The monsters are here again. And they’re still not letting go. Why, oh why, did I come to school today?
I’m slumped against the wall, my heart beating wildly. My palms are sweaty, my breath short. It’s not happening. Not to me. These things don’t happen to normal people.
I was way too regular for this upheaval. I was the classic 11th grader, maybe a bit intense, and there was no way in the world this was happening. Ima? Cancer? They just didn’t go together. Ima was too strong for that. She was so not the type. But again, neither was I.
Why did I even come to school today? What was I thinking? I can barely think straight. Morning classes were dismal. I sat through Mishlei and Chumash, my mind whirring with images of chemo monsters. They were attacking me. They were grabbing me with their notorious fangs, not letting go.
I’m choking. I know I’ll miss lunch. I know someone might find me here. The art closet isn’t exactly the most private place, but I’m too numb to care.
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