Chapter 1 – What's wrong with me?

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. BZZT. BZZT. BZZ…

An angry fist slammed the buzzing alarm clock as 17–year old Samantha Manson rolled over. She sighed, smiling sleepily as she remembered the previous night's dream.

'Those eyes…'

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a wave of nausea swept over her body. She leapt out of bed, only just arriving in the bathroom before the previous night's dinner came up to meet her. Just the sight of it forced the next wave, until she was sure her stomach was completely empty.

'Whoa… that was weird.'

"Samantha! Breakfast is served!"

Sam groaned as she heard her mother's too cheerful voice wafting up the stairs. As she attempted to wash out her mouth, another voice came from the dining room.

"Sammykins! Your food is getting cold."

Sam's stomach flipped at her father's mention of food. She swallowed, praying that the nausea that threatened her would pass. Still in her pyjamas, she quickly walked towards the dining room.

'Here's the plan – get in and out of there fast, before my parents can start interrogating me. Or worse, before I feel sick again.'

"Samantha, why aren't you dressed? You'll be late for school." Her mother's cheery voice interrupted her thoughts.

Sam glared at her mother fiercely, praying that it would end there. She glanced at the food as stopped in her tracks. It was coming back. Quickly spinning around, she ran for the bathroom, ignoring her parents protests. She quickly discovered that her earlier assumptions were wrong.

She jumped into the shower as her parents knocked on the door. Turning the water on full blast, she stood there, letting the water wash over her.

"Samantha, why don't you wear that pretty dress I…"

"I can't hear you, Mother!" Sam yelled over the sound of the water.

She knew what was coming next. Her mother wanted her to wear that ridiculous pink dress that she had bought her that weekend. She hated pink. As Casper High's resident Goth girl, she couldn't stand the colour. She stepped out of the shower, quickly dressing into her usual gothic garb, her combat boots the finishing touch.

She walked out the door to discover her mother had given up, only to realise the time. George was about to arrive! She smiled as she thought of her handsome senior boyfriend. The sound of the doorbell shook her out of her daze, as she grabbed her bag. She ran for the door, ignoring her parents protests.

"Let's go, George." Sam quickly kissed the cheek of the boy standing on her doorstep. Smiling, he handed her a helmet and she strapped it on, taking her place behind him on the flashy black motorcycle. They roared away before Sam's father could stop them.

They had just pulled into the student parking lot at Casper High when her stomach began to churn again. Sam dismissed it, assuming it would go away, as she walked towards the school. George caught her hand as they walked up the stairs into the main building. The bell rang as she opened her locker door.

"See you after class, George." She called as she attempted to sneak into her first period English class.

"Nice to see you've decided to join us, Miss Manson."

She cringed, turning towards her English teacher, Mr Lancer.

"Sorry, sir." She mumbled.

"You seem to be making a habit of it – this is the third time this week." Lancer frowned, "You know what that means, don't you, Miss Manson?"

She stared at the ground hopelessly.

"If it happens again – detention after school. Now take your seat, Miss Manson."

She groaned, sinking into the chair next to her best friend Danny. He looked at her, puzzled, as she buried her face in her hands.

"Hey Sam." He smiled at her, a concerned look in his icy blue eyes.

"Hey." She mumbled.

"Are you okay?"

She was about to tell him that she was fine, when the waves of nausea washed over her.

"Mr Lancer…" she said weakly. "Can I go to the bathroom?"

"Wuthering Heights, is it that necessary…" The teacher paused, noticing the pale shade of green Sam's face had suddenly turned.

"Go." He said as she rushed for the door.

She leant against the stall door, groaning from the after effects of once again throwing up into the toilet bowl.

'What is wrong with me? I hope I haven't gotten the flu or anything like that. I hate being sick…'

She paused, when it occurred to her that her period was late. She dismissed it quickly, assuming it was nothing. Seeing that the nausea had passed, she exited the stall, knowing she couldn't go back to class now. Danny would start interrogating her, asking her what was wrong. Those blue eyes of his could see right through her. She headed for the door anyway. Danny would find her whether she went back to class or not. She needed to find out what homework she had been set anyway.

