Big Mac

Chapter 12- The Big Speech

I'm so sorry its been so long since I have updated. But I do not have a computer anymore and I never found the time to write another chapter. I honestly almost just gave up on this story but reading your comments really made me feel better because I realized that people were reading this and wanted more. I know this isn't a really great chapter but its an important one. I hope you guys like it and I will try to update more soon. :)

Amanda clutched her paper, her knuckles turning white in nervousness. She could hardly hear the other kids speaking, she was too nervous. She brushed a frizzy strand of hair behind her ear. "And so that is why I am afraid of water."  The kid took his papers off the podium and started walking back to his desk, the class dutifully clapping their hands.

Mrs. Christansen looked up. "Any volunteers?" She asked scanning the room for victims. No one raised a hand. Mrs. Christansen gave a large sigh. "OK I guess I'm just going to have to randomly pick someone." Amanda sat there her nerves going all haywire, she hated when teachers did this. She looked down, hoping the teacher wouldn't call on her. Amanda thought about her speech, she hoped if she didn't get called on today she could revise it later when she got home.

No such luck. "Amanda Mackey can you please share your speech today, followed by Chris Henshire. I think that's going to be all the time we are going to have today."

It seemed like the whole class was completely silent, as she got up her chair made a huge scraping noise across the floor. Amanda's face flushed, just what she needed more attention directed at herself.

"When asked my biggest fear I would automatically say bugs, the dark, or something like clowns. But when I really think about it, I wasn't actually afraid of those things. I just didn't like them." Amanda began, her voice felt shaky and she was afraid she wasn't loud enough.

Amanda took a deep breath. "When I really thought about it one thing everyday caused my heart to clench, and my nerves to go crazy. It wasn't that spider maybe sitting on the bathroom floor. It was school. I realized it wasn't just a disliking I had at school, I was literally fearful of it. I wasn't afraid of the work, or the classes, or even the teachers. It was my peers I went to school with everyday that caused me to be fearful. When am I going to be picked on next? How many times will I be the butt of the joke today? Will I get shoved in a locker today? Or will I have someone try to use me just so they could get ahead in class. I didn't know who to trust.

People who were mean I didn't trust, and the nice ones I was wary of too. It got to the point where I thought why would anyone really want to be friends with me? I couldn't get away from my insecurities at school because here, everyone constantly reminded me of them. As I was writing this speech I was hesitant to really talk about my real fear but as I wrote about it, it helped. I realized I shouldn't care what people think or say. After school is over I'm done. I don't need to let what someone says ruin my life."

Amanda stopped, her vision started getting hazy, and the claps echoed through her head. It seemed like a distant dream. Her hips swayed and her breath grew short. Last thing she saw was Zenas sitting open mouthed at his desk.

She awoke to the sound of ambulance and she was tied to a stretcher. "Yeah she's fine." She heard someone say hurriedly. "It just looks like she passed from exhaustion. We will look her over at the hospital."

Amanda was shoved in the back of the ambulance and heard the doors slammed. "I'm fine." Amanda said but no one could hear her.

What happened? Why had she passed out like that? Amanda felt terrible, her head hurt and her stomach was killing her. She was starting to feel light headed again.

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