Ally came out of the back room just as our food was placed on the counter. Another waitress walked to the register to ring someone up, blocking my view. I cursed as I tried to watch Ally. I didn’t want her to spit in my food or do something gross like that. By the time the waitress moved away from the cash register, Ally was already walking toward us with our food. She placed them on the table in front of us and walked away without a word.
I inspected my food closely before I finally took a bite. It seemed to be okay. I laughed at myself as I ate. I was being ridiculous. Ally was hateful, but she wouldn’t do something that could cost her a job that she desperately needed. She had a kid to support after all. I lost my appetite as I thought about her baby. I felt like a horrible person for having any bad feelings for a baby, but I couldn’t help it.
We finished our burgers, and I paid. Abby tried to fight with me, but I won. I knew it was mean of me, but I didn’t bother to leave a tip. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Ally smiled as I walked past, but I refused to acknowledge her. The sooner I get out of here, the better.
Abby was grinning from ear to ear as she drove back to the dorm. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight. It means a lot.”
“No problem. I had a lot of fun,” I told her.
Despite seeing Ally, the night had been fun. It had been so long since I’d had any girl time that I’d forgotten just how much fun it was.
“We’ll have to do it again sometime,” I said.
“That would be great!” Abby said as she pulled up to our dorm.
It wasn’t that late, but I was exhausted. I told her good night as I walked slowly to my dorm. As soon as I hit the bed, I was out.
I barely made it to the bathroom. The second I dropped down in front of the toilet, I started throwing up violently. I heaved until there was nothing left in my stomach to expel. After that, I just curled up into a ball and willed myself to die. My stomach was cramping so badly that I honestly felt like I really was dying. I’d never experienced anything like it.
I felt another wave of nausea hit me. I sat up and started dry-heaving into the toilet. I couldn’t breathe. Sweat was sliding down my face as I tried to move. I half-walked and half-crawled to the sink to wet a washcloth. My hands were shaking so bad that I could barely turn the knob. I finally managed to get the cold water turned on. I ran the cloth under the water until it was soaked, and then I ran it across my face. I wiped my mouth before tossing it in the general direction of the hamper.
I waited until I was sure that my body wouldn’t revolt again before I crawled back to my bed. My stomach was still cramping to the point that it actually hurt to breathe. I took shallow breaths as I reached for my phone. I pushed Andy’s speed dial number and prayed that he would answer.
“Emma? What’s wrong?” he asked groggily.
“I need help. Sick,” I whispered. I bit my lip to keep from crying out as my stomach started cramping again.
“I’ll be right over. Stay put,” he said before ending the call.
Like I could go anywhere right now.
I pleaded with my stomach to stop hurting as I waited for Andy to arrive. Ten minutes later, he knocked on my door. He obviously had no problem sneaking into the dorm and up to my room.
I stumbled to the door and cracked it to make sure it was Andy. As soon as I saw him, I unlocked it to let him in. I had to lean on the wall. If I hadn’t, I knew I would fall over.
“Fuck, Emma, you look horrible.”
“Thanks,” I whispered.
Andy helped me back to my bed. I cried out when my stomach started twisting again. I was going to die. I just knew it. He ran to the bathroom and returned a few seconds later with a glass of water. He helped me sit up enough to take tiny sips.
“What happened?” Andy asked.
“Woke up like this,” I managed to gasp out between cramps.
“Why don’t you try to go to sleep? Maybe it’ll go away while you’re asleep.”
Nothing short of someone knocking me out would put me to sleep while I was in this much pain, but I didn’t argue. I didn’t have the energy. Andy lay down beside me and put my head on his chest. He ran his fingers through my drenched hair and tried to keep me calm as wave after wave of nausea and cramps attacked me.
I finally passed out around dawn when the cramps started to ease. When I woke up, the clock beside the bed said four. I reached for Andy, but he wasn’t in bed. I winced as I tried to sit up to look for him. My stomach felt like I’d done a thousand crunches during the night. I’d never been this sore in my life, even during cheer camp my freshman year.
“How are you feeling?” Andy asked from the window.
“Like someone killed me—twice,” I groaned.
“That bad?” he asked.
I nodded. “That bad.”
“You seem to be better now.”
“My stomach doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall out at the moment, so I’d say I’m better.”
“You either had one nasty stomach bug or food poisoning. Either way, that was horrible.”
I sat straight up in bed despite the tenderness in my stomach. “That bitch!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ally! I went to the restaurant with Abby last night. Ally was our waitress.”
“Emma, I know you and Ally don’t like each other, but my sister wouldn’t poison you.”
“There’s no other explanation for it. Think about it!”
Andy shook his head. “I know you think the worst of her, but she wouldn’t do something like this.”
“I think she would,” I said stubbornly.
I could just feel it. Ally had done this to me.
“Look, why don’t you try to sleep some more?” Andy suggested.
“I’ve slept enough. I want to go to that diner and kill your sister.”
“Emma, stop. There’s a difference between two girls who can’t stand each other and two girls who would poison each other.”
“I’m not enough of a bitch to poison her. Obviously, she doesn’t have my morals.”
“I’m not going to fight with you,” Andy said.
I knew I was pissing him off, but I didn’t care. It was too much of a coincidence that I’d eaten where his sister worked and then had gotten food poisoning.
“I have to head to work. Is there anything you need me to get for you before I leave?”
I shook my head. “I’ll be fine.”
He seemed unsure. “Don’t be mad at me.”
“I’m not,” I said as I slowly stood up. Every muscle in my body protested. I ignored my screaming body as I walked to my dresser and pulled out clean clothes. “I’m going to shower. Go to work. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Call me if you need anything. I mean it.”
“I will.”
Andy waved as he left. I slowly made my way to the bathroom and pulled off my clothes. I knew Ally hated me, but I hadn’t realized that she hated me enough to do this. There is something seriously wrong with that girl.
Chapter Nine: Jesse
Things had been tense between Ally and me since she’d discovered Emma’s clothes in the bathroom. She tried to pretend that she wasn’t mad anymore, but I could see the resentment in her eyes every time she looked at me. I’d done nothing wrong, yet she was making me feel like I’d betrayed her. Maybe in her eyes, I had.
I had hoped that our talk would help her understand a little better where we stood. It might have helped if she hadn’t found Emma’s clothes. It seemed like Ally had completely forgotten about the conversation as she focused on being angry with me.