Danny was worried. Sam hadn't come back from the bathroom yet, and the lesson was almost finished. Lancer was about to announce the night's homework when Sam walked through the door. She quickly sat down in the chair next to him.

"Sam?" he whispered, as Lancer began to talk about that night's homework.

She slowly turned towards him. Her skin was pale and her eyes dull.

"Are you okay?"

She stared at him for a moment, then slowly shook her head. He grasped her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She would tell him when she was ready.

Luckily, the day went by quickly and without further problems. Danny hadn't pestered her about her sudden departure from English class that morning. She waved goodbye to her friends, smiling when she saw George waiting outside for her. Seeing George's smiling face, she decided not to mention the events from earlier that day. She didn't want him to worry. As she got onto the bike behind him, her smile disappeared, remembering the looks Danny had been giving her all day.

'Typical Danny, always worrying about me, yet always so clueless. Maybe I should call him later.'

She cut off the thought with a shake of her head.

'If Danny is that worried, he would call me, right? I need to stop thinking about Danny – I have a boyfriend now. He seemed so worried though…'

Sam snuck in the front door, hoping to make it to the solitude of her room before her mother realised she was home. She had made it halfway up the stairs when she was caught.

"Samantha! Why are you home so late? Where have you been?"

Sam groaned. She knew what was coming.

"Nowhere." Sam replied quickly, knowing it wouldn't end there.

"You've been out with that Daniel boy, haven't you?" Her mother accused.

"No, mother, I haven't." Sam snapped, "Now let me go do my homework."

Sam ran to her room before her mother could follow her. Collapsing on her bed, she contemplated running away, but knew it was useless. She didn't move until the persistent ringing of her cell phone forced her to move.

"Hey Tucker." She smiled as she answered the familiar number. "What's up?"

"Are you okay? You didn't look too good today in English." The African-American boy asked, the genuine concern obvious in his voice.

"I'm fine, Tuck." She responded immediately.

"Uh-huh?" Sam could hear the disbelief in his voice.

"Really, I am." She replied. "Something mustn't have agreed with my stomach this morning. Is that the only reason you rung?"

"Well, I figured you might want the English homework, since you and Danny clearly weren't paying very much attention…" He snickered quietly, knowing that Sam would be fuming.

"Well…" Sam forced out through gritted teeth.

"You have to read the next two chapters of the book, write a page summary for each."

"Fine. Is that all?" Her jaw was beginning to ache from clenching it.

"Yep. See you tomorrow." He was far too cheerful.

"Bye."

Putting away her phone, she turned to her homework assignments. She had hardly begun when she felt the temperature drop.

"I'm fine, Danny, really. You didn't need to come and check on me." She didn't need to turn around to know who was there.

"I didn't say a thing!"

She turned to see Danny materialise next to the window.

"Well?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, okay. I was worried." He raised his hands in surrender. "Can't a guy be worried about his best friend sometimes?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "What's that?" She asked, gesturing to the Nasty Burger bag she had just noticed in his hand.

"Veggie burger." He replied simply. "I thought you might be hungry since you didn't eat lunch today."

As soon as Danny mentioned lunch, Sam felt her stomach begin to churn. Her eyes widened as the waves of nausea swept over her again.

"I gotta go." Sam ran out of the room, one hand covering her mouth.

"Sam?!" Danny quickly transformed, then dashed off after her.

He made it to the bathroom door after her, only to hear her throwing up into the toilet. After discovering that the door was locked, he phased through the wall to find her bent over the toilet, shaking. Crouching down next to her, he began to rub her back.

"Sam?"

Spitting out what was left in her mouth, Sam turned to Danny with wide eyes.

"What's wrong with me, Danny?"