Out of Reach

Chapter Eleven

***A/N: Change in POV is indicated by ꕤ ꕤ symbol***

Thankfully when I got back to the room, it was empty. I didn't have it in me to talk to anyone else today.  I changed back into my comfy sweatshirt outfit and slept on and off for the rest of the day. Jacq invited me to dinner with everyone, but I declined. 

The next day, everyone was going on a hike on the nature trail located near campus. I decided to opt-out, emotionally drained from the other day.

"What are you going to do today instead?" Jacq asked, pulling her faded pink hair into a messy bun. 

"I don't know, lay here." 

She glared at me, "Amber. Come on. You can't lay here all day. I'm worried about you." She walked over to me, looking down at me, laying in bed. 

"I'm fine," I reassured, sitting up to prove it, "I just need a personal day to do nothing and recharge." 

"Well, then I will stay back too." 

"No, you don't have to do that, " I swung my legs over the side of the bed, "I just need to be alone."

"Are you sure?" Jacq asked, grabbing my hand, "Because I will stay if you want me to."

"I'm sure," I placed my other hand on top of hers, "Thank you. But I'll be fine." 

"Mhm," She smiled, "Don't miss me too much." 

I chuckled, "I'll try my best."

After Jacq left, I laid in bed for a couple of hours, trying to distract myself by flipping through the apps on my phone, but it wasn't working. 

I decided to pull myself out of bed to walk downstairs to the vending machines to grab something to eat. I stared blankly at the options in the metal racks, unsure of what to get. 

Snickers, Milky Way, Reese's...

As much as I didn't want to live off candy for the day, I didn't have enough energy to leave my building and go to the dining hall to get food. 

I noticed an all-white modern-looking vending machine on the other side of the lobby with the letters 'FARMERS FRESH' lit up across the top in green. I had never seen a refrigerated vending machine before. 

I skimmed the list of fresh, healthy food options and stopped upon the item labeled SLICED APPLES. My mind immediately flooded with thoughts of Cassidy. 

"This looks like a meal for a toddler." I chuckled at the thought of Cassidy's comment about his dinner at the ward.

I bought the apples and a protein bar and headed back up to my room. 

I crept back into bed, food in hand. Suddenly all of my previous thoughts were gone, and now were consumed with wondering how Cassidy was doing. 

I gazed down at my fingers, remembering the warm feeling of his touch on my skin. 

My heart dropped at the sound of a knock at the door. I dropped my food on my bed and wearily creaked the door opened.

"Hey," Tom's face lit up as I opened the door.

As the door opened all the way, Tom looked down at my appearance, "Nice sweats." 

I looked down, realizing I was still in the same oversized outfit as the day before. 

"Oh, thanks." I looked back up at him, "Aren't you supposed to be on the hike with the others?"

"I was, but then they were going out to dinner, and I figured you probably didn't have a chance to eat anything, so..." He held up a white plastic bag with two containers of food in it.