**Clara**
I quickly turned away. "Look, Mike, John's over there," I said, my voice low.
He glanced to the left and saw John, who was still glaring at us, his food untouched. I felt a chill run down my spine.
"Er... is he okay?" Mike asked, concern creeping into his voice.
"I don't think so," I replied, a knot forming in my stomach.
"I think he's sick," Mike said, concern in his voice.
"I think I'm sick too, or maybe I'm just full," I replied, trying to lighten the mood.
"Clara, you didn't even touch your food," Mike pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
"I can't eat here; I'm just too full," I insisted.
"But I promise I'll treat you to a meal after school if you want," I offered.
"Sure," he said, a smile creeping onto his face.
"But only if I can leave now," I added.
"But..." he started.
"Don't you want me to treat you?" I teased.
"But your stomach is empty! What if you get sick in your next class?" Mike pressed.
"Don't worry, Mike. I have some snacks in my bag. I'll eat them on my way," I assured him.
"Okay then, see you soon," he said, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
"Bye," I replied, standing up from the table. I gathered my bag and leftover food, placing the food on the table before heading out of the cafeteria.
As I walked upstairs, the hallway was mostly empty. I was lost in my thoughts, immersed in the world of the book I was reading. Suddenly, I slipped on a puddle of water and fell hard to the ground.
"Are you alright?" a girl asked, rushing to my side.
"No, I need to go to the nurse's office," I replied, feeling pain shoot through me.
She helped me up and guided me to the nurse's room.
"What happened to her?" the nurse asked as we entered.
"She fell it looks pretty bad," the girl said.
"Yeah, very bad," I added, wincing.
"Come, put her on the bed," the nurse instructed. With the girl's help, I lay down, the pain intensifying. The nurse covered me with a blanket and examined my leg, wrapping it in a white bandage.
Is it broken?
The nurse and the girl stepped out of my line of sight, but I could hear them talking. "This needs to rest for days," the nurse said.
"Oh, that's bad," the girl replied.
"What's your name, and who is she to you?" the nurse asked.
"I'm Anna she's my friend," the girl said, lying.
she lied.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her as a friend," Anna added, smiling.
"Then I'll leave her in your care," the nurse said, stepping out of the room.
Anna climbed into the small space beside my bed. "Do you feel better now?" she asked.
"Very little, but thank you for bringing me here," I said, grateful.
"No problem, I just love helping people," Anna said with a warm smile.
"Would you like to be friends with me?" I asked hopefully.
"Yeah, why not?" she replied, handing me her phone number so we could hang out sometime.
Just then, my phone rang, it was Rose. I picked it up.
"Hello, Rose," I said weakly.
"Clara, where are you? The PE teacher is angry at you! You know how he hates when his students are absent," she said, sounding worried.
"Oh, really?" I replied, feeling guilty.
"Yeah, everyone is worried about you. They're asking about you now," Rose continued.
"I was just sick," I explained.
"Sick?" John's voice piped up in the background.
"Keep your voice down," Rose said, sounding exasperated. "Sick? What do you mean?" she pressed.
"I fell on the floor," I said softly.
"Fell?" John exclaimed.
"John, keep your voice down!" Rose scolded. "Are you okay? Where are you now?" she asked urgently.
"I don't think so," I replied, feeling the pain again.
"Where are you now?" Rose asked again.
"At the nurse's office," I said.
She hung up quickly.
Anna sat in the chair beside the bed, and a minute later, the door to the nurse's office opened. "Clara?" a gentle voice called.
"She's here," Anna said, pulling back the blanket. It was John, rushing to my side.
"Are you okay?" he asked, touching my forehead and then my hand.
"She just fell, she'll be fine after a few days," Anna explained.
"Days?" John echoed, alarmed.
"Yeah, days," Anna confirmed.
"I can't see you like this for hours, even if it's for days," John said, his worry evident.
"John, what's wrong with you?" I asked, trying to reassure him. "I'll be fine after a few days," I added. He was still holding my hand when the others entered.
"Clara!" Rose shouted, rushing over with Mark and Mike beside her.
"Clara, are you alright?" Mike asked, panic in his voice. "I'm so worried about you," Rose added.
John pulled his hand away when he noticed Mike's presence. "Come here, Mike," John demanded, stepping toward him.
"John, stop it!" Rose yelled.
"It's all because of you! You took her away for lunch, and now look where she ended up!" he shouted.
"John, calm down," Mike said, trying to defuse the situation.
