The wrong message

Elyra’s POV

I looked at the photo on my phone, trying to make sense of what I saw.

There was a small bottle of pills resting on what seemed like a table, and the name of the pills was visible on the label.

“Go to a pharmacy, get this and bring it to the rink.”

I frowned.

Kaelen.

I looked at the message for a few more seconds, pondering whether it really was meant for me. Given all that Kaelen had done since we were kids, asking for something from me was the last thing I would expect from him. We never communicated with each other unless it was an argument, and even then, he always made sure to remind me how much he despised my mother.

He must’ve texted me by mistake.

That was the only logical reason why this happened.

But I still took another look at the picture. In case he really needed it, it could have been dangerous to disregard him. Plus, I had just received a call from my mother about the possibility of the same curse being inflicted on Kaelen as well as on my stepfather, so it wasn’t possible to pretend not to care about it anymore.

I sighed and picked up my bag.

“Okay,” I muttered to myself. “I’ll do it.”

I went to the nearest pharmacy, gave the photo to the pharmacist, got the confirmation about the drug and bought it. Then, placing the little bag into my backpack carefully, I headed to the rink.

And even by the time I got there, I regretted that I did it.

Kaelen was nowhere to be found.

I glanced around the almost deserted entrance and then decided to call him.

“What?” His tone was icy.

“Where are you? I'm at the rink.”

There was a short silence.

"Why?"

I frowned, “Because you told me to go and get your medication.”

"I didn't say anything," he said firmly.

I took the phone from my ear and looked at its reopened the message to make sure I was not trippin."You sent me a picture."

"I didn't." Was his sharp response.

"Kaelen, I have the text here, like literally!"

"I don't care what you have, I didn't send it. Are we done?" He hissed.

I gritted my teeth. "Look, I already purchased the medicine, so there is no point in throwing my money away. Pick it up."

"Throw it away, Elyra! I'm busy; stop calling me," he snapped, not making any effort to hide his annoyance.

I snorted. "No."

"Then keep it."

“I don’t need your medication,” I retorted.

I rubbed my forehead, trying not to get angry. “Do you have to come over here and take your medication? I am not in the mood for discussing anything with you.”

There was silence on the other side of the line.

“Just stand there. I will come.”

The call ended.

I could not believe what I was hearing.

“So polite,” I muttered.

I took a seat on a bench near the rink and started waiting.

Initially, I did not mind. I kept on checking my phone, reading some messages, watching students walk by. The longer I waited, the more annoyed I got.

That was when the sky grew dark.

I looked up when the first raindrop fell into my hand.

“Come on!”

The rain soon got heavy.

But then it was too late to enter because the rink’s entry door was closed, and there were no places near the entrance that I could go to without leaving the drug in the car. I stood still and wrapped my coat closer to myself.

After twenty minutes.

Thirty minutes.

I had already had cold fingers when lights started to appear on the horizon.

A black approached the rink, and Kaelen got out of the car.

Silent, he approached me.

I stood up and handed over the pharmacy bag. “Here.”

He accepted it without a single word.

“Okay,” he said without even glancing at me.

I looked at him.

It is all?

I went to the pharmacy, spent my money, waited for him in the rain, and he could not even pretend to be grateful for that?

“You’re welcome,” I said dully.

He turned to go away.

“Kaelen.” I called his name.

He did not turn around.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

He turned around, taking his sweet time. “What?”

“I was asking if you were alright,” I told him again.

“Everything’s fine.” His tone was low.

“You don’t seem fine.” Immediately I wished I hadn’t said that.

He turned around again to confront me. I saw that there was an angry expression on his face. “Mind your own business, Elyra.”

“I was just trying to ask you something.”

“And I’ve replied.” He walked to his car. “Now stop messing around and get yourself back home before you turn the place to a Red Sea.”

I watched him get into his car in the rain and drive off. I didn’t know why he used the words ‘Red Sea’.

My rage built up so much that there was nothing left for me but to laugh.

“Unbelievable.”

I grabbed my bag and began walking back to my dorms. By the time I reached the academy, I was drenched from the rain. All my clothes were wet along with my hair. My hands were freezing and my feet were getting cold too.

I entered my room and started shivering right away.

“Fantastic,” I grumbled.

I placed my bag by the side of the bed and stretched for a towel. Before I could move another inch, I realized that there was a large clot of blood coming out of my vagina.

I stopped.

I looked down.

Blood.

“Oh no. You’ve got to be kidding me.” I said to myself. Now I understood what Red Sea meant.

I shut my eyes and breathed deeply. There I had to stand in the rain, wait for the most rude person in the world to come and then realize that my period has just started while being in that rain.

I gathered all I needed and rushed into the bathroom to get cleaned up. After wearing some other clothes, I lay on my bed, pulling the covers over me.

My whole body was freezing cold.

I was tired, frustrated, and done with the whole day.

Before I could get comfortable, the door swung open.

I glanced up.

One of my best friends on the ice crew came in.

Normally, she would come in smiling, or right away start telling me something she saw happen in practice. But this wasn’t one of those times.

Closing the door behind her, she gave me a serious look.

I sat up.

"What's going on?"

She didn’t say anything.

She just walked over and sat down beside me on the bed.

Her serious look gave me butterflies in my stomach.

"What?" I asked.

She drew a deep breath and looked into my eyes.

"We need to talk…"

I waited.

In a lower tone, she said,

"…about your stepbrother."