Page 105 of Something Rad
Denise grabs me by the elbow. “Surely you have enough. Let’s go to the bleachers.”
“Let go of me, please,” I demand, pulling out of her grasp.
“You know you want to,” Ginger chimes in.
“No, I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?” one of them asks. I can’t even tell the difference right now with my camera up to my face.
“Does it really matter?” I ask.
“Here, just take one of these and come on,” Denise says, trying to shove a popper into my hand that is currently holding the camera.
“Okay,seriously,” I grit, yanking the camera down from my face. “Do you mind–”
I don’t get the full question out before a confetti popper goes on in my face, shooting directly into my left eye. I’m thankful my camera is strapped around my neck, because I immediately drop it, doubling over in pain as both of my hands go to my eye. I try to open it, but it feels like there’s a mixture of sand and razor blades floating around on its surface. I try to catch my breath, knowing it’s just pieces of paper and glittery sequins, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. All the sound in the room goes muffled for several moments, until one stands out clear as day from the rest.
“What the hell, Denise?”
I feel hands on my shoulders, but I can’t move, my teeth digging into my lower lip in an attempt to distract from the throbbing pain in my eye.
“Oopsies,” I hear Denise say. “So sorry. Total accident.”
Accident, my ass, I think to myself, not sure I’m able to speak yet.
I’m not sure by what force, but I’m being led out of the gym, walking with my head down and being guided by the hands on my shoulders. Once we get outside, we take a handful more steps until we walk through another door. I am able to tell by the change of the flooring that I see through my squinted good eye that we’re in a bathroom now. I hear the sink turn on and it’s not a moment later that my head is being forced under the stream of water, letting it run over my injured eye. I let out a hiss of discomfort as the pain only gets worse. It takes me a few moments to realize one of the hands on my shoulder is now rubbing circles across my back.
After the water runs over my eye for twenty seconds or so, the pain goes from sharp to dull, but the ache is definitely still there. I try to force my eye to open further but can’t, immediately wincing. The water shuts off and I feel fingers under my chin, forcing my head up. I squeeze both of my eyes closed as I stand up straight, trying to gauge the difference of feeling between the two.
Yeah, the right one definitely feels normal and the left one feels like it’s on fire.
“Let me see ya, Cooper,” a voice whispers in front of me.
My good eye snaps open, finding Robbie standing right in front of me, his fingers still resting under my chin, his head tilted, and his eyes full of concern.
I reflexively jump back, my mouth falling open. “I–You–What–”
“Are you okay?” he asks, ignoring my stammering.
I shake my head. “You can’t be in here!” I say, not sure why him being in the girls’ bathroom is the first coherent thought I’m able to get out.
Robbie raises his brows. “That’s your main concern right now, Cooper? Seriously?”
“It’s the girls’ bathroom!” I say, throwing my arms out.
Robbie rolls his eyes, stepping closer to me. “Would you let me see your eye?”
I flinch as his thumb brushes across my left eyebrow. “I can’t open it.”
“You can,” Robbie insists. “You’re just scared.”
“Yeah, well, blame it on your girlfriend,” I mutter.
Robbie’s gaze flicks down, meeting my single good eye. He flexes his jaw, his head shaking slightly. “You’re my girlfriend, remember?”
I swallow, pressing my lips together.
“Here, let me help you,” Robbie says, pressing his thumb down and pulling up on my eyebrow just a little, forcing my eye open. I suck in a sharp breath as Robbie’s other thumb presses just below my eye, pulling down. “Shhh, I got you,” he says, ducking his head to get a better look.
