The cafeteria had a high ceiling with bright orange and yellow walls, a large red logo for "Bakers" on the wall. The kitchen was hidden behind 3 double doors. Two to enter the lunch line, and a big one in the middle to exit the line. Today's lunch was barbeque pork sandwiches or Potato soup. Emma's heart monitor silently beeps under his shirt. Alex takes his plate and smiles at the lunch lady.
"Thank you" Emma takes his plate and types in his student code, turning and walking to his friends table. At the table sat his three friends
Elli, a petite girl with a pixie cut, offers with a concerned look to Emma, taking food from her bag.
"Emma's here!" Xavier nods.
"About time you made it, how are you doing, Emma? How's your Heart?" Emma sets his plate down and moves a few strands of hair from his face.
"I'm fine, Xavier... Seriously," Emma says, rolling his eyes but smiling softly. He's used to this kind of attention. Ever since his heart condition started worsening, his friends have treated him like he's fragile, though he's never felt stronger.
"Yeah, let the guy breathe a little!" Jacob, a taller, lanky kid with wild hair, nudges Xavier playfully.
"Right, sorry, I forgot you're invincible now," Xavier smirks, pretending to raise his hands in surrender. Emma snorts, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Yeah, that's me. Unstoppable."
"Except for gym class," Elli cuts in with a small smile, trying to keep it light but still glancing at Emma's chest. She'd noticed the way he held his side earlier, but she wasn't going to push it.
"Pfft, I could care less for that class… At least I can dance" Emma playfully jabs at Jacob, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"You dance like a scarecrow," Jacob says between bites of his own lunch, barely holding back his laughter. Emma grins, relieved that the focus is shifting away from him.
"And yet, still better than you at dodgeball."
"Wow, harsh." Jacob clutches his chest dramatically.
"You wound me, Baker. Guess I'm fragile now, too." The table bursts into laughter, but as it fades, Elli leans a little closer to Emma, her voice quieter.
"Seriously though, how are you feeling? You looked a little off earlier in class." Emma hesitates for a moment, his smile faltering just slightly. He knows she means well.
"I'm okay, El. Just a small twinge, nothing major." She doesn't look fully convinced, but she lets it drop.
"Alright, but if you need anything, we're here."
"I appreciate it," Emma says, giving her a grateful nod. The weight of their concern lingers, but he pushes it aside for now.
"Anyway, enough about me. What's going on with Mr. Gillespie? Did anyone else catch him spilling coffee on himself during the math test?"
"Oh, yes!" Xavier jumps in, grateful for the distraction.
"He was trying to play it cool, like he didn't just ruin his favorite tie." Elli chuckles.
"And then he acted like it was our fault for asking too many questions!" As the conversation shifts to stories about their teachers and classes, Emma sits back, letting the laughter of his friends wash over him. For now, everything feels normal. For now, that's enough.
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The sun streamed through the tall gym windows, casting long streaks of light onto the polished floor. The rhythmic pounding of sneakers echoed in the large space as students jogged around the perimeter, some racing each other while others paced themselves.
Emma jogged slowly, his breaths even and controlled. He was careful not to push himself too hard, the subtle hum of his heart monitor under his shirt a constant reminder to stay within his limits. It wasn't that he didn't like PE—it was that PE didn't like him. But his teacher insisted he keep up with the jogging assignment, just at his own pace.
"I can do this…" Around him, his classmates were chatting and laughing, their footfalls heavy as they passed him by. Emma focused on his breathing, trying to tune out the noise, but then, Emma took a slow step, A sharp yet familiar tightness in his chest. His hand instinctively went to his side, his fingers brushing against his ribs as the ache spread. His heart monitor beeped faster, but still softly, too soft for anyone else to hear, but loud enough in his head.
"You good, Emma?" Jacob, jogging by, slowed down for a second to glance at him, concerned flickering in his eyes. Emma waved him off, forcing a smile.
"...Yeah… I'm fine," Emma swallowed, though the ache was intensifying. He could push through it, he thought. Just one more lap.
Jacob jogged off ahead.
"Whatever you say, man… just let us know if you need anything… please" Jacob leaves Emma behind as Emma rounds the corner. The ache violently sharpened, making Emma's breath catch. His legs felt heavy, like they were filled with lead. He slowed to a walk, then stopped entirely, bending slightly at the waist to catch his breath. His hands on his knees.
His heart was pounding now, painfully so. Taking a deep breath, Emma walked to the side of the gym where his PE teacher, Mr. Wallace, stood with a whistle hanging from his neck. Taking a minute before speaking.
"Mr. Wallace," Emma called out, his voice tight. "Can I take a break?" The teacher looked over at him, eyebrows furrowed as he nodded quickly.
"Of course, Baker. Sit down if you need to. You're doing great." His tone was supportive, but the concern in his eyes was unmistakable.
Emma nodded in thanks and made his way to the bleachers, sitting down slowly. As he rested his head in his hands, his heart monitor continued its quiet, quick, rhythmic beeping, and for a moment, all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat, erratic and unsettling. Despite his best efforts, he wasn't invincible after all.