Flashing lights.
Panic voices.
Weak sirens.
Silence.
Then—
"Look at the new girl, Bryan... Isn't she just lovely?" A tall, burly boy in a football jersey commented when she passed by the school hallway.
Of course, she knew he was talking about her. His snide remark wasn't lost on her. But she didn't care, ignoring the stupid jock and his cruel joke.
"Hey, the fatty with a hot body." Suddenly, another one of the football assholes blocked her path. "Where do you think you're going?"
Typical.
What did she expect? Starting in a new school would be different. Dream on.
But this was not her first rodeo. She had dealt with bullies almost all her life.
Adjusting her glasses and standing straight, she looked directly into the man's eyes who towered dauntingly over her.
"Can you get out of my way?" Although she found the man intimidating, she still stood her ground, refusing to let him scare her.
Hugging her thick books tightly in her arms, she tried to go around him, but again, he stopped her from leaving.
"Oliver, there you are..."
"Oh great!" She sighed, but she never bothered to hide her frustration. "Another one of your stupid friends."
"Oh, James, we have a brave girl on our hands." The boy named Bryan said, snickering on the sideline.
As she had expected, he swiped her things off her arms. Her books ended up scattered on the floor.
"Real classy! Don't you jerks have anything better to do?" As she had said, she already knew the drill.
These school tyrants would not stop until they could establish their dominance. But she was not like the other kids. She would not just bow down and silently allow them to step all over her.
No! Her parents thought her better than that.
She might not fit into their norm, based on society's standards, but she knew what she was truly worth. She would never let anybody belittle her just because they thought they were special.
"I just wish you'll exercise those brain muscles more, not just your dicks, because these brainless antics are really getting boring." With that said, she let her knee fly, hitting where it hurt most.
As they said, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck you, bitch!" James cursed as he curled painfully on his knees.
That was her cue to run, but Bryan caught her before she could make her mad dash.
"Not so fast..." Bryan pulled her back, stopping her before she could escape.
Damn it!
There was a 50-50 chance that her plan would work, but she guessed luck was not on her side today.
But then again, she might have spoken too soon.
"Let her go, Bryan." Oliver, as they called him, finally strode toward her. He grabbed the other guy by his shirt and shoved him aside.
"What the hell, man!" Bryan complained, straightening his shirt and stretching his shoulders and arms.
But Oliver ignored him as he stood before her, slightly invading her space.
To her surprise, he lifted his finger and gently touched her chin, tilting her face until she was looking into his eyes.
"Are you alright, Miss?" He asked.
Honestly, she expected him to wear the same cynical smile, the same reaction to his friends. But astonishingly, what she saw was concern.
But, of course, she was not falling for that trap.
Bad cop. Good cop.
It was a game.
"Just leave me alone." She snapped at him, pushing his hand away. Quickly, she knelt to gather her things from the floor.
"I think we deserve that." Oliver shook his head, regret laced in his tone. "Let me help you..."
"I said leave me alone, you fucking asshole." She snatched the book from his hand and hastily walked away.
"Again, I'm sorry, Miss..." His voice carried along the hallway, but she never looked back.
"Miss..."
"Miss..."
"Miss..."
"Miss, can you hear me?"
Wait! The voice was different.
"Miss..."
Then, silence again.
"Hey, I think you forgot this." That voice... It sounded familiar.
She turned around and found him, standing just behind her, with her missing book.
"Oliver... You do remember me, right?" He gave her a boyish grin, that warm, charming smile that could melt an ice glazier and a woman's stone-cold heart.
"Oh, it's you again." Not that she was the ice queen, but she certainly didn't feel like warming up to this immature birdbrain. "Give me that." Taking the book before turning and walking away.
"Hey, that's it?" Oliver caught up with her, walking alongside her, matching her every step. "You'll just walk away from me without even..."
"Are you really expecting me to thank you?" She laughed at him, quickening her stride. "You're really a piece of shit. You know that, right?"
