“I just really need to get back to my dorm. I have my migraine medicine there.” Curtis stands. It’s immediately clear he’s not steady on his feet as he sways, then grabs on to the table. “I’m dizzy.”
“Should I call someone?” I reach for my phone.
“No, it’s okay. I’m just going to walk back to my dorm. I’ll be fine once I’m there.”
He tries to walk away again and makes it a few steps before he wobbles and grabs on to a chair to steady himself. “Wait. Stop. Sit down. I’ll walk with you.”
I pack up my things, then hold his arm as I help Curtis out of the library.
“Thanks. I’m embarrassed that I need your help. They don’t usually come on that fast,” he tells me.
“No worries. That’s what friends are for,” I say with a smile. “Which way?”
“I’m in Hamner Hall.”
The quickest way to get us there is by going the back way, along the path close to the woods behind our school.
I pause for a second, the back of my neck tingling.
“We can take the long way,” Curtis says, like he’s reading my mind, but really, at this point, I’m just ready to get back to Ash. Why take an extra ten minutes when I don’t have to? There are people around. Not a ton, of course, but some.
“Nah, it’s fine. Let’s just do this.” I thread my arm through Curtis’s again as we follow the concrete pathway around the library. A lot of people jog and run back here during the day. There are trails that go through the woods, too. It’s one of my favorite parts of the campus.
Curtis continues to stumble some along the way, wincing, sweating, and shaking. I’ve learned a lot about migraines, of course, but I’ve never personally seen someone suffer from one this severely before.
We’re close to a bend on the trail, behind dark buildings, though there are lights along the path, when Curtis stops. “Hold on. I think I’m going to throw up.”
He pulls away from me, taking a few steps, giving me his back, while he bends over, gagging a few times. I watch while he drops his bag, then kneels, still sounding as though he’s trying not to vomit.
“You good?” I ask, unsure what to do.
“Fine.” He breathes heavily, hands in front of his torso so I can’t see them, but his arms are moving strangely.
“What are you doing?”
He gags again, which answers my question. All I want to do is get this guy to his dorm and get back to Ash.
“Hey, Curtis—” I start, just as he turns around.
“I just…can you help me?” he asks.
“Yeah, come on.” I grab his bag in one hand, then wrap my arm around him. His body is tense, and the second I’m holding him like this, I know something is wrong.
Curtis’s right hand shoots toward my face, cloth in his palm, his left arm holding me tightly, trying to wrestle and pull me in front of him so he can hold me tighter.
My heart leaps into my throat, survival instinct immediately kicking in. If this motherfucker thinks he’s getting the best of me, he’s got another thing coming.
My first thought is to scream, but then I’m opening my mouth, and I’m sure as shit not letting this guy chloroform me, or whatever it is he thinks he’s doing.
I try to twist out of his hold, and then he’s grabbing me with both hands, trying to pull me toward the woods.
This time, I do scream, since his arms are occupied behind me.
“Shut the fuck up! I’m so fucking tired of all you men-hating women!”
He tries to lift his arm again, wanting that damn cloth over my mouth, and I know if I let him do that, I’m screwed.
“Fuck you. Clearly, you deserve it.”
