Who Are You Talking To?--Samantha

Allison sat in first period, unable to focus. There was deadline after deadline sloppily strewn across the board, her teacher sitting at his desk arguing with someone on the classroom phone.

“OMG, Allison! Did you hear about Gwen’s party later? You have to come!” Josie exclaimed suddenly, startling Allison.
“I can’t,” she began, “I have to watch my little sister after school.”
“Seriously! It’s a Friday! Your parents can’t just watch her?” she pleaded.
“No.” Allison said bluntly.
The bell rang and she quickly picked up her things.
“How are you doing? I know you want to go, but you're scared aren’t you? No one you really know will be there, and Josie will probably be with her boyfriend anyway. That’s why you made up that excuse!”
“Stop it.” Allison whispered.
“What was that?” Josie asked.
“Nothing, I’ll see you later.”
Second and third period dragged on for what seemed like forever and Allison thought she’d never make it to lunch. Finally, the lunch bell rang and everyone bolted out of the glass doors to lunch lines.
“Oooh, where are we gonna sit today? Oh, we can’t sit there, that’s where the...”
“Hush, please go away.” Allison mumbled.
“Hey, Allie! Want to sit with us today!” Josie screeched.
“Okay, how many people are you sitting with?”
“What? Why does it matter?”
“Ohhhh, nope. If there’s more than 6, you won’t be okay. You can’t...”
“Shhhh.” she mumbled again.
“Hmm?” Josie replied.
“Nothing, I’m okay. Let’s go.”

Allison sat down at the crowded table. She didn’t feel like eating that day and had lost her appetite anyway after dissecting frogs in anatomy before lunch.
“Just talk to them. Oh, they might not hear you because you talk quietly. Well...”
“Please stop! Stop it!” Allison said under her breath.
“Allison, who are you talking to?”
“Nobody, I’m sorry.”
“See, you had to say sorry again. Why do you say sorry for every little-”
“Shut up! Shut up! Stop it! Stop it!” the words bursted out of her mouth before she could stop. Everyone at the lunch table was staring at her. She got up frantically and ran to the bathroom. Josie chased after her.

Allison sat quietly in the bathroom stall. “Allie? It’s Josie.”

“Hi. I’m sorry. You can go back. I just need a minute.”
“Allie, I’m not leaving.” Josie stood outside the bathroom stall.
“Look what you did! You made a big scene. Now she’s not gonna leave. You just drew so much attention to yourself. Seriously, why did you-”
“Just stop it, please stop it. I can’t take it anymore.” Allison started crying.

“Allison, I'm not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong. Who do you keep talking to?”
Allison opened the bathroom stall, her mascara was streaked down her face.
“Allison, there’s no one in here. Who are you talking to? You keep whispering to someone, who is it?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why Allie, why can’t you tell me?”
Allison didn’t know how to explain that the “person” she was talking to, wasn’t a person at all, but a voice, all in her head.