I jog back to my dorm, talking to myself in my head the entire way and trying every tool in my mental health toolkit to wrangle in my anxiety, but nothing works. By the time I make it back to my dorm room, I’m drenched in a salty mixture of sweat and rain, and I’m starting to hyperventilate, chest heaving despite the abundance of air in my lungs. I stumble into my room and trip over a stray pair of Iris’s shoes.
“You’re back quick,” Iris says with her back to me, working on her laptop at her desk. “Was class let out early?”
“No, I—I—” I stammer. “I’m not feeling well.”
“Why? What’s wr—” She cuts herself off when she finally looks over her shoulder at me.
“Maeve, oh my God,” She’s next to me in an instant, wrapping me in her arms. “You’re shaking like a leaf,” she exclaims, her eyes wide with worry.
I say through chattering teeth, “I—I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Iris strips me of my backpack, coat, and shoes and wastes no time wrapping me in a blanket. Insistently, she drags me toward her bed.
As we pass her desk, she snatches up her phone and brings it to her mouth, recording an audio message. “Emmy, get over here now. It’s an emergency.”
Iris’s thumb hits send and within seconds, Emmy bounds into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“I think Maeve’s been drugged, but I’m not sure,” Iris explains before pursing her lips.
Drugged?
“Tell me everything,” Emmy demands, coming to sit next to me on the bed.
Iris catches her up to speed in a few minutes, and then I explain all of my symptoms in frightened, stuttering sentences.
“It sounds like you were dosed with a stimulant. Probably anamphetamine, if I had to guess. If you’ve never taken it before, it could definitely make you feel like this the first time around, even on a normal dose,” Emmy explains.
“No,” I say as emphatically as I can through quivering lips. “I’ve taken Adderall before. This feels similar, maybe, but bigger, scarier.”
Emmy nods at me before gazing up at Iris. Softly, she mutters, “Could be an overdose then.”
A choked sound escapes my lips unbidden. “Will I be okay?” I ask, fresh tears spouting from my eyes.
“Yeah, babe,” she says reassuringly, raising a hand to wipe away a falling tear. “It’s just scary as hell, and it’ll probably last a while.”
“How long?”
She answers with a remorseful expression on her face, “Eight to twelve hours. At least.”
“Fuck,” I curse as my body is racked by a fresh wave of tremors.
“Who could’ve done this?” Emmy asks Iris angrily.
She’s being protective of me, I realize, and if I could concentrate for a damn second, I’d melt at the sentiment.
“I don’t know, I—” Iris’s eyes widen further. “Fuck. Maeve, oh fuck! It was Remi.”
“Remi Blake?” Emmy asks, with lethal intent in her gaze. “Again?”
“Yes,” Iris confirms, speaking so fast she stumbles over her words. “He harassed Maeve again today, at the café, when he put his fucking vile, slithery ass hands on Maeve’s drink! He must have dosed it while we were arguing.”
“That’s got to be it,” Emmy says. She looks back at me, fury etched into the lines of her face. “That’s it. I’m going to beat his fucking ass.”
She stands up and tries to stride for the door, but Iris blocks her path. “Emmy, no. Think about it. We have no proof. If youattack him out of nowhere, you’ll be the one that gets in trouble, not him.”
“Iris is right,” I reason. “What’s done is done. There’s nothing to do now except get through it, which, I already know, I’m going to desperately need you both for, because I’m scared as hell right now.” More tears fall from my eyes, finding purchase in my hair.
“Oh, babe,” Emmy whispers in a pained cadence. “Okay, okay. We’re not going anywhere, I promise.”
