I was just standing there, by the main office door at the school, checking my phone. My niece was supposed to be out of her art club any minute. I just wanted to get her and go home. My feet were getting tired from standing so much that day already.
Then this lady came up. She had a big purse on her shoulder and was looking around like she was lost. Before I could even put my phone away, she was right in front of me.
“Excuse me,” she said, and her voice sounded really impatient. “I need help. I’ve been looking for someone for ages. Can you tell me where to find the advanced placement sign-up form? The one for the early bird discount. It’s got a blue stripe on it.”
I blinked a few times. I really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone someone who sounded like they were already mad. “Oh, I don’t actually work here,” I told her. I tried to give her a little smile, just to be polite, and started to move a little to the side, hoping she’d go ask someone else.
But she didn’t budge. Instead, she just stepped closer, almost blocking my way. “What do you mean you don’t work here? You’re standing right by the main office. You have to know where it is. My daughter needs that form today or she won’t get into the class.” Her eyes were really wide, and I felt a knot start to form in my stomach. I just wanted to be invisible.
“No, seriously,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “I’m just waiting for my niece. She’s in the art club. I don’t know anything about any forms.” I took another step back, hoping she’d get the message that I wasn’t going to help her.
She just scoffed. “Don’t play dumb with me. You’re wearing a dark shirt, that’s practically a uniform. And you’re right here. Just go grab the form for me. It shouldn’t be hard.” Her hand went to her hip, and I could feel my muscles begin to tense. This was getting ridiculous. I began to get a headache right between my eyes.
“Look, I really don’t work here,” I repeated, my patience starting to wear thin. I decided to just walk away. My niece was probably already coming out, and I didn’t need this drama. I turned my back to her and started to head down the hallway towards the art room entrance.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!” she yelled, and the sound of it made me flinch. It echoed a bit in the hallway. I sped up, trying to get away from her, but I could hear her footsteps right behind me, getting faster. My heart started beating like crazy in my chest.
“You can’t just walk away from a customer!” she shrieked. “This is terrible service! I’m going to report you! What’s your name? I’ll make sure you get fired for this! You think you can just ignore me? I need that form right now!”
I kept walking, not looking back. I felt incredibly angry and a little scared too. Why was she so persistent? I really didn’t know anything about a blue striped form. I wished I could just disappear. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, but I kept them there, not wanting to make anything worse.
“Stop right now, you lazy employee!” she screamed, her voice getting higher and higher. “I’m talking to you! You have to help me!”
I just wanted to make it to the door, just a few more feet. My whole body was tight, and I could feel myself starting to shake a little. My vision felt blurry around the edges. I could hear her breathing hard behind me.
Then I felt a hand grab my arm really tight, digging her fingers into my skin. It was a really painful squeeze. I yelled out and tried to pull away, but she was stronger than I expected. She yanked me back hard, and I stumbled.
“Don’t you dare try to run away from me!” she practically screamed right into my ear. And that’s when I felt a hard shove from behind. The back of my head hit the wall with a sickening thud, and everything went black.
