VERA The time was 6.07 in the morning.Somehow, the led light clock seemed cheerier. As did the paint on the walls. And even the small vase of flowers I kept on the bedside table.Everything suddenly seemed infinitely more cheerful and beautiful now I was out of the hospital. The dreary place, with their full white walls and sterile air and smell of antiseptics and antibiotics could have made me lose all hope in life if I stayed there another day.I have had my share of hospitals when Josh was battling his leukemia, and I don't want to ever be in one again.Even the prospect of going to collect my test results for the poison later tomorrow made my stomach lurch, but I put the thought out of my mind and concentrated on getting through the day.Which of course, always starts with checking my phone to catch the latest gist in town.A slight panic overtook me when I didn't see it on my bed. I usually leave my phone on my bed when I sleep because I always fall asleep either reading or wat

VERAThe teacher didn't stop me as I left. I wasn't the only one leaving anyway. I wandered around for some time, wondering what to do now.None of the clubs I belonged to has meetings during normal school periods.Just as I was contemplating returning to class, my phone buzzed. We are not allowed to use our phones during classes, but I had grabbed mine along when I left the class.I looked at it. The notification was from a reminder I had set earlier. It showed only one word.Drugs.I checked the time. Some minutes past nine. Wow. I have been walking around for a little over one hour. The next period was in ten minutes, just enough for me to dash over to the clinic and take my medication.I took a turn around and increased my pace. The next period was History Studies. Only a fool would be late to Prof. McCallan's class.Soon, I was in the clinic. The nurse was preoccupied with some eleventh graders that had wo

VERAThe bell for dismissal rang just when I thought I would drop dead with boredom. None of the subjects we had today were among my favorites at all.Usually, physics is my one saving grace on Wednesdays, but the teacher was sick and we had another subject instead.I packed up my books and pen and stood. Beside me, Rachel yawned widely and pumped her fist in the air. Alex looked like he was sincerely regretting the dismissal though.Jeez!How do these guys do it? Almost as if summoned, Ezekiel and Josh surfaced at my locker.Wondering if these two are going to hit on me too, I tensed. But I had no need for worry, as it was Alex they sought.By the time I was out of my seat, the three were already neck in deep in discussion about the just concluded topic.O boy, Alex had only been here two days and he's already linked up with the class monsters? Who showed him the two savants we had in the class?Do thes

VERAThe lip gloss slipped from my palms and shattered on the floor. The thick oily liquid flowed out and gradually made its way to the space below my dressing drawer.Taking a deep breath, I tamped down the frustration in my chest and picked the nail polish.After it slipped dangerously and nearly fell, I dropped it back on the drawer. I wiped my sweaty palms on my clothes, the wiped sweat off my brow.I was super nervous.Now that Nathan had lifted his ban on my social life, it was finally time to live out all those scenes I had played out in my head. I could give myself the life I always had in my imagination.But it started with Michael's party this evening.Rubbing my palms on my dress once again, I picked the nail polish. But it seemed my sweat pores took some booze, because even that slipped and fell too.Looking at the pieces of the glass case on the floor, I finally could not hold it in and let out my frustration in a groan.I grabbed my hair and pulled.Taking a deep breath,

VERAI quickly glanced away, looking down at the floor. But even though I wasn't looking at him directly now, I could feel his eyes burning into me.My breath caught as I remembered all the time he's gone in full big bro mode. It never ended pleasantly for whatever boy I happened to be around then.Not wanting to put Alex in trouble, I quickly lifted my head off his shoulders. He put out a hand to stop me, but my pleading eyes made him retract.He sighed."Who's that?" he whispered. "He looks familiar, and everyone is suddenly silent,"Almost as if on cue, hushed whispers erupted all around me in the room. However, it was that of the two guys behind me caught my attention."Damn! I told Michael this was a mistake," a guy's voice said. He was whispering, of course.I tried to place the voice to a face among my classmates, but it was so low I couldn't recognize it."What was?" his friend responded. He too,