Jemma Henley's Short Story

Jemma Henley slogged down the high school’s corridor and turned. After a short walk up the stairs, she was already out of breath. She looked down to see the small box protruding out of her chest that kept her heart rate normal. Walking wasn’t simple for kids like her. As Jemma continued her walk to the classroom, her v-neck t-shirt showed just the top of a scar that ran down her chest, and Jemma hated her "zipper," as many people called it. Jemma checked her watch and looked around. Although she had gotten out of class as quickly as possible, she was still late to class. After reaching the classroom, she noticed that there was a note on the door. It read “Studying in football field today.” Jemma did not think she could get all the way to the football field and back in time for her class, so she sat down on a bench and pulled out the book she was reading. Reading was the only thing she truly enjoyed. As she flipped open to her most recent page, a boy with a mop of brown curls and bright blue eyes ambled past. When he approached the classroom, she heard his panting and looked up. …show more content…
You can probably catch them,” Jemma mumbled. Turning around, the boy smirked. Running his hands through his hair, he looked at her with kind eyes and said, “No. I don’t think I can. You see, anything that involves oxygen isn’t really my area of expertise.” Confused as she was, Jemma smiled. “Anything that involves a working heart isn’t really my strong suit.” “Interesting,” the boy muttered. “My name is Leo and I have pulmonary