Turning a corner, she hoped to lose him. But he still followed.
"No, you got me wrong." He put his hands together as if trying to apologize. "I'm sorry again. I only want to get your name."
"Miss?"
"Miss?"
"Miss?"
"Miss, can you hear me?"
What was going on?
Her brain kept jumping from one scene to another, but nothing made sense.
"Miss, can you open your eyes?"
Who was that?
Eventually, she felt a hand on her arms, gently tapping her, as if someone had been trying to wake her up.
"Mommm..." She mumbled, feeling the familiar touch, but her voice sounded different. "Give me five minutes..." That was what she wanted to say, but all that came out of her lips was air.
"How is she?"
"She still keeps coming and going."
Then, silence.
"What's this?" She asked, anxious and excited to see what he had prepared for her.
Ever since he came to pick her up from their usual spot, he had blindfolded her and driven her to her surprise.
"No peeking." He reminded her, tapping her on the nose, before kissing her. "Now, be a good girlfriend and wait patiently." It was just a peck on the lips, but it meant so much more.
It was not a short drive, but she could tell it was worth the wait.
"We're here, but you can't look yet." He kept her eye mask on. Instead, he guided her out of the car and wherever he was taking her.
Dinner at their favorite restaurant.
A picnic at their usual spot.
It could be any of the many things. But she already knew it would be something to look forward to.
He was just that thoughtful, not something she would have expected from him when she first met him.
"Oliver, I can't take the excitement anymore." She believed this was the most exhilarating surprise he had done for her.
The suspense was killing her.
"Just a few steps more." He said before she heard a jingling of keys in the background. "I promise you'll love this."
Finally, they stopped.
"Open your eyes." Removing the tie away from her eyes, she gradually opened them.
Blinking several times to adjust to the bright light.
"Do you like it?" He asked, looking very excited, and smiled brightly at her. "It's our new home."
"Our home?" She couldn't believe it.
She closed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming.
But when she opened it again, her home was gone.
Instead, all she saw was a bright light and a white wall.
"Oliver..." She tried to call to him, but no sound came out of her lips.
What was going on?
"Hey, you're finally awake." Someone spoke, but it took her a while to notice her until she stood before her.
Then, she grabbed a glass of water. "Here, Sophia... take a small sip." That was when she realized that her lips and throat were dry.
"Do you remember anything?" The unfamiliar woman in a uniform asked. "Do you know what happened?"
"I..." But she still found it difficult to speak. "Ehhheemm!" Trying to clear her throat.
"You were in a car accident, Sophia. Do you remember that?" The woman asked again.
Sophia?
Why did this woman keep calling her Sophia?
Then, it finally clicked.
It was the new name she picked for her new identity.
Oh my!
Suddenly, fragments of what happened flashed before her eyes.
"I do..." Her voice finally returned, but it still sounded weird.
"That's good." The woman said. "By the way, you're in the hospital. I'm Dr. Bennett."
"How do you feel?" Dr. Bennett pressed on, examining her eyes and her body's reflexes.
"Awful." It was the first thing that came to mind, but that was the least of her concerns. "Where is my Mom?" Remembering that she tried to wake her up.
"Why don't you just take it easy and will talk again later?" The doctor said, her voice gave nothing away. But her eyes said a different story, as if she was trying to hide something.
"No. I don't need to rest." She wanted to see her parents, remembering that they were in the car with her. "Where are my parents? I want to see them." She demanded.
"I think it's best for you to..."
"No... You don't get to tell me what's best for me. Answer my question?" She wanted to hear it even if she already knew the outcome.
Then, she felt as if her heart had stopped when she felt something strange in her belly.
"My baby?" She couldn't feel him anymore.
"I'm sorry." Dr. Bennett said.
But the doctor didn't need to say more.
Suddenly, all she felt was nothing but more heartbreak. More pain.
Not love. Not hope.
Not life.