THIRD PERSON POV
Alex stepped out of his room in the clinic, his head still throbbing from the bandaging the nurse had just finished. He wanted to see Vera, to make sure she was okay, despite the nurse's insistence that he needed rest.
As he made his way to Vera's room, his mind raced with questions. How had she ended up here? And why hadn't she told him she went to the same school?
Pushing the questions aside for the moment, Alex approached Vera's room and gently pushed the door open. The sight that greeted him made his heart ache.
Vera lay on the bed, her face pale and drawn, but even in her weakened state, she looked beautiful. The rhythmic beeping of the monitor beside her was the only sound in the room.
"Hey," Alex said softly, crossing the room to her side. "How are you feeling?"
Vera stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. "Hey," she murmured, offering him a weak smil
VERAI woke up slowly, rising from the darkness groggily.When I opened my eyes, the fluorescent bulbs directly above me nearly blinded them. I shut my eyes, then opened them slowly and blinked.After a few blinks, my eyes had adjusted to the bright lights. Everything around me was white and dazzling, including the bedsheets that looked like ….I frowned as a thought hit me.I was in the hospital!What was I doing in the hospital? Hadn't I been in the school clinic just a moment ago?"Oh, you're awake," Rachel's voice sounded.I turned to see her sitting beside my bed, intense relief on her face."You scared us quite badly," she said, smiling tightly. "Thank God you're awake now. How do you feel?" she asked.I blinked. "How did I get here?" I replied with a question of my own.
NATHANThe worry accompanied me from dreamland to reality, weighing heavily on my mind. I knew I would never gett anything done if I didn't take care of it.So, even though my rational mind told me to wait till Vee must have come around, I decided against it. I needed to hear her voice before I set about my daily business.If I didn't, I might run mad. I needed to know she's okay. My night had been haunted by nightmarish dreams of Vee on a stake, being roasted like some game over a campfire and a lot of other scenarios I really would not like to call to mind.Picking my phone off the bedside drawer, I dialed her number. Nothing has ever sounded as annoying as the music the service provider put on to help callers wait for their call to be picked up.Especially when the short song ended and it wasn't picked.Well, I wasn't giving up just yet. Frustration gnawed at me like a rat on a rope. Another unanswered call from Vera, another voicemail box mocking my desperation.Why was she avoid
VERA The time was 6.07 in the morning.Somehow, the led light clock seemed cheerier. As did the paint on the walls. And even the small vase of flowers I kept on the bedside table.Everything suddenly seemed infinitely more cheerful and beautiful now I was out of the hospital. The dreary place, with their full white walls and sterile air and smell of antiseptics and antibiotics could have made me lose all hope in life if I stayed there another day.I have had my share of hospitals when Josh was battling his leukemia, and I don't want to ever be in one again.Even the prospect of going to collect my test results for the poison later tomorrow made my stomach lurch, but I put the thought out of my mind and concentrated on getting through the day.Which of course, always starts with checking my phone to catch the latest gist in town.A slight panic overtook me when I didn't see it on my bed. I usually leave my phone on my bed when I sleep because I always fall asleep either reading or wat
VERAFor a heart stopping moment, it looked like Rachel was seriously considering the question.She cocked her head to one side as she looked at Kate."And what, your highness, would be the consequences of that?" she asked.Having known Rachel for three days, I detected the thin layer of sarcasm beneath her voice, even though it sounded so serious.I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Phew."You ask me of the consequences?" Kate asked, looking honestly confused. "You don't know them?"My best friend shook her head. "No, I don't, milady," she said.I could tell she was trying not to laugh. Kate's face reddened once more, from anger this time. She threw back her head, causing her hair to fly back, leaned on my locker and pushed her face close to Rachel."Well, for one, you're going to lose your cheerleader position," she said pompously.Rachel gasped in mock horror, but Kate obviously misunderstood it because I see her eyes shine with satisfaction. She took a breath and
