Rivals

Three

"Again?"

I looked up to find Grace standing in front of the bathroom doorway, her hair all over the place and still wearing clothes from yesterday. Normally, it would have been easy to fool her into thinking I was there for only an hour or two.

But the fact that I didn't even notice her open the door looked bad. Blurry spots danced around my vision as a dizzy spell struck again. It only lasted a minute, maybe. I rubbed my eyes and closed my book.

"What time?" She demanded.

"I gave up on sleeping at. . . four am," I told her. "You came in at like, three-fifty."

She gave me a look, but knew it was no use arguing. "I'm surprised they found us that late, given how many people were there. TJ and I just got a sigh from Principle Crown and were dismissed, but everyone else got to endure a forty-seven-minute lecture."

All Grace did at parties—even secret parties—was stalk people. I taught her that. Though she'll steal the occasional snack or two, she just stands in the corner. TJ's in training. The principle is used to us not doing anything and knows by now just to dismiss us, but every now and then we get a lecture about how we should report if there's a secret party.

We always promise to, but never do.

"What's first for today?" I murmured, stepping out of the bathroom as Grace started getting ready.

The calendar next to the door had barely anything on it, since we hadn't gotten the schedule for the summer yet. I went over to my bed and grabbed the pamphlet off my nightstand, having to reread some things because I couldn't concentrate.

I didn't have anything for the first week, the art and planning committees getting to take a week off after organizing and getting ready for the Introductions. But then we would meet on Monday next week to go over things for the Ball that would be in June.

"Grace, you've got two minutes!" I shouted, going back to the bathroom and showing her the pamphlet.

"Oh, Gwen," she said sympathetically. "That's two hours. Because it's Tuesday?"

I looked back at the pamphlet, the numbers and letters moving around a bit. I squinted before putting the pamphlet down on the sink.

"Today's Monday. We had Introductions last night."

"No," she said, looking at me as Daisy jumped up on the counter, demanding attention. "Monday was yesterday. Today's Tuesday. Yesterday you passed out in here, so I let you sleep. But you kept waking me up with your loud complaints saying that it was too early or too late and that morning was coming too slow."

"Oh."

Grace left the bathroom and I changed into faded jeans and a gray T-shirt. I felt too tired to take a shower, so I just put my hair into a clip and went back to my bed, sitting on the edge. But Grace quickly shoved me out the door and down the long flight of stairs.

I struggled the whole way, trying to ignore the strange looks people gave us as we passed. I tripped and rolled down a couple, and TJ, who had been watching us from the bottom, unsure of what to think, helped me up.

Then they both pushed me down a hallway and to the nurse's office. Grace struggled to open the door while TJ pushed me through, still struggling. There was the guy from Ridgewell's football team sitting in a chair on the side, his wrist bandaged.

"Gwen!" The nurse said, causing the guy to look up at us. "What brings you here?"

"Nothing!" I said, clenching my teeth. But at the same time Grace said, "she would like some more sleeping pills, please. And maybe give her a sedative, I think she's been hallucinating too."

"I am fine," I said, reaching out and smacking her. "Honestly, ms. Garcia, I'm one hundred percent—" I faltered, another blurry spell catching me off guard. "I'm fine."

"What happened to the last pills I gave you?" Ms. Garcia asked.

"I built an immunity," I told her, seeing something twist into shape in the corner wall.

She shook her head and rifled through her desk drawers, where bottles of medicines and pills were kept. She handed me another bottle of pills.

"These are stronger," she said. "Take one a night. And if you build another immunity, take two. But no more than that, alright? More than that and they may put you to sleep for much longer than you would like."

I glanced at the guy who was sitting in the chair. What was his name again? Andre? Alex? I knew it was an A name.

"Mr. Thompson," Ms. Gacia said, going over to him. "Your wrist should be fine to go back to practice."

He nodded and gave her a smile as he walked out of the room, glancing at me. Grace and TJ left for breakfast, leaving me to walk back to the dormitories on my own. On the way I met "Mr. Thompson" who seemed to be waiting for me.

I tried to ignore him at first, but it was hard. He was following me pretty closely, staring at me, too. When we were halfway up the stairs to the dormitories I decided to finally speak.

"You're not supposed to be in the River Rock dormitories," I said, stopping and turning to face him. "Visiting schools don't cross over to other school's dorms."

"Well, you're the one bringing me here," he said.

"What do you want?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "You interest me."

I raised my eyebrows, unsure of what to say to that. No one had ever told me they found me interesting. Grouchy, brooding, sarcastic, annoying, sad, I'd heard all of those. But never had I heard interesting.

"So. . . what did you expect to accomplish by following me?"

His lips twitched into a crooked smirk as he took out a piece of folded paper from his pocket. "Meet me here tomorrow, alright?"

I hesitantly took the folded paper, and he retreated down the stairs. I went back up to my dorm and sat down on my bed, petting Daisy as she sauntered over to me. 

Willow tree by the lake, after dinner 

— Al 

A small smile tried to break free through my lips, but I fought it. Nope. No fluttery butterflies were allowed to take over my stomach. No silly crushes or cute feelings. Even if he was cute, and—nope.

Absolutely not. I had to have learned my lesson with Kai. Sophia Sullivan stole him, and if I had anything with anyone else, she would steal that guy too. She lived to make my life miserable.

Maybe I would meet him. Maybe I wouldn't. Probably wouldn't. But who knew. I'll decide when it comes.