Poison Ivy

4.

"Alright, you've been gazing off into space for the past half hour. What is going on in that head of yours?" Hannah asked, waving her hand in my face and snapping her fingers impatiently.

I set my homework down on the grass beside me, and decided that I was way too distracted to try and do it. Physics was nowhere near on my mind, and when I'm doing it I need all the focus and attention in the world, even with Hannah's help. Cheer practice got canceled again because Leslie failed to find a suitable substitute for Zabrina, so she was holding tryouts again today after school. This gave Hannah and I some time to hang out and do our homework in the courtyard, before she had to go to her science club meeting.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep last night."

"Bad dreams?" She asked. That and there were more scratches coming from outside that kept me awake.

I hesitated for a moment. "Actually...this is going to sound really weird, and I swear I'm not crazy."

"Alright." She said slowly, setting down her homework and giving me her full attention.

"I kept...I keep hearing these strange noises outside my house."

She rolled her eyes. "I told you to stop watching scary movies before you go to bed because you give yourself nightmares."

"Hannah, I'm serious!" I hissed, frustrated.

"Alright, fine." She was trying to hide a smile. "Go on."

"It sounds like it's coming from right outside my window. It sounds like something is clawing against the side of the house."

"Easy." She interrupted. "You have a huge tree blocking your window. It was probably the branches raking up against the house from the wind."

"No." I shook my head fiercely. "This is different." I paused for a second. "This clawing sounded...it sounded deliberate. It's almost sort of...taunting. I-I can't explain it, but it's not tree branches." I dismissed. "This is something else."

"I think you're over-exhausted. Your grandparents are coming into town tonight and it's stressing you out and is making you think you are hearing things."

"No, I'm not just making things up." I snapped. "Get this. I snuck into Zabrina's hospital room yesterday after school to see if she could give me any information about what happened to her. When I got there, she was acting all weird. She was mumbling something about a woman who is coming for me, and she said that a wolf with black eyes attacked her!"

Hannah gave a sarcastic laugh. "Zabrina was probably high off painkillers! She probably didn't even know what her own name was at that point."

"Han–"

"Look, T. I'm saying this because I love and care about you. Some sort of anxiety you have is influencing your mind, and you're losing sleep from it, therefore your rational thought process. Whether it's your grandparents or dad, I don't know. Maybe you should seek professional help and–"

"I cannot believe you just said that." I said, truly baffled. "Not everything has a practical reason behind it!"

"Yes, it does!" She shot back. "It's called science!" I gathered all my books together and shoved them angrily into my backpack. "Oh, come on, Tatum. Don't get mad."

I stood up and started to walk away. I then froze, and turned back around. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately...but this is not who my best friend is."

"Touché." Was her reply.

I stormed out of the courtyard without another look in her direction. I swung open the glass door, and marched down the hallway, watching my feet collide with the white tiled floors. I know I am not crazy and I don't need professional help. I can't believe she would even say something like that. She was supposed to be my best friend. I know what I heard last night outside my window, and I know that Zabrina's warning was real. Someone doesn't just make up something like that whether they are on drugs or not.