TweetyGram

18 - #BodyGoals

"Lindsey?" a voice called my name, but it sounded so far away, almost like an echo.

My whole body ached as if someone had used me as a punching bag, a thick fog surrounded my brain, and there was a ringing in my ears that prevented me from hearing clearly.

"Lindsey, wake up." A pair of hands gently shook my shoulders. "Lindsey, wake—"

As my eyes fluttered open, I heard sighs of relief coming from beside me.

"Oh, thank God," Bree said.

I had no idea what happened, where I was, or why Bree sounded so worried. My head was spinning and my vision was blurry, but I could see a man kneeling next to my sister.

"Goldilocks?" I murmured as my eyes came into focus. I tried to pull myself into a sitting position, but pain shot through my back. "Ouch . . ."

"Easy there." Jake placed a folded towel and tucked it behind my head while Bree helped me lie back on the floor.

"What happened?" My head pounded as if someone had struck me with a brick. I rubbed the sore spot, wincing a little. "Where am I?"

"You don't remember?" Bree cocked her head forward and observed me, the concern in her eyes deepening. "You're in Sweat Paradise."

"Sweat Paradise? Why am I at a—"

As I glanced around me, my memory trickled back in. How I danced on the treadmill, how Jake surprised me, and how the machine flung me across the room.

Oh, no. Embarrassment flushed up my neck and heated my face.

"You know what?" I summoned every bit of energy in my body and sat up. "I gotta go." I jumped to my feet, but a stab of pain shot up from my ankle. "Ouch—"

The room whirled around me. I flapped my arms like a frantic bird to keep my balance, but gravity pulled me backward. While Bree tried to grab my hand and missed, Jake slid an arm around my waist, steadying me.

"You okay?" he asked, his warm breath brushing against my temple.

My heart jackhammered in my chest, my breath came in short gasps, and my head felt heavy. Uh-oh. This isn't good. I didn't have a concussion, did I? Because if I did, then I'd need to go to the hospital. And that meant spending lots of money on medical—

"Hey." Jake waved his hand in front of my eyes. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

My vision was blurry. For a second, it looked like he was holding up three fingers. But then the fingers merged into one. And then it split into six.

He didn't have six fingers on one hand; that, I knew for sure.

I squinted and tried to focus my fuzzy brain, but I still couldn't tell how many fingers he was holding. Nevertheless, I lied, "Two."

"That's it," Bree said. "We're going to the ER."

"No, no, no." I lurched toward Bree. "I don't need to go to—" Everything spun around me as if I'd been on a carousel. "Oh, cr—"

Jake was quick to tighten his grip around me to keep me from falling. "Linds. You should listen to your sister."

My stomach churned, and a wave of nausea rose up my throat. I swallowed hard and blinked several times. When the dizziness persisted, I heaved out a sigh. "Fine."

***

The next morning, my vision was back to normal and the dizziness had receded. But the accident had given me two black eyes and bruises all over my body. Even after taking the painkillers that the doctor had prescribed, my body still ached and my head still pounded, especially when I thought about my emergency room bill yesterday.