That night a fever spread through my body and by morning I could barely stand without holding the wall for support. I still forced myself to go to school because the idea of staying home alone with Tiffany terrified me more than the sickness.
When I arrived at Silver Ridge High the hallway lights seemed painfully bright and every step made my head pound. A girl named Natalie Briggs, who had been my childhood friend for years, stopped me near the lockers.
“You look really sick,” she said with concern while studying my face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” I replied quickly while closing my locker. I did not want anyone asking questions that might cause trouble later.
During history class the room began spinning slowly around me and the words on the board blurred together. My vision darkened at the edges while a wave of dizziness forced me to grip the desk.
The teacher Mr Otis Barker noticed that something was wrong and immediately sent another student to escort me to the nurse’s office. School nurse Janet Fielding took one look at my pale face and quickly checked my temperature.