VERAThe teacher didn't stop me as I left. I wasn't the only one leaving anyway. I wandered around for some time, wondering what to do now.None of the clubs I belonged to has meetings during normal school periods.Just as I was contemplating returning to class, my phone buzzed. We are not allowed to use our phones during classes, but I had grabbed mine along when I left the class.I looked at it. The notification was from a reminder I had set earlier. It showed only one word.Drugs.I checked the time. Some minutes past nine. Wow. I have been walking around for a little over one hour. The next period was in ten minutes, just enough for me to dash over to the clinic and take my medication.I took a turn around and increased my pace. The next period was History Studies. Only a fool would be late to Prof. McCallan's class.Soon, I was in the clinic. The nurse was preoccupied with some eleventh graders that had wo
VERAI backpedaled very quickly, but Rhys matched my pace. There was a sick grin on his face that told me I was in for a rough time."Please," I choked out. The word tumbled from my lips of its own volition.It sounded pathetic, but I didn't care. Right now, all I could think about was all the rumors of people he had sent to the clinic, and how I don't want to be like them.I don't think I will ever recover if I get sent to the hospital again."Please," I choked out again. There was no where else to go now. My back was pressed against a locker, and Rhys was just two feet in front of me.Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw two of his goons cracking their knuckles. There were some distance away though, obviously keeping an eye out."So…," Rhys muttered in a low voice. "First, you get together with the popular new boy, Alex. And now, you're thinking of getting together with Michael, huh?" he asked.He was s
VERAThe bell for dismissal rang just when I thought I would drop dead with boredom. None of the subjects we had today were among my favorites at all.Usually, physics is my one saving grace on Wednesdays, but the teacher was sick and we had another subject instead.I packed up my books and pen and stood. Beside me, Rachel yawned widely and pumped her fist in the air. Alex looked like he was sincerely regretting the dismissal though.Jeez!How do these guys do it? Almost as if summoned, Ezekiel and Josh surfaced at my locker.Wondering if these two are going to hit on me too, I tensed. But I had no need for worry, as it was Alex they sought.By the time I was out of my seat, the three were already neck in deep in discussion about the just concluded topic.O boy, Alex had only been here two days and he's already linked up with the class monsters? Who showed him the two savants we had in the class?Do thes
NATHAN"Is there anything wrong, sir?"I looked at my secretary, looking all prim and anxious, and didn't even know what to say. I must be really losing my shit if even her noticed that I wasn't my usual self.Normally, she would never have had the courage to ask me such a question.Oh, she isn't a coward at all. She had chased down me like a bull on heat in the initial months I employed her. But she had since learnt that I never mixed business with pleasure.If she plucked off the courage to ask me now, she must be worried.Breaking character, I forced out a smile. I ignored her question though."Have we heard from Thayer?" I asked instead.She looked a bit thrown off by the completely off topic question, but she quickly got the message.She shook her head, the professional expression I was used to back on."Not yet. Only that email from last Saturday that I already told you about," she said.
VERAMy heart was beating as I followed the manager into his back office. It would be the first time ever I was there, and it somehow made everything worse. It somehow felt like being summoned to the principal's office at school.What kind of offense did one have to commit to be summoned to the back office? Had I and Alex just committed it?However, within the turbulent thoughts and emotions, Alex slid his palm into mine and our fingers linked together. It was surprising how naturally they did.However, it provided a surprising measure of comfort in the tense atmosphere, and I was regretful to let go when the manager turned and gestured us to a seat.For a moment, we just stared at each other. The air between us thickened till it could have been cut with a knife. At last, I couldn't hold the manager's gaze though I had kept mine lowered.My eyes drifted restlessly around the office, taking note of all the littl
VERAThe school bell rang, and the class quickly erupted in chaos even before the teacher was out the door. Being the ass he was, the history teacher turned to glare at us. But the students, being even more of an ass than he was, only hooted at him before proceeding to ignore him completely.Helpless to do anything to us within the school rules, he slouched out of the class to the cheers of my classmates.It was a Friday once again, and the weekend ahead started just like it has always done since we entered final year and got the extremely unlikeable history teacher as one of our teachers.Rousing myself from the stupor I had fallen into, I sighed and gathered up my books. Beside me, Alex's eyes were glazed over. The shock was enough to wake me completely.Quickly, I searched with my eyes till I found Josh and Ezekiel. They too had glazed eyes, completely different from the chaos around us.Jeez! Just how bad was the class?
