Ch. 26: Did Everyone See Me Do That?

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
I sank to the floor, my head hurting like crazy. There were tears in my eyes.
“Holy crap! Rach! Are you okay?!” I heard Ally yelling from above me.
I looked up at her through my watery eyes and saw a big, green, gigantic light pole ahead of me. I had just walked straight into it.
Laughter built up in my chest as I realized and I started laughing loudly like an uncontrollable lunatic, which only brought more tears to my eyes. I felt delusional and could only focus on the bout of laughter continuing to build up in my chest. My whole body was still vibrating from the impact.
“Did-,” choking on laughter, “Did I walk -,” trying to breathe, “right into -?”
Ally laughed lightly, she was crouched down next to me and I was surrounded by people. I hadn’t heard them approach but there was a pretty large crowd around me. My eyes had a hard time focusing.
“Yes, Rach, you walked straight into that pole,” Ally confirmed with a small smile. “I assume this means you are either okay or you have officially lost your mind from a brain injury?”
I continued to laugh hysterically and my eyes watered over with tears. I tried to push myself up off the sidewalk with my palms but only got up a few inches before falling back on my bottom. I felt a strong warm arm supporting my back, it felt nice.
“Breathe Rachel!” Lana said on my side and something about her concern made me take her seriously. I started taking deep breaths trying to calm myself. I blinked furiously trying to clear my vision.
“Should I go get someone?” Nick asked from behind me, I recognized his raspy voice.
“Hold on,” Jake ordered harshly. “Give her a minute,” he added. He was right behind me, it had been Jake supporting me with his arm. “Rach can I help you stand up?”
My breathing slowed, and my eyes started to clear. I saw the serious concern on everyone’s faces and it took a second for me to process what Jake had just said before I nodded. He reached under my arms and helped me stand. I was weak and clearly had no balance. I clung onto his shirt. He was crouched over, trying to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me. My head, my ears, everything was ringing and my neck pulsed with pain. I winced.
“One second-” Jake started and he went to pick me up. Right arm supporting my back, left arm under my knees. “Let’s get you to that bench…”
Everyone cleared a path and followed us a few steps away to the bus stop bench. He gently placed me down and my left hand went to the back of my head, wincing at the pain in my neck. The throbbing was all I could notice and I closed my eyes, still holding onto Jake’s shirt. His hand was around my mid-back. I didn’t need to look to know it was him. Large and steady. Pine and spice scent. Warm. His presence seemed to calm me. Although my insides vibrated, he still sent my skin tingling. He was next to the bench, crouched all the way down by the floor.
I closed and opened my eyes again trying to refocus. Other than the focused pain at my neck everything was getting better. The band started playing. I rotated my neck a little. I now saw everyone who had seen my epic smack into a pole: Lana and Ally, Tom, Mitchell, Evan, Robert, Nick, Jake of course. Several others from the middle school group. Sophie. Though right at this moment it didn’t look like she wanted to kill me which was nice. Though I’m sure the sight of my dumb a** walking straight into a pole would give her plenty to feel good about.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” I tried to reassure everyone. I found myself leaning on Jake to sit up. He got up and sat next to me on the bench.
Lana sat at my other side and put her arm around my shoulders. I sat up further, letting go of Jake’s shirt. He moved his arm that had been supporting my back, but he stayed seated next to me.
“So,” I started speaking to no one in particular, “Did everyone see me do that?” I winced, knowing what the answer would be.
Everyone spoke over each other, it seemed most of them saw me hit the pole, all of them saw me sink to the ground after.
“The sound of you hitting that pole was loud as hell,” Mitchell said laughing. He abruptly stopped, looking at Jake who was glaring at him.
“You could have a concussion, we should call your mom,” Jake said from my side.
I looked over at him, he was so damn serious.
“I’m fine,” I insisted, one hand rubbing my temples. I glanced at his unconvinced expression, I conceded, “If it makes you feel better - Mitchell, if your mom is home?”
He nodded knowing what I meant. His mom was a doctor and he lived just two blocks away. He started to call someone - his mom I assumed - and stepped away.
I looked back at the big crowd and smiled from embarrassment. Smiling was my weird reaction to feeling uncomfortable and it seemed that not only was I set to smile crazily, but laughter was building its way back up. This was all too much. Embarrassment galore. Of course I would walk into a pole today. Of course everyone would see it. My laughter was out of my throat before I could stop it. Evan joined in on the laughter and a few other people chuckled. I glanced at Jake to see him scowling and I tried to playfully shoved him, but pushed harder than I intended.
“Oh! I’m sorry!” I exclaimed, “Just lighten up, Jake! Come on, you know it was hilarious!” I kept laughing and now almost everyone else laughed too. He resettled in his seat and looked at me, eyes still worried. But he seemed pleased, somehow. My laughter died out after a minute. His expressions were too charged. He made it so hard to be lighthearted,
“My mom says to stay here, she’s on her way,” Mitchell said upon approaching the group again, helping me break eye contact.
“Come on everyone, let’s give her some space. I’ll wait here with her,” Lana said, still at my side.
Everyone started to walk back to the skate park, chatting about my fall or other things. Ally stayed behind. Jake still remained there next to me, and I couldn’t stop replaying our conversation yesterday. My mind glimpsed back into who we were. It felt like another life. Then I remembered Sean. Having Jake here like this felt like a betrayal of some kind.
“Jake, I’m alright, really. You can go. Lana and Ally will stay here. Mitchell’s mom is right over there,” I told him, indicating towards the woman rushing towards Mitchell at the curb.
He looked at me gravely, and opened his mouth, then looked away and closed it, changing his mind.
“Okay,” he said neutrally. And he stood up, walking back towards the skate park, without another word.
“We are totally talking about all that once we’re sure you don’t have brain damage,” Ally said, settling down where Jake had been sitting.
I watched him walk away until Mitchell came up with his mom.