⁴𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐃, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

003-get your head in the game

CARLA TOOK ANOTHER ADVIL AT LUNCH.

The bell taking her from fourth period to lunch was practically the Wheeler's saving grace. Despite promising herself she would, she hadn't ended up taking an Advil after the pep rally, instead assuming she could wait it out. 

Well, she couldn't. The dull throbbing turned into an intense pounding until all she could think about was the aching in her skull. And, while they'd been happening for long enough to where Carla had grown slightly used to the feeling, it didn't mean it wasn't wearing her down.

Sitting through classes with a constant interruption in her head wasn't her favorite thing to do.

So, when the bell rang for lunch, Carla barely waited for Robin before heading towards her locker, the Buckley having no choice but to follow. Students flooded the halls—the lunch bell was a feeling of relief for many—the Wheeler navigating past clumps fleeing out doors to reach her locker.

"You're in a rush." Robin notices, coming to a halt as the Wheeler comes in front of her locker. She watches as Carla twists the lock faster than the Buckley can even process before whipping open her locker. Sarcastically, the blonde comments, "Meeting Steve in the bathroom before lunch? Because after that wonderful conversation in the car, I wouldn't be surprised."

She wishes.

 Shooting Robin a wry smile as she grabbed the Advil from the top shelf of her locker, Carla dryly replies, "Very funny, Robin."

"I'm just being honest. You guys are weird." the Buckley shrugs, watching as the Wheeler girl poured two Advil in her palm—she'd watched Carla do this for the past two weeks, and she was growing a little curious on why the girl as spending her afternoons taking pain relievers. "No, but seriously. What's up?"

"Headaches." Carla casually replied.  Just like she'd stopped telling Steve, the Wheeler also hadn't been telling Robin about anything—she hadn't really been telling anyone about anything. 

She trusted them, but a headache was nothing to worry anyone over, especially when the Wheeler was handling it herself. All she needed was a bottle of Advil and she was fine. 

Robin furrows her brows, "Headaches?"

"Yeah. I've gotten headaches every day for a little while now." Carla doesn't need to go into detail, briefly explaining so the Buckley didn't get on her about it. "Some of them hurt like hell, so I take Advil, as you can see." 

Carla placed the two pills into her mouth, not even hesitating before dry swallowing.

"Every day?" Robin raises a brow before suggesting, "Maybe you should tell someone. Like Steve."

Carla replies, "I told Steve."

"Told ?"

"I stopped telling him, a week or so ago." Carla doesn't remember when she stopped, but after many days of headaches and complaining to the Harrington, she stopped seeing a point in it. Why bother him with her problems when she could take an Advil and fix it for a few hours by herself? 

"Correct me if I'm wrong because I'm a know-nothing about relationships, but isn't the main point to tell the truth to the other person?" Robin leans her head against the locker beside Carla's, making eye contact with the girl. 

"I mean, yeah, but—"

Mike Wheeler interrupts the conversation.

Rushing up to his sister, looking rather panicked, Mike lets out an exclaim, "There you are! Holy shit, I just walked around the whole school looking for you."