"I left her out of my sight for an hour, thinking you would take care of her, but look what happened! Huh? Look!" he shouted, frustration spilling over.
"John!" I interjected, trying to get his attention.
"Man, stop it," Mark said firmly
"I will make you pay for it!" John shouted, shoving Mike away.
"John, what are you doing? What are you talking about?" I exclaimed, my heart racing.
"Stay out of this, Clara!" John snapped, his eyes blazing with anger.
"John, this isn't Mike's fault! I fell; it's not like he pushed me!" I protested, desperate to calm him down.
"Yeah, but you were with him instead of us!" John retorted, frustration boiling over.
"Just because I chose to have lunch with Mike doesn't mean I wanted to get hurt!" I shot back, feeling the tension in the room thickening.
Rose stepped forward, trying to mediate. "John, you need to calm down. This isn't helping Clara at all."
"Calm down? She's hurt, and he's just standing there!" John gestured toward Mike, his fists clenched.
"John, please," I pleaded, my voice shaking. "I'm fine. I just need to rest. Let's not make this worse."
John's expression softened slightly, but his anger was still palpable. "I just... I can't stand seeing you like this," he admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Then let's focus on getting me better," I said gently, hoping to break through his frustration.
"Fine," John muttered, stepping back but still glaring at Mike. "But if anything else happens to you, I won't let it slide."
"John, you're being unreasonable," Rose said firmly. "Let's just be here for Clara right now."
Mike, still shaken, looked between us. "I'm sorry, Clara. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"I know, Mike," I said softly, trying to reassure him. "It's okay. Also, you weren't there, it's all my fault. I didn't see where I was walking."
Mike looked down, guilt etched on his face. "But I should have been more aware. I didn't even think to check on you after lunch."
"It wasn't your fault," I insisted. "I got lost in my thoughts. I was so focused on my book that I didn't pay attention."
John crossed his arms, still visibly upset but listening. "Just be careful next time, alright? I can't handle seeing you hurt."
"I will, I promise," I said, meeting his gaze. "I'll be more careful."
But what's wrong with him, why is he kind to me?
Rose stepped closer, her expression softening. "We're all just worried about you, Clara. We want you to be safe."
"Thanks, everyone," I replied, feeling a warmth spread through me despite the pain. "It means a lot to know you care."
Anna, who had been quietly observing, chimed in. "You have a good support system here. Just take it easy for now."
"Yeah, I'll try," I said, smiling weakly. "But can we all just chill a bit? I'd rather not have a fight break out in the nurse's office
Mike chuckled lightly, breaking the tension. "Yeah, let's save the drama for another day."
"Agreed," Rose said, rolling her eyes playfully. "Let's focus on getting Clara better."
"What are you guys doing here, is this a meeting room or the nurse's office?" the nurse said, standing at the door.
"Oh, sorry, we're just worried about her," Rose replied, glancing at me.
"One person is enough, the others can just go out," the nurse stated firmly.
"I will stay," John and Mike said together.
"Mike! Stay out of this!" John shouted, his frustration evident.
"Why should I?" Mike shot back, standing his ground. "Clara needs someone who actually cares about her."
"Caring doesn't mean making things worse," John snapped, his voice rising. "You don't even know what she's going through!"
"Neither do you!" Mike retorted, his fists clenched. "You're just making it harder for her."
"Guys, please!" I interrupted, feeling overwhelmed. "This isn't helping me at all."
John turned to me, his expression softening slightly. "I just don't want anyone else getting hurt, especially you."
"I get that, but fighting won't solve anything," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I need you all to be here for me, not against each other."
Rose stepped in, her tone firm yet calm. "Look, can we just focus on Clara? That's what matters right now."
John took a deep breath, visibly trying to rein in his anger. "Fine. But just know I'm watching out for you, Clara."
"Thanks, John," I said quietly, appreciating the sentiment even if the delivery was rough.
Mike nodded, his expression softening as well. "I just want to make sure you're okay."
"I appreciate that," I replied, feeling a small sense of relief. "Let's just try to keep things calm, okay?"
"Just make a decision, then only one of you will be here," the nurse insisted.
"I will," John declared confidently.
"No, John, I said I would be here first," Mike countered, determination in his voice.
"Are you going to break her hand next?" John shot back, his anger flaring.
"John, she said he wasn't there! What is your problem?" Rose exclaimed. "I'll stay here if you guys keep fighting."