Frizz

Chapter 12 | Threats and Promises

Chapter 12.

The following Monday I was in the library studying, my fun weekend put behind me as I tried to catch up with schoolwork.

I had been at the library for a good twenty minutes, my nose buried in a literature book as I tried to memorise the content when I felt two hands clamp down onto my shoulders, making me just about jump out of my skin.

"Maisie!" I spun around in my chair to see Natasha glaring down at me. She stood behind me, her arms folded across her chest and a hip cocked to the side.

"Natasha? What's up?" I asked, frowning up at her expression.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" she demanded, pulling up a chair and sitting besides me.

I looked at her, confused, until I realized that my phone had been off for most of the day.

"I'm sorry, my phones been off," I apologized.

"Have you been having flashbacks again?" she suddenly demanded quietly and my heart stopped beating.

"What?" I whispered, staring into my sisters angered face blankly. How could she have known about what happened in art?

"I was speaking to Ingrid yesterday and she mentioned that her friend in Art was talking about a girl called Maisie and what happened to her one lesson," Natasha explained, her eyebrow raised expectantly at me.

"Care to share?" she asked.

My mind whirled and I suddenly didn't feel well.

"It was only one thing," I whispered, avoiding her gaze.

"You know that if you have them again you're meant to go back to see the doctor," she chastised.

"Please don't tell mum!" I pleaded, "She's already worried enough about me being away at college. She doesn't need this added on."

I looked at Natasha pleadingly. She frowned at me for a minute before sighing.

"Promise it's only happened once?" she asked.

"I swear," I said and she sighed once more. She grabbed her bag and stood from the table.

"If I hear that it happens again I won't hesitate to call mum," she warned sternly before leaning down to hug me. "Remember that I'm always here if you want to talk," she whispered in my ear and I nodded, hugging her back.

"I'm ok, I promise," I tried to convince her.

"Well I have a practical to get to so we'll talk later," she smiled, ruffled my hair and strode off.

I sighed and looked down at my literature book, suddenly feeling like doing anything but studying. Pulling out my phone I called Eleanor.

She picked up on the second ring.

"Maisie!" she greeted happily.

"Hey, are you busy right now?" I asked her.

"Yeah I'm just about to go into a lecture. Why? What's up?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. It doesn't matter," I tried to say brightly.

"Ok well, I'll see you later ok?" she said, "sorry I have to go now." I sighed as the line went dead. I decided to just head back to the apartment, suddenly feeling very alone.

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I had been studying at home for about two hours before anyone interrupted me. And by studying I mean scrolling through my phone with my textbook lying open on the bed beside me.