On The Verge

Chapter 9- SOS

——————Maddie——————

⠀⠀The text came ten minutes before the lunch bell.

⠀⠀'SOS! Girls' washroom.' The text read, Kendall having sent it. My mind flashed back to the seventh grade pact we had made; SOS would be used in nothing less then dire emergencies.

⠀⠀"Mrs. Layton?" I asked politely, offering her a pleasant smile. "may I go to washroom?"

"Me too?" A voice asked loudly from across the room. It was Nia, evidently having gotten Kendall's SOS as well.

⠀⠀Mrs Layton raised her eyebrows skeptically before pronouncing that yes, we could go. Faking a casual saunter to avoid suspicion. Nia and I exited the classroom quickly, suppressing the urge to exchange a worried glance. The first thing we saw once safely outside the class was Chloe, emerging from a door down the hall.

⠀⠀"What do you think Kendall needs?" She asked worriedly, having caught up to Nia and I in our brisk walk in the direction of the washroom.

⠀⠀"Probably tampons." I smirked sarcastically. Chloe playfully rolled her eyes, grateful for the comic relief.

⠀⠀The washroom door soon loomed before me and I pushed its heavy entity open without hesitation, allowing my friends to pass.

"Kendall?" Nia called out cautiously. The washroom seemed to be in a tranquil state until a whimper resounded throughout the room.

⠀⠀Upon the realization that the sound originated from a bathroom stall, my feet were quick to rush across the tile floor until I was standing face to face with the stall door. Red writing was etched into the surface of the door, spelling out a chilling message. The series of words immediately had me worried for Kendall's safety, and I abruptly swung the door open, exposing my tear stricken friend.

⠀⠀Kendall was seated beside the toilet, her back against the wall, and her legs folded neatly in front of her so that her head was able to rest on her shaking knees. Sobs heaved through her terrified form.

⠀⠀"Kendall.." I whispered as I found myself on my knees beside her, my arms wrapped around her as she began to cry even harder, her breaths coming out in shallow gasps.

⠀⠀"What happened?" Chloe, who had joined us in the stall, asked in mortification.

⠀⠀"I.. I had panic attack." Kendall muttered as a fresh wave of tears raced down her cheeks like determined drivers in a street race. Between sobs, Kendall slowly managed to recite what had happened. My face paled with every passing sentence of her story.

⠀⠀"Whoever this person is, they mean business." I stated, frowning nervously.

⠀⠀Chloe looked as if she were about to cry, her bottom lip trembled as she struggled to withhold her tears. Nia offered words of comfort as I helped Kendall to her feet.

⠀⠀"Go home. Tell the nurse you're sick." I advised Kendall as the lunch bell rang.

⠀⠀We walked her down to the office, ignoring the countless stares at her tear stricken face. After Kendall was safely on her way home, faking a stomach ache, the three of us remaining ate our lunches in silence.

⠀⠀"I, uh, got this." Chloe muttered, pulling a smooth paper out from her bag. Chloe offered the paper to me, and taking it I began to read out loud; "Commit a crime and the world is made of glass" I did not need to ponder over who had sent it.

⠀⠀"Seems suitable." Nia scoffed.

⠀⠀"This is crazy." I murmured, running my hands through my hair.

⠀⠀"I didn't think anyone saw us." Chloe whispered, a look of distress sculpted into her face. It had seemed as if no one had been around. There were limited people that had even been in the vicinity...

⠀⠀"It must have been a patient," I realized suddenly. "who else would have been there to see what we did?"

⠀⠀"You're right," Nia admitted, a frown spreading across her lips like butter.

⠀⠀"It has to be someone at the Sanitarium." Chloe confirmed.

(A/N: please vote and leave a comment with who your favourite character is!😊)