The Coronation by Becca Marien (books to read for self improvement TXT) 📕

            Then I went shopping. I mostly got coats, gloves, scarves, and hats. Then Peirce talked me into getting boots, more jeans and some warm tops. Stockbridge had an average of two hundred and thirteen sunny days out of the whole year. The hottest it's gotten was ninety-one degrees, and the lowest was around thirty-three.

            I grabbed a black rain slicker.

"This is cute." I held it up for inspection.

            Pierce made his way over to me, around a rack of clothing. He took it into his hand.

"I like it." He nodded, "I'll be back. I'm going to go see if I can find one in the guy section."
"Okay."

            I tossed the slicker over my arm. When I was younger Mom made me go to school in a yellow one. I hated it. I tossed white one over my arm, and looked through the rest of them. I grabbed a dark blue slicker, tossed it over my arm, and went in search of Peirce.

            I grabbed a cool looking jacket and walked over to him holding it up.
"Hey," I waited until he looked at me, "Can you buy this for me for you?"

"Sure." He took it, "Good taste as usual."

            He tossed it over his shoulder and pulled a black slicker off the rack.

"Here we go." He tossed it over his shoulder, "I had to find my size. You ready?"
"Yeah," We headed to the checkout counter, "We should head towards the food court. I'm starved."

"Okay."

            We walked down the hall of the mall. I saw a store with back packs hanging in the window.
"Oh wait," I took his arm, "I need a new one."
"Okay."

We headed inside. I tried on different back packs finally buying one. Then we continued to the food court.
"Sorry." I looked at him pointing at a store that had a stand of notebooks and binders.

"It's okay." He smiled down at me, "Take your time."
            Pierce was taller than me by easy. I had to stand on my tip toes, him bend down, for a hug. He had black hair that he usually pulled back into a little pony tail when he was doing something that called for concentration. I got a pack of highlighters, pens, and pencils. I grabbed a calculator, notebooks, a binder and paper, post it tag markers, and some dividers.

             I grabbed a few erasers, and a pencil box. I grabbed a glue stick, a pack of colored pencils and a pair of scissors. I didn’t like getting up in front over everyone so I got my own things.

"Am I missing anything?" I asked Peirce, holding out my basket.
He dug through my basket, "Maybe you should get a ruler just in case."
"Good idea."
            I looked them over and grabbed one. I dropped it into my basket, and we headed to the checkout counter. Pierce was holding most of my bags. My head was hurting. I got dizzy. I grabbed onto Pierce's arm, and he dropped our bags and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Solan?" He bent down so his face was in mine, "Look at me."
"I need to find my Dad." I touched my cheek. "He has my next dose of medicine."

"Here," He guided me to a bench. "I'll pay for this and you call your Dad."

I nodded. I handed my basket over to him and pulled out my pone. I typed in my password and typed in Dads number.
"Hello?"
I could hear a bunch of people in the back ground.

"Dad?"
"What's wrong?"
"I'm Dizzy."
"Where are you?"
"I'm at the notebook store. It's next to Wet Seal."

"I'm on my way. Stay with Pierce."
            I hung up my phone. Peirce gathered our bags, and headed over to me. He sat down next to me setting the bags at our feet.
"Did your Dad answer?" He felt my forehead.

I was too dizzy to push his hand away.
"He's on his way."

"I see him."
Price got up, walked to the front door and waved. Dad appeared in the door way, and they rushed over to me.

"Are you okay?"
"Dizzy." I had the heel of my hand pressed to my forehead, "It hurts."
Dad looked at his phone.

"Here." He handed Peirce his lemonade, and dug into his pocket. He pulled out a baggy and handed me the pill. "Here Honey."
            Pierce handed me the lemonade. I took a sip and took the pill.

"We'll wait here until it kicks in." Dad took the cup form me, and rubbed my back.

I left my head squeezed between my palms, my elbows on my knees until the pill kicked in. Outside I heard a bunch of girls screaming about a sale. I wish I was normal like that. But instead I was-

"There she is!"

The three of us looked up at the shout. A guy with a video camera rushed after a woman with a microphone. She stood in front of us.

"I'm here with Solan Daniels, The girl with no chance to live, at Southlake Mall." She turned to me, putting the microphone in my face, "Solan, how does it feel to have a brush with death? What is it that you think made you able to survive?"
"Excuse me," Dad interrupted, "Please do not speak to my minor child."

"I just want a few answers." The woman said, as Dad helped me up.
"No comment." I said.
"Just one question Solan-"
"She said no." Pierce took the microphone and tossed it across the hall.

The woman turned to the man, "Did you get that?"

He nodded.
            She followed us out of the mall shooting off random questions. More Reporters surrounded Dad's car, a few of them looking into the tinted windows.
"There!" Someone yelled.

            The other reporters lunged at us. We were almost to the car when a guy shoved a microphone so far into my face that I flew back to not get hit. I fell backwards, and Dad hurried to get me off the floor. Pierce grabbed the person, and punched him.
"Pierce!" Dad called, shutting my door and locking me safely inside.

