Cursed To Hold My Breath

School Dillema

Our school bus had pulled up as me and Haley climbed on the next morning. After we had gone home, she finally helped me with my homework last night for a few agonizing hours. The sun shone a little too bright and I squinted my eyes as the rays passed through the glass of the window.

Haley turned to me in our seat. "So do you finally understand how to work out those problems now?" She said, referring to my homework.

"To be honest, I just copied down the answers." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Emma!" Haley crossed her arms. "You can't keep leaning on me for the answers. I won't be able to help you when the mid – terms come up."

"I'll just wing it then." I said as the bus stopped and more kids got on, including Todd.

"Hey, ladies." He sat down in the seat across from ours. "Nice to know you're talking about me again." He smiled.

I rolled my eyes, then gave Haley a look she knew all too well. "Oh yes, we were just talking about how you're a total chick magnet."

"Mhmm." Haley nodded. "But sadly it's not working out for you, is it?"

"Nah." He obviously must've missed our sarcasm, classic Todd. "Girls are just too nervous to admit it, but sooner or later one of them will crack." He winked at us.

"Well then I'm afraid it'll be more than later." I laughed.

"Oh, you'll see." He said as we came to the next stop which was where Alex, Lillie and Levi were.

"That's my seat, blondie." Alex said as he stopped at the seat Todd was in. He shot him a dirty look and moved to the back as Levi sat next to him and Lillie sat behind us.

"'Sup." Alex nodded in our direction.

"Hey." I said casually, smiling a little too much. Haley poked me and I glared at her to keep her mouth shut.

"You ready for the test today?" Levi asked me, he was in my English honors class.

"There's a test!?" I exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Hey, chill out." He laughed. "It's just on the chapter we went over last week, it won't count if you missed more than five."

"Oh, thank God." I sagged back in the seat. "Jeez, don't scare me like that, I'm already flunking one of my classes and history isn't too far behind."

Levi, Haley, and I were all in advanced classes and shared almost all of them together, but Alex just shared electives with me. Even though Lillie's a grade lower than us, we still get to see each other in the walkways. Luckily, we could all sit together at lunch.

Then I realized Lillie being awfully quiet despite sitting behind us. She was usually the cheerful chatterbox in the group, aside from Haley. I turned around in my seat. "Lillie?"

"Hmm?" She glanced up at me, her blue – green eyes troubled.

"You alright? You're really quiet today." I asked.

"She told me she's got a sore throat this morning." Levi answered for her. "So she can't talk much."

I glanced at him and regarded Lillie for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay then." I sat back down in my own seat.

As Haley and the guys talked, I was silent as I stared out the window, my mind wandering to Erik and how I could ever deal with this curse before anything happens. The party, Haley...if that's really going to happen then I have to make sure I'm as far away from Haley as possible. At least she won't get hurt, but I couldn't be too sure about myself. My stomach wrenched at the thought of me ever going into a pool again, maybe I just won't go to the party. But I could never do that to Haley, I'll have to be there. I just wish that dream never happened, maybe Erik could help –