THE ENCOUNTER

I had just walked through the doors of Orchard Park and travelled down the dungy hallways to my locker. After getting my exercise science binder and books, I turned the corner to go to the second floor and I bumped right into someone.

“Whoa! Watch where you’re walking!” the person yelled with a high pitch voice.

I bent down to help pick up the books scattering the floor when I decided to look at who had collided into me. It was my best friend, Sofia, who was covered in rashes!

“WHAT THE HELL IS ON YOUR FACE!?” I screamed the moment my eyes caught sight of her face.

Sheepishly Sof replied by saying, “…urhhhm what are you talking about?”

It was then when we ran to the closest bathroom, the beach one in the computer hallway, and glared into the mirror.

“WHAT THE F***…”

I was speechless, all I could manage to do was stare into the reflective glass, because I had no idea what to say.

“Carly! I can’t go around school looking like a blotchy six foot monster!”

“Should I call my mom? Go to the school nurse? The office? Want me to take you home?”

That was all my brain could muster up, so I called my mom.

“Hey mom, Sof has a red rash all over her body, what should I do?”

“I’m no doctor, but I think you should bring her to the office at school.”

I hung up my cell phone and we headed straight to the office to talk to the secretaries. After a few minutes of chatting, they agreed that the two of us should head home because Sof may be contagious. We headed to her house, her mom checked the situation, and we went right to the walk-in clinic.

“Yes, just what I thought…Sofia Vavan you have scarlet fever. It’s very contagious for the next 48 hours so the two of you should watch out” the trained physician replied with a sincere nod.
The man dressed in a white coat and glasses gave her antibiotics and we left the building and got into the car.

“Lucky me…” was all Sof could manage to say after receiving her diagnosis.
I didn’t end up catching scarlet fever, and I am very happy about that since Sof ended up cooped up in her house for 8 days straight.