Snakes in my hair? It’s more likely than you think. - Chapter 8：Stay With Me

That burst of anger drains her more than it should have. Instead of going back to class, Juno sneaks into an empty class room and almost collapses.

She’s so tired. How much longer can she keep this up?

Not a moment later, her phone vibrates in her pocket. Again. Actually, it’s been vibrating for a while now but she’s been ignoring it.

She has a few messages.

[7:02 am: Hey guys I talked to coach this morning and she told me that practice is cancelled and to let y’all know. Apparently, they’re fixing up the barrier and don’t want us outside for too long.]

[7:03 am: Yes! I mean tragic…????]

[7:03 am: FREE US! FREE US! FREE US!!!!]

[7:07 am: Thank Gods I need to catch some ????]

One less thing to worry about.

What’s more concerning is the next message.

[8:56 am: Sorry I couldn’t answer last night, Juno. I got home from work late. Anyways, I dont know where she is right now. Mila probably forgot to tell you but I moved out almost 2 months ago. Last time I talked to her was awhile ago, she told me she was doing fine and even got a new roommate. I’m sure she’s just busy rn and that’s why she’s not answering you.]

Juno forgot but yesterday she got desperate and actually reached out to Mila’s roommate. She didn’t actually think she would get a response.

[11:56: Thanks for responding Cassandra. It’s just that I’ve been worried since she’s been acting weird and ignoring me… She never does that and I just want to make sure she’s okay? If it’s not too much trouble do you know who her new roommate is? And if I can contact her? Thanks again and I’m sorry for bothering you.]

She has to retype that so many times because she can’t stop shaking. What the hell? Mila never mentioned a new roommate? Sure she doesn’t tell her /everything/ but this something she would complain about. So why?

Unfortunately, Cassandra doesn’t reply back soon enough.

As time passes, she starts feeling sicker than before. This sickness is something else, something worse, it’s that feeling that something is horribly wrong and it won’t get better but Juno doesn’t want to come to terms with it.

It seems like the medicine was useless after all.

She tries to calm herself and steady her breathing.

But it’s not working.

//What am I supposed to be doing?//

Her phone vibrates again.

That slightly brings her back to her reality. It’s a message from Eve.

She ignores it.

Juno gets up from the ground, gathers her belongings and leaves the empty classroom.

–

It seems that she didn’t notice the bell ring because the halls are full of students. Ah. That means that it’s lunch time, maybe eating something will help her feel better. Maybe.

Juno is so lost in her own thoughts that she accidentally bumps into a girl. An apology is at the tip of her tongue but before she can say anything, Junos gets hit with a coughing fit. The girl who was annoyed at first looks extremely concerned.

“Hey are you okay? Don’t worry about it!”

But Juno can’t hear her. She can’t hear anything over her own coughing.

“Someone get some help!!”

It hurts. It’s suffocating.

“Kylie! Thank the gods you’re here! It looks like she can’t breathe!!! What do we do?!!”

A crowd has formed but Juno doesn’t notice. How can she? When it looks like she is in immense pain. She is stuck in her own little world, a world full of pain.

“Stay with me!”

She doesn’t hear that.

That’s the only thing she hears.

Besides the fire that consumes her body and mind, she feels a pair of strong, cold, arms hold her before she finally loses consciousness.