Panic attack -2

"Hey! Raine look at me!" Said the voice but I couldn't. To me, the world was being enveloped in darkness and I wondered if it was what dying time is. "Look at me, guitar girl! Just look at me! I promise everything will be okay, do you hear me?" There was certainty in that voice. As if whatever that person had said, really meant it.

"Here, see this hand? Just take it! And I will never let you go, I promise. Take my hand, guitar girl, I need you! I desperately need you, Raine!" I focused on the voice which was filled with concern and tried to reach out to the hand which was blurred in front of my eyes.

"Yes, you are doing good, Raine! Just a little more and everything is better." And I grabbed the hand. Suddenly, all the dark layers in front of my eyes vanished, and now I could see clearly. I could see Neil's hand which I was holding onto. His concerned but hopeful eyes. But I was still having difficulty with breathing. "Well done! Now, try humming something," He said.

And I did what he instructed me to. Because I knew I could entrust my life to him. Slowly but surely, I could finally breath normally.

When I calmed down, Neil pulled me to him and gave me a gentle hug. I knew it was one of the effective therapy for panicky people as I myself was one of them.

He then looked at Derek who was pinning Bobby against the pillar so that he wouldn't run away. "Derek, stay with her." His voice which had sounded so soothing earlier had now became like the whisper of death. Derek nodded then he came toward me and sat down next to me. Meanwhile Neil, with a slow but steady steps, went to Bobby.

He was eyeing Bobby like a predator would look at their hunt. His slow steps were only increasing Bobby's torture. He expressionlessly looked at Bobby, and without any notice, he punched him in the jaw, exactly where Derek had hit him earlier. Bobby winced in pain. Then another punch in his stomach, and then another one. His actions were unhurried as if he was not at all scared of the consequences of violence.

"J-just because you are the president of student council, you think you can do anything?" Bobby asked which made Neil chuckle humourlessly.

"Good thing you reminded." He then calmly said, "Now I will break all your bones in the name of justice. Justice of the president of student council." For the first time, Bobby looked frightened. Maybe it was the effect of Neil's slow menacing taking style. Or maybe it was the authority in his voice.

"I, I will tell my parents if you will do any such thing!" Bobby said which made Derek Snicker at him.

"Toddler," Derek commented at Bobby's words. Then he looked at me and whispered so that only I could hear. "Don't worry. Neil wouldn't cross his limits. He knows where to stop."

"How do you know I was worried?" I asked in the same hushed tone. He chuckled then he said,

"Noting human reaction is one of my speciality."

Meanwhile Neil didn't even as much as twitched his muscle at Bobby's threat. And once again, he calmly said, "You are funny, Bobby. For you to tell your parents, you need to be in the condition to go back to your home. But see, the problem is..." Neil twisted the fingers of Bobby's right hand. It was the same hand from which Bobby had slapped me earlier. "... that I am planning to break all your bones."

Bobby yelped in pain so loudly that it again reminded me of my own desperate cry and pleadings which had gone fruitless in front of my uncle. I rubbed my eyes to chase away the traumatizing picture out of my head.

Neil and Derek were thinking I got panic attack because of Bobby. But they were not aware of the actual situation. I have became like this because of the fear of pain. Bobby just happened to trigger that phobia of mine. Hence he was not the sole reason for my panic attack.

Bobby let out another painful cry which made me shudder.

"You are getting panicky again?" Derek who claimed to have best knowledge about human reaction, asked. And I nodded in response.

And Neil let Bobby go. "Be thankful to her," Neil then said, "And do complain to whomsoever you want, Neil Astors can deal with anything. But don't forget we have to work on a joint project. I won't tolerate even a moment of delay because of you. Hence, be on time from tomorrow." Neil then said in a commanding voice, "For now, You can get lost." And Bobby ran away so fast as if someone had left an incredibly hungry lion behind him.

"Bobby was not the only reason for the panic attack, was he?" Derek asked. He really was the observant one. But how could I tell him the real story. Once again, I was about to drown in the depth of those darkest days when Derek said, "Hey, it's okay! You don't have to say if that makes you uncomfortable. Just know, you can always count on me." I nodded at him gratefully. Then I said,

"Thank you, Derek, for what you did today. You really are an amazing friend."

"That I am! I'm telling you, Neil is super super super lucky to have me as his friend since childhood." He boasted when Neil was approaching us.

"So you were saying something that mentioned about our friendship, Derek?" Neil asked.

"Oh, nothing, I was just saying I and Raine are very lucky to have you as our friend! Right, Raine?" Derek looked at me then at Neil, and all three of us burst into roar of laughter.

This was the life I always wanted. To have so many friends who would care for me.

"So, Raine, should I drop you home?" Neil asked.

"No! No! No, I will manage!" I said with horror on face and he smiled.

"There, the weirdness in you is back. Which means you are good to go." He said and we left for our respective homes.