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“You know how you stopped by Zack’s because you said you couldn’t get ahold of me?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“You never texted me.”
She frowned and shook her head. “Sadie, I texted you.”
“The next morning, Melanie. Not the night before.”
“I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“I just wondered why you really stopped by.”
“Are you okay, Sadie? You’re freaking me out. Why wouldn’t it be okay to stop by and check on a friend who’s just found out that someone who’s after her is now out of jail?”
I nodded. “No, no. You’re right. That’s completely normal. The right thing to do.”
“Yeah. Exactly.” Her eyes wouldn’t meet mine, and I felt a cold sweat surface as I stared at this woman who’d always seemed so familiar to me. “Seriously, I’m kind of offended.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She tapped her finger on the table. “Just eat your sandwich. I think things are just getting to you, no matter what you think.”
I took another bite and smiled at Melanie, but my mouth didn’t feel like it was cooperating. My tongue felt thick and fuzzy as it twirled around the soft mozzarella. I reached for the juice and took a sip, trying not to panic.
“What’s wrong, Sadie?” Melanie asked flatly.
Oh, no.
My gaze flashed to hers, and I tried to open my mouth to respond, but nothing happened. My mouth wouldn’t move. My lips felt like pudding, sliding down my face.
The drink slipped from my fingers, spilling on the table.
Melanie glared at me. “Tsk, tsk. Now I have more to clean up.”
“Mmm…” I tried so hard to speak. “Mmmone.”
She stood, letting out a big sigh as my body slowly slouched out of the chair. “What was that? Call 9-1-1?”
I tried nodding, but she just stood staring at me.
“No, I think I have it handled.”
A slow creep of pain slugged through my body as I stared at my friend, slowly making her way to the counter, where she grabbed a towel and drifted back to the table, where she leisurely wiped up the spilled liquid.
I tried again. “Mmm.”
Her brows sharpened as she mimicked me. “Mmm.”
My mouth wouldn’t even open as my body drifted into a lifeless state. The heaviness of my lids made keeping my eyes open painful while my tongue swelled and my arms became frozen.
Melanie started humming as she cleaned, taking my sandwich plate away, but everything sounded like I was stuck underwater. The muffled taunts from my friend made my head spin between daggers. My head pounded as it lolled from side to side and I tried to ask for help.
And then the coughing. I couldn’t stop, but it was like choking.
Every inhale turned to a spastic motion as I slithered from my seat. My arms failed to catch my convulsing body as my lungs felt engulfed in flames with every gasp of air.
As my body fell, I felt the coldness of the floor against my skin right before my head smacked the floor.
