Chapter 3

THE TRUTH MUST COME OUT!

The piercing sound of the alarm clock brought Ava back from the dead of her sleep.

She fiddled and stretched within her warm bed. Ava's eyes were a bit teary as she felt a lump in her throat.

The days come and go, leaving her questions hanging in thin air with no apparent answers.

No distress is reduced.

Her heart was ruined trying to merge the puzzled pieces of her life.

Ava plowed away, the pessimistic ideas driving their way into her mind.

It wasn't a day of second-guessing or remorse, it was a day of doing.

How time flies! She wondered.

It has been two weeks of mixed emotions, and Ava wasn't ready to drown in her pool of sadness.

The enticing scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted into the room, teasing her senses and pulling her concentration away from her thoughts.

Within a few seconds, Lily appeared in front of Ava holding two coffee mugs.

“Here you go.” She pulled out one of the coffee mugs for Ava before grabbing a seat beside her on the bed.

“How do you feel?” Lily questioned.

Ava took a deep breath, forced a smile on her face before speaking,

“I'm okay,” Ava answered, avoiding eye contact with Lily.

“Ava, you know you can count on me for whatever you need. So quit it with all these weird smiles. I know you're not okay after everything that happened, but I want you to remember that I'll always be here for you.” Lily clasps Ava's hands tightly.

“You're the best, Lily.

I don't know what I'd do without you.

"I guess it is time for us to go back to college.” Ava mentioned. She plunged the coffee mug by the desk next to her.

Lily's eyes dilated, “Are you sure you want to?” She was awestruck by Ava's words because she had been skipping classes for a few weeks.

“Yes, girlfriend,

There's no need to disguise myself from the crowd as long as no one figures out what's going on.

"I'm tired of locking myself in here all day. It's time to face the world and continue living my life.” Ava emitted, already on her feet.

"That's the best news I've heard in weeks. Pleased to see you back in action. You don't know how greatly I have missed you, particularly in class…” Lily remarked, with a wide grin plastered on her face.

_______________

Ava's eyes widened as she felt the weight of a thousand invisible gazes upon her.

She curled her attention to the hallways, noticing a group of people whispering and stealing glances at her.

She immediately became awkward with the glares arriving from each angle.

Am I a ghost? Or is there something incomplete in my body?

Different thoughts flipped through Ava's senses as she made her way through the hallways.

If Lily had been here, at least she wouldn't be poking around. Lily had an errand to carry out for one of the university professors.

The minute Lily entered the school premises; she wasn't able to escort her friend Ava to the class.

Ava's heartbeat accelerated the moment she strode into the classroom.

Her face turned slightly pale as dizziness washed over her, causing her head to swirl.

Her brows furrowed as she tried to regain her balance.

As Ava walked to her seat, a wobble in her pace appeared, evident in her efforts to maintain her stability.

Nearly everyone was so lost in various discussions that they barely caught sight of Ava's presence.

Better that way, Ava thought as she managed to settle in her seat.

The professor, Mr. Jaden, stepped into the classroom dressed in his usual striped white shirt tucked into his baggy black shorts.

A collective silence fell over the students as they shifted their attention to his teachings.

Lily had joined in the middle of Mr. Jaden's lecture, and the lesson has been going smoothly for Ava.

Having Lily by her side was a huge relief for Ava. It was a good thing to have Lily as a course mate and a best friend.

Although a few people began to doubt it when the bell rang for lunchtime. The first bite of hamburger made Ava's stomach churn.

Her mouth grew dry, and beads of sweat formed on her brow.

“What's happening to you?” Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

She spun her eyes to Ava.

“I don't know what's happening. Ouch, it hurts!” Ava said as she clutched her belly, hoping to somehow alleviate the dreadful feeling.

“Relax, Ava, You'll be fine….."

Lily's statement was cut short when the splashing sound from Ava's mouth smashed the floor.

“Huuuuuuurgehh” It instantly drew every other person available in the class's attention.

“What's going on?” A female student uttered with concern written all over her face.

"Oh, my God!” A male student passing by mentioned.

“Gross! Maybe she had too much to eat.” One of the bullies in college noted with a disgusted look plastered on his face.

“Someone help!” Lily spoke at the top of her voice. She held Ava's clammy hands and positioned them around her shoulders.

Ava's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape. She fought back the surge of bile that threatened to rise again.

What was wrong with her? Of course, she had no idea until her gaze flashed with a trace of dizziness.

Within moments…she could only hear the voices of a few students, lecturers, and Lily before darkness enveloped her.

_________________

“I don't know!” Lily replied for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Then what are you friends for? At least you should know what your friend ate or how she's doing.”

One of the teachers mentioned.

There were three of them. The college manager, his assistant, and the college financial director, who is a lady.

It had been a rollercoaster of questions for Lily after Ava's sudden collapse that afternoon.

“She was totally fine this morning until she ate at lunchtime.

I don't know what was wrong with her before.

I just want to know if she's going to be okay. Not only that, but I need to see my friend.” Lily palmed her face as droplets of tears streamed down her cheeks.

“How is she doing? What did the doctor say? What happened to Ava?” Lily inquired non-stop.

Her questions were left unanswered by the college directors because the doctor hadn't enunciated a word since they reached the clinic.

Earlier, Ava had been accompanied by Lily and the college managers to the school clinic for a medical check-up, and every one of them are arms folded awaiting the outcome of the check-up.

The day grew older as the time ticked faster with no explanations from the doctor.

Lily's tension was on another level. Her heart thumped faster than a cheetah.

By 6 p.m., The college managers had lost their patients. They exited the school clinic without waiting for any feedback from the doctor.

Lily paced back and forth in the clinic hallways. She had received ten missed calls from her mother.

Lily didn't have the chance to pick up since she was being flooded with questions from the school authorities.

Her mother conveyed a tense tune through the phone but calmed down a bit when Lily explained to her that she was okay.

“I'll call you back,” Lily said to her mother on the phone the minute she sighted the school clinic doctor.

He was a beardless man with a bald head in his early forties. He was dressed in a stainless lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck.

“Doctor, how is she doing? How is Ava?” The words rolled out from Lily's mouth as she bit her bottom lip.

“Firstly, I need to know if you're connected to the patient in any way before I disclose any information to you. So who are you to Miss Ava Reynolds?” The doctor queried.

“Her best friend. We are both course mates in this college. I need to know how my friend is doing, doctor. Please say something.”

Lily impatiently hunted for answers in the doctor's eyes, but she found nothing.

What could it be? What had happened to Ava that has made the doctor speechless?

She thought deeply as she walked swiftly behind the doctor, who directed her to his office…