VERAI had just returned from Amelia's birthday party, brimming with joy from the festivities. Amelia had even called me her best friend, much to Thalia's chagrin. That alone had made the party unforgettable.Oh my God! Who would have ever thought Amelia thought of me as her best friend?Eager to share the excitement with my mother, I rushed home, only to find the door unanswered to my persistent knocks. What started as anticipation quickly turned to apprehension as each unanswered rap on the door filled the silent house with dread."Mom?" I called out, my voice trembling in the stillness. No reply. With a trembling hand, I turned the doorknob, the darkness inside seeming denser than usual.Entering cautiously, a chilling sensation enveloped me. The living room, usually a haven of familiarity, now felt ominous under the veil of shadows. "Mom?" I called again, the sound barely audible amidst the silence.Navigat
NATHANI flexed my arms as I walked to my car. It was the third day since I took Rhys, and I was sure he must be getting worried.That was what I planned. I wanted him worried enough to talk.Of course, I wasn't so trouble looking I would keep someone's child hostage for three days. But I checked that night I took him and fortunately, he didn't have any parents.I didn't probe to know what happened to his parents, whether he ran from home. I didn't care. The only thing that mattered are the missing TMT, and that was it.In the car, I got out my laptop and called Ghost."Hey," he said after picking on the fists ring. His voice was as flat as usual. "Have you gotten the info?"I shook my head, though he couldn't see me. "No, not yet," I said, tapping on the steering wheel with two fingers."But soon," I continued. "Stay on standby. You might need to move fast soon,""Noted," Ghost repli
VERAI looked around at the environment and sighed. If anyone had told me a few days ago that I be at two parties within two days, I would not have believed. Neither would I have believed that I could be a guest of honour in both parties.But that was the reality now. First, Michael specially invited me to his party. And now, it was Alex.My heart warmed at the memory of how Alex had invited me to the party. Earlier in the day, Kate was engaged in her usual hobby of bullying me. And this time, get worst thing was that she had the support of the whole class.Formerly, they would have seen her as disdainful and full of herself, but after Rhys still did not come to school that day, they were feeling not a little animosity towards me.So they cheered Kate on when she came to bully me. She had dragged me to the front of the class while they cheered and prepared to officially ostracise me. She had just started to read the s
VERAAdmidst Slutty's invectives, Nathan walked to the couch, picked her clothes and threw them out the door at her. He dusted his hands before turning to look at me with amusement in his eyes."I had half a mind to let her go home without her clothes," he said. "Like Freya, but….."Suddenly, he paused and looked me deep in the eye and the atmosphere between us immediately became charged with an embarrassing awkwardness.Oh well, I felt awkward, though I wasn't so sure Nathan did. What I was sure about though was his anger.The cold surfaced, but deeply raging anger. He pulled back, increasing the distance between us."Oh, look at me all mouthy like everything is alright between us, right?" he said savagely. "Like we aren't learning to mind our own business, huh?"He gave a small, angry smile. How can someone's smile be angry? I didn't know, but his was at the moment, and it made my heart ache."Sorry, my lady," he said, turning away. "I had better go back to minding my business, huh?
VERAThere were three, sweaty, naked bodies on the floor, and I quickly recognised Nathan's peculiar tan. I had spent so much time admiring it as a teenager with raging hormones I could probably pick it out of a crowd with my eyes closed.The bodies froze in their motions as the evening sunlight spilled through the open door and on to them. I felt my heart thump when I saw red hair, but the lady looked up and I realised she was not Freya.Unconsciously, I let out a sigh of relief."Is she joining us?" one of the girls asked.The question seemed to send a jolt through Nathan, and the surprise on his face quickly morphed into a kind of cold anger."No," he said coldly. "And I think it's time you leave,""What?" the other lady asked.Nathan was already standing, and for the first time, I got a full glimpse of his body without any clothing on.I froze, as did all thoughts in my head. Vaguely, I was aware of my mouth hanging open, and Nathan saying something to the girls harshly, but it di
Chapter 41Vera's POVI was only too glad when the bell for dismissal rang. Today had been one hell of a day. And Rachel's continued absence made it worse. Worry had literally eaten me up as I rang her phone in between classes without getting any answer.Two periods to the last, I lost my cool and started ringing her in class, keeping my phone under my desk so the teacher wouldn't find out.Luckily, we didn't have prof. McCallan today, or I would have surely been caught.Kate didn't make things any easier. Every opportunity she got, she made snide comments about how Rachel had skipped school that day just so she could avoid the social stigma I would surely pass on to her if she associated with me.At one point, she tried to corner me in the hall, but Alex came into view just that moment and she had to pretend she was just packing her hair. It was kind of disgusting to see her preen for Alex, but he ignored her and led me back to the class.
VERAI felt the hostility as soon as I walked past the gate. Students in the quadrangle turned to stare at me as I walked past.I had the sense they were whispering about me, but if I turned to look, they either glared at me so hard I had to look at it, or kept quiet and looked anywhere but at me.After a couple more dozen steps, I was convinced there was something seriously wrong. I suddenly felt very self conscious, and struggled very hard not to trip on my own feet.Deciding that I needed emotional support if I was to get past Lincoln's statue without falling face flat on the floor, I decided to text my usual one.Rachel.First ring, second ring, third ring. She didn't pick. What was wrong? She was usually glued to her, even when a teacher was in the class. Why wasn't she answering now?Ironically, worrying about Rachel was some help. When the kissing couple under Lincoln's statue stopped kissing to stare at me, I