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The truth... It’s there on the tip of my tongue, begging to be set free, only when I open my mouth, it’s not words that come out.

“Shit.” I throw myself upright, managing to snag the plastic trash can next to my desk before the contents of my stomach start spewing out.

“What the...” Maisie jumps up like she’s afraid I might get vomit on her.

“Char, are you okay?” Lyric touches my back, but another round of retching makes it impossible to answer her. “Has she been sick?”

I can only assume she’s asking Maisie.

“Not that I’m aware of.” Her answer comes seconds later.

I continue to throw up until my stomach is empty and my head is pounding from the strain. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and straighten, looking at Lyric, who’s still nextto me, then at Mais, who’s standing above me, a bottle of water extended in my direction.

“Are you okay?” Lyric asks again.

“I... I think so.” My throat feels like I’ve swallowed battery acid. I take the bottle of water from Maisie. As desperate as I feel for a drink, I’m too afraid to put anything else in my stomach until I’m certain it’s not going to come back up.

“Have you been feeling sick at all before just now?” I realize Lyric’s hand is still on my back, rubbing gently.

“I’ve felt a little sick to my stomach since the pizza,” I admit, though something deep down tells me it’s not the pizza that made me sick, but my guilt.

“Is there anything I can get you?”

“No.” I push the trash can away before slowly rising to my feet. “I just...” My stomach rolls again. “I’m gonna go rinse this out and brush my teeth,” I tell them, snagging the trashcan off the floor before making a beeline for the hallway where the bathroom sits.

It takes me a few minutes, but eventually, I feel well enough to head back into the bedroom. When I reenter, Maisie and Lyric are cleaning up, both turning toward me as I enter.

“Any better?” It’s Lyric who asks.

“Much.” I let out a slow breath. “Guess the pizza didn’t sit right for whatever reason.”

“That happened to me one time when I ate sushi,” Maisie interjects. “Haven’t been able to eat it since. Every time I even think about it, I feel like I’m going to hurl.”

“Well, I hope that’s not the case here because I love pizza.” I pout. “Sorry to put a damper on the evening.”

“You didn’t.” Lyric crosses the small space, coming to a stop directly in front of me. “Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, really sure?” The way she looks at me instantly puts me on edge.

“Yeah. Why?” I try to keep the defensiveness from my voice, but a small sliver slips through anyway. What is she asking me... Really? Does she suspect I’ve been hiding something? Fear snakes up my back, coiling tightly around my spine.

“You just... You seem a little... Not yourself. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I am.” I manage a softer tone this time around.

“Okay, well, if you ever need anything, like to talk or whatever, you know you can call me, right?”

“Of course I do.”

“I know I’m preoccupied with Kai, but that doesn’t mean I’m not here if you need me.”

I realize this is more about her guilt than my own. She’s afraid she’s being a bad friend. She has no idea what a bad friend is. It’s something I’m becoming well versed in, as ashamed as I am for it.

“Lyric. I know,” I reassure her more forcefully. “And I promise, I’m fine. I mean, other than I just threw up all my insides and am already somehow failing Calculus, which is kinda stressing me out.”

“You’re failing Calc?” Maisie injects from the other side of the room. “Why didn’t you say anything? You know I’m incredible with math. I could have helped you.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. You’re so busy with soccer, and you have your own classes to worry about.”

Maisie is the busiest person I know. She’s on an athletic scholarship, so she has to maintain good grades on top of practice, which she has nearly every day, and when she’s not practicing, she usually has games.Andsomehow, she still never misses a social engagement. She’s like a freaking machine.