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My lips turn down. I wonder why he put it like that, but I have my answer a moment later, when the door flies open, and my sister appears, eyes blazing as she storms into the boys’ bathroom.
I cut a sharp accusing look at Mason when I turn to face them.
He holds his hands up in surrender. In one of them is his phone.
Of course he fucking texted her.
“She was gonna find out regardless.”
Izzy’s fuming gaze devours my injured face. She strides over to me, reaching for me, but I crane my head back just before she can make contact. She’s still got about a half-an-inch on me, and I hate it. Hate that I’m so small and weak.
“It’s fine,” I grit out, taking several steps to the side. Arms crossed. “You two need to chill the fuck out.”
“It’s not fine, JJ,” Izzy says through her teeth. She shakes her head. “I thought it was getting better. You said they’ve been leaving you alone.”
“They have,” I mumble, looking away.
I feel Mason watching me closely, and bite the tip of my tongue, regretting this entire fucking day. I should’ve just stayed in bed. Faked sick.
There’s a growl, then?—
“I’ll handle this.”
“What? Iz, NO!” I shout, my head shooting up. My arms fall to my sides, and I take a lunging step forward. But she’s already gone, long, wild brown hair rippling behind her the last thing I see before the door eases shut.
I rear back on my heels, slumping. “She’s just gonna make it worse,” I mumble numbly.
Turning a withering glare on Mason as he goes to follow her, all I can do is seethe, my aching jaw clenched as I try to hold back more tears that I refuse to let fall. Panic still hovers right on the edge of my awareness, and if it weren’t for my meds, I know I’d be on the floor, curled up in a ball right now.
Just another small mercy…
“Jeremy…” Mason says, shaking his head. He opens the door, gripping it under white knuckles. “It’s already worse.”
When he strides out, I follow.
In the distance, I see Izzy speed-walking for the cafeteria.
Mason jogs after her.
Leave. Just go. Now is your chance.
I know it would be the smart thing to do. Nothing I say or do is going to stop them. Stop anything. I’m powerless…
My heart rate jackknifes. Breaths quicken, becoming more uneven, more strained. Warning bells go off in my head. And there’s a neon sign flashing:
Abort. Abort. Abort.
Panic attack imminent.
Take cover.
But I’m no longer in control of my body either, it would seem. My feet carry me around the corner and into the cafeteria just in time to find Izzy stomping up to Ethan and Clay’s table. Faster than anyone can prepare for, she lifts a tray full of food, and dumps everything over their heads.
I can feel myself shaking my head, a weird ringing sound filling my ears, not unlike what I heard earlier when Ethan’s hand cracked across my face.
Slowly, it registers that people are staring. Laughing. And they’re looking at me.
