Whitethorn Academy

Chapter Fourteen

Nausea clawed its way up my throat as I stared at the note in my trembling hands. A quick glance around the room showed none of the girls watching me.

If Mari had done this, I had no doubt she'd be standing by, waiting to see the look on my face. But she chatted idly with her friend, oblivious to my fear.

Naomi came up behind me and I scrunched the note into a tight ball, nausea still coursing through my veins. I suddenly wished I hadn't eaten anything at all for lunch. Even the few bites of food I'd taken were now churning in my stomach like a hurricane.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "You look a little pale."

"I'm not feeling so well," I admitted, clutching the piece of paper tighter in my fist. Naomi's eyes glanced down and she quirked an eyebrow.

"What's that in your hand?"

Even the brief mention of the note made the nausea flare again. The urge to vomit swelled and I swallowed a wave of bile that threatened to rise.

"I don't think those workouts are agreeing with me."

Before Naomi could say another word, I ran for the small bathroom situated in the corner of the locker room. I barely made it. My knees crashed into the floor as I vomited the little food I'd eaten during my lunch period.

Bile stung my throat and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I could hear the murmurs of the other girls as I violently threw up everything. Some hurried out of the locker room, the sounds of me being sick turning their stomachs as well.

The little ball of paper was still clutched tightly in my hand. I was too terrified of its contents to let it go. What if someone else were to find it and read it?

But most importantly, what did it mean?

Did someone truly know what happened at the bonfire? And if they knew the truth, then was I guilty? If the truth was enough for someone to leave a note in my locker, then I had a terrible feeling in my stomach that I'd done something horrible.

Another wave of nausea coursed through me and I clutched the toilet, vomiting more bile as tears streaked down my cheeks. When I was finished, I stuffed the wad of paper into my pocket before rising and flushing the toilet.

Naomi was one of the only girls left in the locker room and her green eyes were full of concern. "Do you need to go to the nurse?"

I shook my head. "I think I just want to go lie down."

I washed my hands, feeling Naomi's eyes on me. Refusing to look into the mirror for fear of meeting her gaze, I watched the soap as it foamed over my hands as I tried to wash away everything I was feeling.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?"

Shaking my head, I snagged a paper towel. "No. I don't want you to be late to your next class. I'll be fine. A little walk in the cold air might do me some good."

She didn't look like she believed me, but she said nothing as she grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

Once she was gone, I sat on the bench that ran through the center of the room and took a few deep, calming breaths. Almost anyone could have left that note in my locker. But why? And more importantly, what did they truly know?

As I chewed on that thought, the locker room door opened and Coach Knight entered. She seemed surprised when she saw me.

"Are you okay, Selene?" Her concern seemed genuine.

"The workouts made me a little sick," I told her. "I was just about to head back to my dorm to get some rest."

Coach Knight's slate gray eyes softened. "I know the workouts are a little intense," she admitted. "But everything I do is for the benefit of my students. I'll write an email to the rest of your teachers so they know why you missed the rest of today."