In the midst of heartbreak, new bonds are forged.
At the end of their first year at UA High, the students rely on their tight friendships and hard work to get through finals. New alliances and friendships are made between the outgoing hero classes a...
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I remember waking up that day to gut-wrenching pain.
My eyes opened and roamed the surroundings, finding none of it familiar for a good moment or two. Those couple seconds were enough to turn my stomach inside out. Even as my eyes adjusted to the morning light streaming in and I saw the recognizable Christmas scenes on the TV, the painting I was admiring last night, and my new friend who had graciously let me stay the night, I couldn't shake the immediate nausea.
Rocket's eyes studied me, their golden hue illuminated in the sun. How long has he been staring at me like that? My face flushed with heat as the thin sheen of sweat chilled my skin, disorienting me even more. I hauled myself up to a seated position and, just as soon as it had come, the blood rushed from my head, leaving me dizzy. A fuzzy feeling persisted in my nose and teeth like my skull was full of electricity. And none of it was helping my stomach.
I pushed off the cushions and stumbled my way across the room and out the door. I'm pretty sure I signed something about going to the bathroom before I left. I rushed down the hall and closed the door, locking myself in the restroom by myself before emptying my stomach into the toilet. My hands were shaking as I sat there in a cold sweat.
I knew the ghosts were probably keeping tabs on me which didn't make me feel any better. Even with the door locked, I wouldn't have an ounce of privacy. My suspicions were confirmed when I heard the frantic knock on the door. I couldn't face him, not yet.
I took a gamble, assuming there'd be at least one of the ghosts nearby to listen in. "I'm okay," I illused to the empty room, feeling a chill go down my spine. There you are, I thought morosely, flinching away from whatever spirit was trying to soothe me. "Something caught in my throat."
I took some deep breaths, putting on a show for the ghosts to support the lie that I truly was fine. I just hope they bought it.
When I'd cleaned myself up sufficiently, I made myself smile in the mirror, checking to make sure I looked fine. I pulled some strands of hair from my black choker, straightening it around my neck as I did my best to detangle my curls. The cold sweats were gone, but my hands still shook. The buzzing feeling in my head wouldn't stop. But I was fine, I had to tell myself that until I believed it enough to open the door.
It took everything in me to keep smiling when I saw his worried face. "I'm okay," I signed sheepishly. He was still staring at me like his brain was trying to piece together a logical reason for the whole situation. My shoulders sagged. I knew that even if I said I was okay, it wouldn't make sense with what had just happened. I trusted that the ghosts relayed my message, but...
I felt bad lying.
"I get really anxious when I wake up somewhere new." I wasn't quite sure why I came forward so easily. Maybe it was the fact that I knew at least one ghost saw I wasn't alright by any means. Maybe it was that he was so hospitable yesterday and did everything he could to make me feel comfortable.
