Rowena“Rowena Griffith… I love you!” I felt as though I might throw up just looking at the sign in Adrian’s hands. The stereo by his feet was blasting a cheesy love song, a song that I had heard too many times on the radio and didn’t even like, and the smug smile on his face just infuriated me even more.
RowenaI burst through the doors of the quarantine center, my chest heaving with every breath and my hair a frazzled mess. I had run here so fast that my legs felt like they might give out at any moment, but I didn’t care. I only cared about Eric.“I need to see my brother,” I breathed, slamming my identification card on the front desk. “Now.”
RowenaEric and I sat beside each other at the table. Our mother and father sat across from us; our father leaned on his elbows, pinching the bridge of his nose, and our mother pensively stirred her coffee with a spoon.Everything was silent save for the clinking of the spoon against the mug. It had been quiet like this for some time; none of us even knew where to begin or what to say.
RowenaThe camp was practically brimming with excitement as Eric and I walked through the front doors. It seemed as though everyone had heard about Eric’s miraculous recovery—and it seemed, too, that almost everyone had gathered in the cafeteria to see for themselves.As we strode into the cafeteria side-by-side, we were met with a sea of excited students and warriors alike. Barely even three seconds had passed since we were through the doors before we were swarmed, with abso
RowenaEric pulled his car up to the curb and put it in park. The two of us were silent for a moment, just watching the stream of partygoers trickle into the house, before he turned to me and placed his hand over mine.“You know we don’t have to do this,” he said. “I’m more than happy curling up at my cottage and watching a movie.”
EricI had just gotten through the second round of a game of beer pong when it happened.Over the sounds of raucous laughter and loud music, I picked up something else: a whisper. My name, echoing in the back of my mind like a cold gust of wind slipping through an open window on a hot summer’s day.Eric
Rowena“Stay with me.”Eric’s eyes widened as I pulled him down, my fingers curled into a fist around the front of his shirt. I wanted him close to me, wanted to feel the warmth of his body against mine. But before I could pull him all the way to me, he grabbed my wrist and leaned back just enough to look me in the eyes.“Are you sure this is a good idea, Rowena?” he whispered, his voice low and husky and his breath fanning across my neck as he spoke. “You have drugs in your system. If you wake up in the morning and regret this…”I frowned, pressing my lips into a thin line. “I won’t regret it. I won’t.”“But—”“I won’t,” I insisted.Eric blinked at me in surprise for a few moments, but my gaze remained steady; if anything, I felt mostly fine. A bit shaken up, but my head was surprisingly more clear than it had been all night. Either the drugs that Adrian had given me were weak, or…For a moment, my mind flickered back to that day in the gymnasium—the day when my ankle had miraculousl
RowenaTaking a deep breath, Eric and I pushed our way through the crowd so we could see the results. As we approached, we received curious looks from the other students—no doubt word of what had happened at the party on Friday, or at least what people thought had happened, had spread like wildfire.Or…As I read the names on the list, I knew now why they were really staring.“Eric,” I gasped, gripping his arm with one hand while I pointed at the list with the other. “It’s you!”I couldn’t help but grin as I looked up at him. Even Eric was beaming from ear to ear; he was at the top of the list of the three warriors who would be competing in the tournament. Of course he was—he was the best warrior at this camp, after all. He had earned it, fair and square.“Congrats, Eric!” a nearby student called out. “I can’t wait to see you fight next week!”Eric’s smile grew. “And I can’t wait to win,” he quipped, eliciting giggles from a nearby gaggle of cheerleaders who were smiling and twirling