Page 536 of Hell Hath No Fury
“Okay, maybe you should stay home from school,” she suggests.
“I can’t,” I tell her, forcing myself to sit up. “I’ve got a meeting about the prom, and I can’t miss it.”
“If that’s the case, come down and have something to eat. Maybe you just need a long hot shower and breakfast.”
I nod, forcing a smile. “I’ll be down soon.”
Mom leaves my room, carefully closing the door behind her. It takes me ten minutes to sit up without feeling sick, then a slow barefoot walk to the bathroom. Before I change my mind and head back to bed, I quickly turn the faucet on to start the shower.
The shower feels like heaven. Steam fills the bathroom while I stand still and allow my muscles to relax. There’s a lavender body wash I love using to help me unwind before bed. I pump some drops into my hand, then spread it all over. All of a sudden, my stomach cramps up, and the smell is off-putting.I bet this is some stupid bug I picked up at the party.
I don’t give myself any more time to procrastinate, hopping out of the shower and changing into my uniform. My hair got wet in the shower, but I can’t be bothered drying it and opt to swirl it into a messy bun to sit on top of my head.
Inside my room, I grab my things and head downstairs, desperate to eat something to stop the cramps.
Mom is standing at the counter with my father sitting across from her. They’re both dressed for work, Mom in a burgundy dress and black blazer, and my father in his usual navy suit. This time, however, I notice he’s wearing a new silver patterned tie I’ve not seen before.
“Alexa,” Dad says softly. “Your mother says you’re not feeling well?”
I take a seat, followed by a sigh. “I think I caught something from the party.”
Across from me, Mom slides some toast over with peanut butter and jelly. It’s not gourmet, but my favorite. It looks appetizing, so I take a bite.
“Kids bring home a lot of bugs,” Mom mentions, then places a hot, steaming cup of tea in front of me. “Drink this. It has Cocoa leaves and does the trick every time.”
I scrunch my nose, sniffing the contents of the cup. “What trick?”
“Just settles your stomach.”
“Hmm, okay,” I mumble, taking a small sip.
It’s not bad at all, but I only manage to drink half. As for the toast, my stomach only handles a few bites before feeling full.
“Should you rest and stay home?” Dad asks before glancing at Mom.
“I’ll be fine. There’s some stuff I need to do at school. I can’t miss it.”
“Why don’t I drop you off?” he suggests, sliding his phone into the pocket of his suit jacket. “I don’t have meetings today, so can I pick you up after school?”
“Um, okay.”
It isn’t worth the argument, so I decide to let him drive me to school.
The day drags on so much I almost fall asleep in two classes before lunch. When lunch finally comes, I see Cole in the cafeteria. The moment his eyes lay on me, they beam with delight before he runs over and hugs me tight, lifting me in the air in excitement. I don’t want to kill his buzz or ruin whatever makes him this happy, but being spun around makes my stomach queasy again.
“You will never believe what happened today!”
“What?” I rush in excitement.
“I got an email from the head coach at the University of Michigan. They want to chat with me,” he says with a grin.
I press my hands on his chest in shock. “No way! Did they email you? That means they want you!”
“I mean, it’s early days but a good sign, right?”
“It’s an excellent sign,” I exclaim. “This is your dream and your father's dream. Not to mention your grandfather's dream too. Wolverines, huh?”
Cole runs his hand through his hair with a sudden nervousness to him.
