blue comforts me as close my eyes.