Bad Luck Katie

Quagmire

"Hey!"

Katie stirred slowly and immediately regretted it as her head pounded intensely as if struck by a sledgehammer.

"Hey!" the loud voice boomed, making Katie wince. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Wake up."

"What do you want?" asked Katie, her head pounding. Prudence leaned over her, the ceiling light reflecting off her glasses.

Katie tensed up. The image of Kyle on top of her flashed in her mind.

"I need to tell you something," the girl said, nervously biting her lip.

Katie balled up her fist and gripped the blanket tightly. "What?" she asked, her tone agitated.

The girl sat back, took a deep breath, and then exhaled.

"Last night, you reeked of alcohol," she started. "I have an alcoholic uncle. I know the smell well."

Katie opened and closed her mouth, unable to think of anything to counter the girl's allegation.

The girl adjusted her glasses.

"Look. I won't tell anyone. Just be careful. I don't want to see you get exited over it. Okay."

She enveloped Katie's hand on her own and squeezed it. "See you at breakfast."

"Okay," murmured Katie, avoiding eye contact with the girl.

The girl got up and left.

Laying back on the pillow, Katie grumbled, "Just what I need." She needed to find a solution for the Prudence problem-when her headache subsided.

The sound of a knock on the door startled Katie from her sleep.

"Room check."

Katie didn't recognize the voice.

The hinges squeaked as the door swung open.

In the doorway stood a woman dressed in the company uniform with bright red hair that reminded Katie of a circus clown.

"Are you Katie Amelie?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Katie replied.

The woman asked, "Why aren't you in school?"

"I don't feel good," Katie replied.

The woman responded, "You can't sleep in the dorm all day. You will have to attend chapel. It's mandatory for all residents. If you don't attend chapel, you'll be assigned a chore."

Katie tossed the blanket away. "Okay," she muttered.

"You have fifteen minutes until chapel starts. Don't be late," the woman said. Giving the room a once-over, she closed the door.

As Katie entered the chapel, loud praise and worship music filled the air. With five minutes to spare, she made it on time. The residents were spread out in the pews, some whispering to each other while others stared blankly. Seated by herself, Greta was noticed in the far corner. Katie took a seat beside her. The woman's eyes lit up. "Hey, sweetie," she said.

"Hi," Katie replied.

"You okay?" the woman asked.

Katie pursed her lips before replying. "Yes," she answered.

The red-headed woman Katie had encountered in the dorm earlier entered the chapel and changed the song on the playlist.

Katie experienced a sense of disquietedness. She was already familiar with this song. Mrs. Branson listened to it often, even singing along to the lyrics.