It was a relief that I could head home and avoid any further tension between the two of us. I was on edge the whole drive home, struggling to drive because my legs continued to shake. It felt like every nerve ending in my entire body was standing to attention. I had been so glad when no one had tried to talk to me as I left the bathroom and made my way to the car. I wasn’t convinced I would have been able to hold myself up long enough to have a conversation.
The drive had been much slower than usual, thanks in part to my trembling legs. I threw myself down on my bed just to give myself some time to recover from the experience in class. I grabbed my phone out of my bag just as it dinged at me.
Cassie: Party at Gareth’s place tomorrow night, you coming?
Esme: Who is Gareth?
Cassie: He’s
