I walked into school late again. Sister Mary looked at me disapprovingly. What else is new.
Shannon turned around to smile at me as i plopped into my too-small desk. While Sister couldn’t see, she blew a big bubble at me and let it pop.
I guffawed.
I was crazy for her.
“Alright you too are separated.” Sister Mary cackled. “George, you sit behind Kevin, Shannon you come right up here please. And throw away that gum.”
Sister Mary picked up the trash can and put it in Shannon’s face.
I didn’t want to move, but this was seventh grade and there was nothing to be done.
At least i could still make eye contact with her. She was catty-corner from me at the other extreme of the room. She turned around when Sister wrote on the chalkboard and I smiled wryly at her.
I drifted off, day-dreaming about getting some time alone again with Shannon when she turned to me, eyes wide open.
“Shannon, can’t you wait till recess to flirt with George?” Sister asked.
Shannon stood up and grabbed her throat with both hands, frantically looking around. She gasped for breath and I could hear a horrible screech as she took in air.
Everyone looked at Shannon and was still. The girls chirped amongst themselves.
I ran to her. Her face was red. She grabbed my hand and put it on her back. I hit her, hard.
“George, sit down!” said the Sister. “Gina, go fetch the nurse!”
“She’s choking,” I said. “We need to help her.”
“The nurse will be here shortly to help her. Are you a doctor?”
“But the nurse doesn’t work on Wednesdays,” I cried.
Sister paused. “Hurry, go quickly to the office and call 911.”
I looked at Shannon and ran out of the room, hitting the door hard. I sprinted down the hall.
“Call 911, call 911! A girl is choking.” I panted.
No one moved, not the secretary, the principal or any of the teachers.
“Did you see Dallas last night,” the secretary said into her phone.
I went up to the secretary. “I need to call 911 now, please!”
“Go see the nurse in 204. You don’t look like you’re choking.” she said.
“Its not me, its a girl, Shannon Gilly, down the hall in 108. And the nurse doesn’t work on Wednesdays!”
“I think Kristin did it.” she said into the phone.
I grabbed the phone and hung up. I dialed 911 and looked up at her.
“A girl is choking in room 108.” I said.
We waited for 911 to pick up. “This is St. Jerome’s school, we have a girl choking in room 108.” the secretary muttered. “Ok, just a second”. She looked up at me. “Is it really serious?”
“Yes, its serious! Tell them to hurry.”
She relayed my answer and hung up. She smiled weakly. “I’m sure your friend will be fine.”
I walked out of the office relieved.
Sirens screamed in the street outside but the parked morning busses were blocking the entrance.
I ran out. “Move your busses, there is a girl choking inside.”
The lone driver stood up. “Well I can’t move them all!”
I ran up to the ambulance. “Go around to the Manchester Street side. The classroom is right there.”
The ambulance driver backed up and raced to the other side of the school. I rushed after him.
I could see Shannon on the other side of the great windows laying on the floor, not moving. “Where are you going, she is right here!”
“Sorry kid, we don’t walk through walls. Where’s the nearest entrance?” the paramedic drawled.
I picked up a rock and hurled it through the huge plate glass window at the far end of the classroom. The girls shrieked and ran out of the room.
“There’s your entrance! Now fucking help her!” I screamed.
They gingerly climbed over the wall and made their way to Shannon.
I sat down against the wall with my hands over my face.
They talked with the Sister forever. Then they started CPR.
Suddenly Shannon was at my side. “Thanks for what you did. I thought they would never get here.”
“I know!” I said. I hugged her hard and she kissed me on the cheek.
“George.”
I looked up. It was Sister Mary.
“Come back in the classroom now.”
They were carrying Shannon out on a stretcher. “Is she going to be ok?” I asked.
As they hauled Shannon over the low wall, her arm fell out, swinging limply.
“I’m afraid they took too long to get here, George. Now come on back into the classroom.”
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