CHAPTER16
The next day, I wake with a migraine. I don't have any medicine at all, not Advil, not Tylenol, nothing. Not that Advil or Tylenol ever usually touch my migraines. I need Excedrin and sleep, but I'm not going to stay home from school. I'll get by somehow. Yeah, I probably won't learn much of anything, but I'll be there anyhow.
Because of the migraine, I waffle, thinking about riding Moonlight, but I’m unwilling to risk it, so I head off on foot to school.
My head is still killing me when I arrive at school. A wave of nausea washes over me, and I grimace and rub my temple as I walk past the front office.
“Erika?” Jess calls.
I hang my head, huffing a sigh, back up, and head back to the office.
Jess gives me a sympathetic smile. “What’s wrong? You look a bit down. Are you hanging in okay? Making friends and settling in?”
“I’m fine.” I give her a tight nod and squint, wincing from the pain in my head. What does she care about me? It’s like she’s trying to be the school counselor instead of the receptionist.
“Are you not feeling well?”
“Have a migraine,” I mumble.
“And you came in?” She flinches. “I get them. Advil, coffee, and a chocolate bar. That’s my go-to.”
“I don’t have money or time to get coffee.”
“Yeah, I like the sugary coffees that basically don’t taste like coffee, and I really shouldn’t. My metabolism isn’t what it used to be, but when I can’t afford coffee either or don’t have time to run to Starbucks, I take Excedrin.”
“That’s basically the only thing that ever works for me.”
"Well, then, you're in luck! I have some in my purse. Just a sec." She gives me a huge smile, and she heads to the back. A few minutes later, she comes back with both the pill bottle and a bottle of water. "Here you go, hon."
“Thanks.” I take the medicine and drain the entire water bottle.
“Do you, ah, do you think maybe you can ask Brett to come see me?” she asks as she accepts the pill bottle.
Ah, so that’s why she’s being so nice to me.
“Yeah, sure,” I mumble. “Thanks again.”
I walk out of there and head to homeroom. A guy is leaning against the wall next to the door, and I have to squint to be able to see and recognize him through the haze my migraine induces.
Liam.
Great.
I almost wish it would’ve been Brett instead, and that is saying something. That kiss… Last night, I had been tortured by dreams about my mom and then about that kiss.
I slow my approach and try to time it with a few other students so I can slip by hopefully unnoticed, but I'm not that lucky. I have no luck at all lately.
Liam grabs my elbow and pulls me toward him. “Aren’t you even going to say hi?”
“Hi. Bye.” I turn to go.
He tightens his grip on my elbow. “I have something for you.”
“I’m the new girl. I really don’t want to be late for class.”
“Relax. It’s just homeroom. No one gives a shit about homeroom.” He flashes me a grin that I’m sure has a lot of girls falling all over themselves to see. He is handsome in a sleazy kind of way. The girls all just want to use him for his money, I’m sure, but why would anyone want to be with him after everything that happened to Georgie.
If anything happened to Georgie. How do I know the Mutineers weren’t messing with me? I wouldn’t be surprised if they mess with me, but I’m not sure if they would lie about something like this. It’s too major.