Hush

> Chapter Twenty Two <

Paige

"Where's Bobby today, anyway?" Astrid asks me on our way to our Second Period class.
          "I think he's out sick." I say without much thought. I wasn't paying attention a whole lot today, considering I'm so excited for the draw after Lunch.
          "Oh, that's too bad." she remarks. This grabs my attention.
          "Sounds like someone's worried?" I smile.
          "I'm not, I was just wondering..." she trails off, blushing—wait, Astrid's blushing? She's never blushed. Ever.
          "Astrid has a crush!" I exclaim, stopping in the middle of the hallway.
          "No I don't!" she protests, shoving me lightly.
          "It seemed like it when you let Bobby hold your hand!" I taunt her, giggling at her reddening expression.
          "Shut up, Paige! The whole school doesn't have to know!" she scolds me in a hiss.
          We continue down the corridor.
          "I should totally get Diana set you guys up." I murmur upon entering the Math classroom. Astrid gives me a death glare as we sit in our seats.
          "Okay, today we will be continuing with integers and algebraic equations." the teacher states, writing an example on the blackboard. I groan, flipping to a blank page in my notebook. I copy down the example.
          3a+(-2)=13
          Right away, I know the answer.
          a=5
          I do hate this unit in Math, but I'm surprisingly good at it. Usually, Raine would get me to help her. But, first of all, she despises me, and second of all, she's not here. She could be sick like Bobby, I wonder. I think about what she said to me right before the Spelling Bee, and I shiver. Her eyes...
          I don't have much time to think it over because the teacher decides to swamp us with a surprise test.
          I tap my pencil on the desk, reading and rereading the first question. I just can't think straight, and it's making it difficult to comprehend the words on the page. I shake my head, sighing. I'm so...messed up today. The midnight sickness, the puzzled mind. It's just not my day.
          I wonder if Jorden is experiencing this, too? He was sick as well. It's weird, I think, that the same things are happening to both of us. It's like we're connected somehow.

<><><>

It's Fourth Period; time for the draw. I'm bouncing my legs in excitement as I wait for the announcement for everyone to go to the auditorium. Mme McCarthy sits behind her desk, reading a book. Suddenly, like the voice of God, I hear Mr. Lawrence say over the loudspeaker, "All teachers are to bring their students to the auditorium for the school-wide Spelling Bee draw."
          I shoot up from my chair, and end up the first one out the door. "Paige!" Mme McCarthy calls after me. I stop dead, and step back into the classroom.
          "Sorry." I apologize with an embarrassed smile.
          "I know you're excited, but you have to control yourself." the teacher laughs, earning a few chuckles from my classmates. Jorden catches my eye; he's trying extremely hard to hold back laughter. I stick my tongue out at him when I reach my desk.
          Everyone is standing behind their chairs now, and at Mme McCarthy's signal, we start out the door. We walk in formation through the hallway, down the stairs, and to the auditorium doors.

<><><>

I sit impatiently in the audience, guests from the different schools involved making it a louder environment than usual. They are hosting the annual draw at our school this year; it's at a different participating school every year.
          "Would our Spelling Bee winners please come on the stage?" Mr. Lawrence says into a microphone. I stand and make my way to the stage with nine other students; some from high school, some from middle school—like me—and some from elementary school.
          Once we're all assembled onstage, the principal lifts up a glass bowl full of ballots; there's two for each of us. He places it on the podium he speaks at. "Drumroll please!" he asks of the crowd. The noise of people hitting their knees and stomping their feet fills the room momentarily. Mr. Lawrence holds his hands up to stop it, and everyone goes silent.
          Mr. Lawrence reaches into the bowl, swirling the ballots around. My heart is beating fast and hard in my chest. He pulls one out and begins to unfold it.
          "The winner of the school-wide Spelling Bee draw is..."