I'm sitting at my desk with my hands on my paper. My eyes are chanting the words like it's going to get me out of this situation. I'm bouncing my legs up and down and starting to panic. The teacher calls my name and looks at me and smiles with a wide grin “ It's your turn to present now.” . When he saw I'm not willing to get up he said “ Now young lady I know you might be nervous but it's not that bad . All of your peers did it, now it's your turn . Now get up” .
I hear the people around me giggle as I get up and walk to the front of the classroom. I can feel my heart about to burst out of my chest as I look at all the familiar faces that I have known all my life. I feel my hands get sweaty and shaky and I'm gripping my paper in my hands like it's the only thing keeping me anchored to the ground. I start to notice my breathing becoming rough and unsteady . It's like a weight just dropped on me . The room starts to get dizzy and I whisper loud enough that I know that the teacher can hear me “ I can't do this.” .
“ Yes you can now stop acting like a baby and start your presentation .” my teacher said with a stern voice . I can hear all my classmates laughing at me now .
“ Come on Jordan, don't be such a baby!”
“ Jordans being such a coward!”
“ Are you going to cry Jordan? Oh my gosh she's really going to cry. I'm taking a video of this. “
I hear all of their voices echoing in my head . It sounds like they're all screaming at me . I can feel them throwing paper snowballs at me but I can't find it in me to care. All I want to do is get out of the classroom . But that's hard to do because the room is getting dizzier and dizzier by every second I stand up in front of my peers. I can hear my mom's voice telling me to calm down in my head but I can't control my body or self anymore. I can hear my breathing becoming quicker and more jagged . But at the same time I hear all my classmates scream at me and now they are all holding up their phones and taking pictures and videos.
I start shaking so hard that I rip my paper and pull my hands close to my chest. I start screaming “ No please stop ! I can't do this ! I can't do this! Please. “ as I crouch down next to the wall trying to get them as far as possible. But it seems like nobody is listening to me . They all keep taking videos and pictures of me . Then I feel somebody shake my shoulder .
“ Jordan, it's your turn to present . “