Hopelessly Drowning

Chapter 7

A/N:  Hi,

This is Chapter 7! I got it out on time thankfully! 

As always please vote and comment if you liked it or want to leave constructive criticism. 

Enjoy!

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"What in the world are you two doing up so early? And what was all that noise for?" Ms. Harris's groggy voice questioned us as she rubbed her eyes. She looked at me with tired but worried eyes.

"Jada had one of her...episodes.," Riley answered, giving Ms. Harris a pointed look I couldn't decipher. Ms. Harris's face turned understanding before her eyes snapped to me.

"Did she say anything to you Elizabeth?" Ms. Harris asked as if she already knew what the answer would be. I shrugged, I didn't want to get Jada in trouble. It would just make everything worse.

"Sweetheart, whatever she said wasn't true. Jada is having a hard time, and while she wasn't justified in saying anything rude or unkind to you, she is just having trouble coping." Ms. Harris insisted, the sleep gone from her voice. I just bit my lip. I deserved it. Jada had been right, I was overreacting. Burden. The word rang clear in my mind, and I turned away from Ms. Harris choosing to stare down at the swirling patterns on the marble counter.

Ms. Harris sighed, the earlier exhaustion returning as she slowly walked towards the stove.

"Do omelets sound good to you girls? Since we are all up, may as well make breakfast." She retrieved a pan from the drawers below the stove before turning to face us again.

"Elizabeth, after breakfast you and I need to talk about a few things." She glanced at my hunched figure on the barstool before turning back open the fridge

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I almost groaned in delight as the first bite of delicious cheesy omelet hit my tongue. I savored the first forkful of the crisp peppers and caramelized onions encased in fluffy egg and coated in melted cheese. The flavors burst on my tongue and I found myself wanting to shove the entire thing down in one go.

"Enjoying the food aren't you?" Sofia's voice broke me out of my reverie. I glanced over to see her staring at me with her eyebrows raised and an amused look in her eyes. I shrugged, what could I say. The omelet was amazing, the best breakfast I'd had in years.

" I heard Jada this morning...don't worry about her. She lashes out when she is upset." I raised my eyebrows, had everyone heard what had happened this morning? The guilt only increased.

"No one sleeps well here, you aren't the only one." She said, turning back to her food, and continuing to eat. She isn't the only one! Remembering Jada's words made me flinch.

Suddenly, the omelet I was eating felt like a simple pleasure I didn't deserve. Looking around at the girls who had suffered just as much as I had, with tired faces and eyes that held such deep pain, I felt even more alone. I felt like nothing but a leech, sucking away whatever joy they had left. My very presence, a weight they couldn't carry.

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"Lizzy, we need to talk." Ms. Harris said as she placed two white pills and a glass of water in front of me. Pain killers. Thank god. I snatched them from the surface of the mahogany desk in front of me, not even stopping for the cup of water and swallowing the pills dry, barely wincing at the bitter aftertaste.

Ms. Harris raised an eyebrow and I sheepishly looked down at my hands before tentatively reaching for the glass of water on the desk.

"I don't know what happened last night Elizabeth, but it wasn't okay. You weren't okay." Her eyes scanned my tired appearance, eyebrows scrunching as she studied me. I swallowed, shrugging my shoulders and glancing down at my lap. The cool surface of the cup caused tiny droplets to form on the sides of the glass. I dragged my finger through the condensation, drawing tiny smiley faces in the water.