            Pierce ran over and hopped into the car, at the same time Dad did hitting the lock button.
"Are you okay Solan?" Dad asked, as he yanked on his seat belt. "Did you hit your head?"
"I don't think so."

            Flashes went off as they snapped pictures.
"Text your Mother and tell her to meet us at the hospital."

"Is the hospital really necessary?" I asked pulling out my phone.

"You have a concussion." Dad honked the horn, scaring a few reporters, and made his escape, "Any time you fall you need to get checked. You don't know if you hit your head."
            I texted Mom. Pierce took me over to the chairs and Dad went to the window to check me in. Mom ran through the automatic doors, and looked around. I waved at her and she hurried over.
"What happened?" She asked feeling my forehead.

"I already told you."
"Where is your Father?"
            I pointed. She hurried over to him. He looked down at her and then began to talk. I sighed and slid lower in my seat.

"I hate this." I pulled at my sleeve, "I hate getting poked. I still have bruises."

"At least it's only one poke."

Mom and Dad walked over to me.

"I heard Solan's in?" Dr. Morris looked around, and smiled when he saw me. "Come on back guys."

"Can Pierce come?"
"Sure."

            We headed back into his office.

"So what happened?"
"We got ambushed by some reporters." Dad said.
"And one of them shoved a microphone in my face. I jumped back so it wouldn't bust my lip, and I fell."
"Oh," He became worried, "Did you hit your head?"
"I can't remember. I was trying to get up so I wouldn't get trampled."

"Alright, we’ll do a scan just in case." Dr. Morris stood up. "Come on Solan. You guys can wait in my office. Who'll it be? Mom? Dad?"
"I'll go." Mom said.

"I'll stay with Pierce." Dad nodded. "That's okay Solan?"
"Yeah."

            I changed into a gown, and sat on the tray. I was injected with the dye.

"Okay just lay back." Dr. Morris said.
"How long is this going to take?" I asked, "I don't want to be in there for too long."
"Fifteen minutes top." I looked at the tube as he said this, "Only your head will be going in."

"It's okay sweetie." Mom guided me back. "Just close your eyes."

            The machine whooshed to life, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Think of something else, anything else. Anything but the dream, the crash, the new car. Anything. Sumer.

             What was I going to do? Maybe I'd go to the beach. Pierce and I could rent a beach house as a gift for graduating. His parents would okay it. They trusted him, and Dad trusted him to keep me safe.

            I trusted Pierce with my life. Now I know that you're not supposed to trust anyone besides family, but where my family had failed in the loyalty department, he excelled. We could have bonfires right on the beach, and light sparklers and fireworks. We could have private barbeques. If you married people souly on their friendships, Pierce was my soulmate.

            Ever since that day in kindergarten he had my back. I don't like confrontation, it makes me nervous, and I shut down, using the only coping tool I have. Laughing. I was being bullied by Mike Henderson. He yanked my braid and pushed me down.

            Then he grabbed a bucket of sand and poured it over my head. Now, for a five year old, that's very traumatic. I felt like I was going to drown in sand. Pierce was new to town, and He wasn't having any of it.

"Hey!" He yelled, shoving Mike, "Didn't your Dad ever teach you to not push a girl?"

"Didn't your Dad ever teach you not to push guys half your size?" Mike pushed Pierce making him stumble back.

            And that's when Pierce snapped. He tackled Mike to the ground and punched him. Then he got up and filled a bucket with sand.
"Pour it on him." He instructed.
            I shook my head.
"It’s okay," He said, taking a step to me as if I was a scared abandoned animal," It's only fair."
            I took the bucket and poured it over his head.
"Solan Daniels!" Mrs. Kingston yelled.

            I dropped the bucket, and promptly began to cry. Pierce jumped in explains the situation. Mike had to sit in the timeout chair, and Mrs. Kingston gave Pierce and me this speech about how two wrongs don't make a right. There was a Bing and I opened my eyes, I was sliding through the machine.

"All done Solan." Dr. Morris called to me.

            Once out on the other side, I sung my legs over the table and quickly got up. Didn't want the thing to take me back through the tunnel.
“Why don't you go ahead and get dressed and head to my office."

            I got dressed and made my way to his office. Mom and Dad took up two of the four chairs.

"Where's Pierce?"
"He went to go get some food from the vending machines." Dad answered.

            I took a seat and we waited in silence.

"I got you a sprite, and a bag of Cheetos." Pierce said, rounding the corner, "What? Bad news?"

"No," Mom quickly said, "We're still waiting on the results."

"Oh."
            Pierce handed me my bag of chips, and then the soda, after he popped the tab. The cold liquid felt good to my mouth and throat, which were dry. Like I had been walking through the desert. Dr. Morris came in with a folder in his hand and took a seat. He opened the folder and spread out the pictures from the scan on his desk.

"There's good news and