Forked Roads Back

75 - ARCHIE

"HEY, WHAT'S THE MATTER with you?"

Millie drops down in the seat next to me and loops her hand through my arm.

To be honest, I didn't know.

"You started today off full of beans, now you have the weight of the world back on your shoulders..."

It's true. I had been happy this morning. I'd been happier than anything, but now I just felt sick. Sick to my stomach. And hot. So, so hot.

"I'm not feeling great," I tell her, looking towards the ride I'd come off nearly an hour ago.

"Too many rollercoasters?"

I try to laugh but it hurts my stomach to laugh. "Something like that."

The truth was that I did feel sick, but I wasn't feeling sick for me, and it wasn't because of any of the rides. Something was wrong with Tessa. Just like Millie had said all those years ago, when Tessa somehow knew something was wrong with me, I now knew something was wrong with her, and she was in pain. I'd always ignored the way I felt when I got that feeling, because I didn't really understand what it was, but right now I couldn't ignore it. My stomach feels just like it did when I had it pumped, like I was about to puke any second.

"You know, you don't look good." She puts a hand on my forehead. "Jeez, you're burning up. Maybe we should go?"

I shake my head quickly. "No. No, you guys stay. But I think I will head back. I don't want to ruin your last day here."

"Well, it might not be our last day here if you're sick."

I shake my head. "Let's just cross the bridge when we come to it. Can you tell the others I've gone back?" I ask and she nods.

"Text me if you start feeling any better."

I nod. "Wait..." I stop just as I go to swing my leg back over the bench to leave the table. I need to check Tessa is okay somehow, which means getting Andy's number, given I can't message Tessa herself. "Can I see your phone for a sec?"

She frowns. "Why?"

"I just want to look at something." She clearly doesn't believe me and doesn't surrender her phone.

"Look at what?"

I didn't want to dig myself further into a lie, but it seems she wants me to.

"That photo you took the other day. If I feel better later, I thought I'd draw it."

Her expression softens, knowing that drawing did always help make me feel better.

"Random. But fine... here," she says, reluctantly handing me her phone.

She turns to look at Greg playing Hook A Duck at the arcade, so I quickly send myself the picture to cover myself, as well as Andy's number.

As I hand it back to her, she touches her fingers to my forehead again, sighing. "Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"Yes. I'm sure," I nod "You guys have fun. I really do feel rubbish." I wipe a hand over my own forehead and it comes off dripping with sweat. "Maybe the lack of sleep last night hasn't helped."

"You never were any good on no sleep," she laughs. "We'll see you later then. Text me if you need anything, okay."

I nod before walking away, and when I'm far enough away for her not to see me, I start sprinting.

I sprint to the exit, I sprint out of the gate and all the way back to Ollie's, which is thankfully only a few blocks away.

Something was wrong. I was hot. Really hot. Too hot. And not just because I'd sprinted all the way back. I felt like both my clothes and my skin was literally on fire.