coming with me.
We filed up the steps to my room, and Miss A was on our heels. I started to sweat, and quickly ditched my sweater.
Richie glanced at Milo and smiled.
I had a tight cami on, but you’d think by Richie’s expression that I was wearing just my bra.
I was more exhausted than I’d ever been. I sat on the edge of my bed, and glanced up at Miss Akin, who stood in the doorway. “What is wrong, my love?”
“I feel sick,” I said, taking a few deep breaths, hoping the wave of nausea that hit me would pass.
A high-pitched noise sounded in my right ear.
Miss Akin turned to my friends. “Did she take something I should know about?”
Cait shook her head. “Nothing. We swear, Miss A.”
“Yeah, we promise,” Megan replied, and Cass nodded.
“I didn’t take anything, Miss Akin,” I said, curling up on my bed in the fetal position. “I just need to sleep.”
“Where’s Shane?”
“The game is still going,” Milo said, scratching the back of his neck. “Maybe we should head back.”
“Milo, will you bring Shane home immediately after the game?” Miss Akin asked.
“You got it, Miss A.”
Miss Akin took a deep breath, then released it with a controlled smile. “You should all go now. Riley needs her rest.”
“I’ll call you,” Cait said, and I nodded. She leaned down, kissed my forehead.
“Feel better, okay?”
I nodded. “I already do.”
She didn’t believe me. None of them did. I felt their fear. They had a right to be terrified.
Every one of them hugged me goodbye before Miss Akin shooed them out of the room. I heard her ramble on as she walked them out.
Across the hall, the door opened. Someone stood there, in the doorway of the other room. The floor creaked as they stepped closer.
The breath in my lungs froze as I waited for another sound.
Riiiiilllllleeeeyyyy.
I desperately wanted to scream for Miss A, but I was paralyzed with fear. I squeezed my eyes closed. A strange dragging sound followed, and I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes.
Mom, help. Please make it go away.
I immediately envisioned a bubble surrounding me, a protection exercise from one of the books I’d read.
A man’s cruel malicious laughter vibrated in my ears as a cool rush of air rose up to greet me.
“You will not fight me on this tonight, my love,” Miss Akin said, and I gasped. I was so relieved to see her plump face when I opened my eyes. She had a couple of pill bottles in her hand and she removed a tablet from each. “I poured some apple juice so you can wash them down. I will not have you losing any more sleep. I just cannot have it. I am half tempted to call your father and tell him to come home immediately.”
“No,” I said, taking the pills from her and downing them in one swallow, chasing it with the juice. If she called Dad, he would have me on lockdown. “He’ll be home soon enough as it is. No need to scare him more.”
Her face mirrored the concern in her voice. “But he can help you, my dear.”
If only that were true…
Chapter 10
The pills did what they were supposed to do. Within twenty minutes I felt the lull of sleep and I welcomed it, but I forced myself to stay awake until Shane got home and I had a chance to talk to Kade.
Miss Akin sat in the chair, crocheting a sweater for a friend’s grandchild, a little pink sweater that spoke of innocence. She smiled at me in her comforting way, but I saw something else there. Fear. I didn’t know if she feared for me or actually feared me. I had seen that same look earlier on my friends’ faces.
Despite my best effort to stay awake, I nodded off, but I heard Shane’s voice.
“What happened?” he asked, the bed shifting beneath his weight as he sat beside me.
“She wasn’t feeling well,” Miss A replied. “I gave her a pill for nausea…and one for pain.”
“Did you call Dad?”
“She didn’t want me to.”
“I can understand,” he said, his palm flattening against my forehead.
I
We filed up the steps to my room, and Miss A was on our heels. I started to sweat, and quickly ditched my sweater.
Richie glanced at Milo and smiled.
I had a tight cami on, but you’d think by Richie’s expression that I was wearing just my bra.
I was more exhausted than I’d ever been. I sat on the edge of my bed, and glanced up at Miss Akin, who stood in the doorway. “What is wrong, my love?”
“I feel sick,” I said, taking a few deep breaths, hoping the wave of nausea that hit me would pass.
A high-pitched noise sounded in my right ear.
Miss Akin turned to my friends. “Did she take something I should know about?”
Cait shook her head. “Nothing. We swear, Miss A.”
“Yeah, we promise,” Megan replied, and Cass nodded.
“I didn’t take anything, Miss Akin,” I said, curling up on my bed in the fetal position. “I just need to sleep.”
“Where’s Shane?”
“The game is still going,” Milo said, scratching the back of his neck. “Maybe we should head back.”
“Milo, will you bring Shane home immediately after the game?” Miss Akin asked.
“You got it, Miss A.”
Miss Akin took a deep breath, then released it with a controlled smile. “You should all go now. Riley needs her rest.”
“I’ll call you,” Cait said, and I nodded. She leaned down, kissed my forehead.
“Feel better, okay?”
I nodded. “I already do.”
She didn’t believe me. None of them did. I felt their fear. They had a right to be terrified.
Every one of them hugged me goodbye before Miss Akin shooed them out of the room. I heard her ramble on as she walked them out.
Across the hall, the door opened. Someone stood there, in the doorway of the other room. The floor creaked as they stepped closer.
The breath in my lungs froze as I waited for another sound.
Riiiiilllllleeeeyyyy.
I desperately wanted to scream for Miss A, but I was paralyzed with fear. I squeezed my eyes closed. A strange dragging sound followed, and I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes.
Mom, help. Please make it go away.
I immediately envisioned a bubble surrounding me, a protection exercise from one of the books I’d read.
A man’s cruel malicious laughter vibrated in my ears as a cool rush of air rose up to greet me.
“You will not fight me on this tonight, my love,” Miss Akin said, and I gasped. I was so relieved to see her plump face when I opened my eyes. She had a couple of pill bottles in her hand and she removed a tablet from each. “I poured some apple juice so you can wash them down. I will not have you losing any more sleep. I just cannot have it. I am half tempted to call your father and tell him to come home immediately.”
“No,” I said, taking the pills from her and downing them in one swallow, chasing it with the juice. If she called Dad, he would have me on lockdown. “He’ll be home soon enough as it is. No need to scare him more.”
Her face mirrored the concern in her voice. “But he can help you, my dear.”
If only that were true…
Chapter 10
The pills did what they were supposed to do. Within twenty minutes I felt the lull of sleep and I welcomed it, but I forced myself to stay awake until Shane got home and I had a chance to talk to Kade.
Miss Akin sat in the chair, crocheting a sweater for a friend’s grandchild, a little pink sweater that spoke of innocence. She smiled at me in her comforting way, but I saw something else there. Fear. I didn’t know if she feared for me or actually feared me. I had seen that same look earlier on my friends’ faces.
Despite my best effort to stay awake, I nodded off, but I heard Shane’s voice.
“What happened?” he asked, the bed shifting beneath his weight as he sat beside me.
“She wasn’t feeling well,” Miss A replied. “I gave her a pill for nausea…and one for pain.”
“Did you call Dad?”
“She didn’t want me to.”
“I can understand,” he said, his palm flattening against my forehead.
I
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