Sweat dripped from her brow, stinging her eyes as the salty taste lingered in her dry mouth. Avery's legs burned, and her breaths came out in ragged bursts. The rhythmic thumping of feet on dry grass thundered around her though she kept her eyes glued to the black and white soccer ball in front of her. Avery was tired but still managed to sprint forward towards the opposing team's net. She knew this would be one of those days where her stamina failed her. Her muscles screamed for rest while the sun beat down on her face like a thousand tiny knives piercing through skin and muscle.
"Get back!" yelled the coach. "You're losing your focus."
The sound of footsteps pounding against the ground drew closer behind her. Avery was losing ground, her legs refusing to move any faster. Avery could practically feel the breath of the opposing team as they tried to cut her off. Close. Avery was close now. Just a few more steps, and then she'd be able to stop running and catch her breath. But just as she thought, the air became thick and heavy, smothering her lungs until nothing else was inside them. All thoughts fled her mind, leaving only a blank void that filled every fiber of her being.
Her chest felt tight, squeezing tightly as if someone were trying to strangle her. It didn't matter how much oxygen she took into her lungs; it seemed to evaporate instantly. Her head pounded, forcing her to clench her teeth together. Then, everything went dark, even the light from the stadium above. A wave of nausea washed over her as she fell to the ground. And suddenly, everything stopped moving.
"Oh my God!"
Avery didn't know whose voice it was. It sounded like it came from a million miles away. The sky above was dark and filled with countless stars. The ground was hard and uneven beneath her back as a crowd of girls huddled around her. A moment later, the worried face of her coach pushed its way to the front of the group and bent down beside Avery.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
His voice was calm and firm, though Avery could tell he was doing his best to constrain his anxiety at the condition of his star player. Avery tried to speak, but it felt like her mouth and throat were full of cotton. Avery coughed a few times, wincing at the pain in her chest as she rolled onto her side. Her chest felt like an iron band wrapped firmly around it, and Avery couldn't stop the panic rising within her. Everything sounded off like it was coming through a fishbowl. Her vision began to blur, and she closed her eyes, hoping it might help clear things up. However, when she opened them again, the faces surrounding her looked blurry.
"What happened?" asked another familiar voice.
"She fainted," said Coach.
That was the last thing Avery remembered before waking up in the school nurse's office. The room was dark save for the light streaming in through the window in the door. Avery tried to sit up, but the room instantly began to spin. Avery took a deep breath and leaned back on the firm mattress, waiting for the dizziness and nausea to pass. Avery's body ached, and her muscles felt weak as she lay motionless on the bed. Worried voices came from the other side of the door, though they were too muffled for Avery to make out what was being said.
A soft click echoed through the dark room, and Avery glanced at the door as it quietly swung open. The school nurse strode confidently into the room, her gray hair tied neatly back into a bun. Her thick-rimmed glasses made her look more librarian than a nurse, and that thought was only reinforced by the frown on her face. Another figure followed the nurse into the room, their heavy footfalls sounding loud in the otherwise quiet space.
The rotund form of Avery's coach was unmistakable, and the worry was evident on his round face. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool air of the nurse's office. The two figures crept to the side of Avery's bed, and the nurse pulled out a stethoscope from a deep pocket of her lab coat. With a frown, the nurse moved to place the head of the stethoscope onto Avery's chest. The metal was cold like ice, and Avery couldn't help wincing at the sudden jolt of pain shooting through her heart.
"I'm going to listen to your heartbeat," said the nurse. "Try not to move."
Avery did her best to hold perfectly still as the nurse placed the end of the stethoscope against her sternum. There was no audible sound, but the nurse pressed harder on Avery's breastbone.
"It's faint, but I can hear something," said the nurse. "Do you have any history of cardiac problems?"
"No..." mumbled Avery, her words barely louder than a whisper.
"Okay. Try to relax."
Avery forced herself to breathe deeply as the nurse held the stethoscope against her chest once more. Finally, after several seconds passed, the nurse turned to face Coach Mullner and nodded her head.
"Avery here is going to be fine. Her heart sounds fine, though weak. It appears to be nothing more than a bad case of dehydration combined with strenuous exercise. However, I think it would be a good idea if Avery took a couple of weeks off from soccer. This will have undoubtedly put a lot of strain on her body, and she needs time to recover."
Coach mulled over the suggestion for a minute, looking concerned. Then, finally, he scratched the stubble on his chin, sighed heavily, and gave the nurse a nod.
"Thank you, Nurse."
The nurse smiled warmly and walked out of the room without another word. Coach waited for a second, watching the door close behind her before turning back to Avery. His expression softened somewhat as he stepped closer to her bedside and rested a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "We'll find something else for you to do."
He patted her lightly on the arm and squeezed her reassuringly. Avery blinked slowly as she stared at him, unsure whether to believe him or not. The coach left the office a few minutes later, leaving Avery to contemplate what the nurse had said. Two weeks without soccer would be torture for the young teen.
A tear rolled down Avery's cheek, and she scrunched her eyes tightly shut. Avery didn't want anyone to catch her crying, so she slowly got out of bed and left the room. Avery didn't know where she was going, but her legs kept moving forward. The halls of the high school were dimly lit, seeming almost eerie. Avery wasn't used to seeing them utterly devoid of students, and her footsteps sounded unusually loud as she made her way along the tile floor. Lockers lined either side of the large hallway, occasionally broken up by a door leading to one of the classrooms. The walls were bare of decorations or posters, giving the hallways a stark appearance.
Avery walked faster, eager to escape the creepy atmosphere and get outside. She walked toward the gymnasium doors, which stood slightly ajar as if inviting her in. Avery paused there, hesitating. Avery's hands trembled slightly as she reached for the handle to push open the doors. Pure darkness awaited her, the only light coming from the hallway behind her. Avery knew this would be the fastest way out of the school. Doors on the opposite side of the gym opened right onto the main road in front of the school.
Avery took a deep breath and stepped into the gloom beyond. Avery jumped as the door slammed shut behind her, leaving her completely blind in the absolute darkness of the gymnasium. Avery practically ran across the wooden floor, her footsteps echoing around the large room. Avery felt the panic welling inside her just as she reached the far side of the gym. Avery blindly followed the brick wall until she found the metal doors that would grant her freedom. With a light push, the doors swung open, and Avery found herself standing outside once more.
Avery breathed a sigh of relief, glad to leave the empty building behind her. The late summer air was still warm despite the late hour. The streets were nearly empty, and the lights of the nearby stadium had been extinguished, though Avery didn't know how long ago the game had ended. Avery felt another tear roll down her cheek, and she quickly began walking across the parking lot. Avery didn't want to go home yet; she had too much on her mind. Though, Avery had no idea where to go. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Avery could think of a few places she liked to go whenever she needed to think or unwind. It was just a matter of which one to go to.
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