The door clicks closed and the voices vanish. Only the Click-Click of high heels still carries, rapidly receding.
Click-ClickSitting in my cubical, alone, my heart bangs and my throat is dry.
Calm down…
Just calm down…
Sticks and stones can break my bones…
Deep breath…
And another…
The jabbering under my ribs slows…
With a squeak, the outer door opens again, the hum of distant voices echoing in, topped by the fake jollity of the compère. My chest tightens.
Footsteps clip in. “Beth?”
“Grace?”
The footsteps clip again, closer now. “Where are you, girl?”
My cheeks hot, a bit sheepishly, I open my cubical, step out. “I… needed some air.”
Her cheeks suck in. Her head cants. “Yes, I saw the Toxic Trio coming out. What did they say?”
“It was…” The words snarl on my lips. “Why does I
