Chapter Nine

                                    

                                          
 Nine
                          
 “I think our sessions have been going quite well, don’t you?” Michelle asks, walking slowly beside me on the hiking trail.
                          
 “If you think so, then they must be,” I shrug, ducking under a stray branch. 
                          
 “We’re only a few weeks away from our halfway point of the summer.” She watches me closely, trying to see how I feel about that. “At that point, we do something a bit different each year in hopes to face our guests with a challenge and the tools to overcome it.”
                          
 “What is it?” I groan, leaning my head back. There’s not a cloud in the early morning blue sky.
                          
 “We send everyone back to their homes for the weekend.”
                          
 I stop in my tracks and Michelle immediately stops and turns to face me. Her hands are shoved in the pockets of her dark jeans as she stands there, looking perfectly calm as if I’m not about to throw a temper tantrum.
                          
 “Is something wrong, Gemma?”
                          
 “There is if you think I’m going to go home and allow my step-monster to lie to you in order to lock me up somewhere as far away from her as possible.”
                          
 “Now Gemma,” she says, taking a small step towards me. “We have talked about her and I promise you, anything she says isn’t going to be taken into account. We’re going to be talking to your father after the visit and he’s going to help you face an important issue while you’re with him.”
                          
 “What issue?” I ask cautiously.
                          
 “I want you to go back to the place you least want to go.”
                          
~~~
                          
 “Someone’s hungry,” Ember mutters across from the table.  Tilting my head up, I shoot her a dirty look. “What?” she says defensively. “I’m just saying that I’ve honestly never seen you actually eat before.”
                          
 “Leave her alone, Ember,” Melody says quietly, giving me a sympathetic look.
                          
 “I’m being serious! Have you-“ Ember stops midsentence to yelp from Melody kicking her under the wooden table of the Mess Hall.
                          
 “I kind of agree,” Scarlett shrugs, and I suddenly regret saving her ass. “Why don’t you ever eat? You’re not anorexic, are you?”
                          
 I feel fear start to creep its way up my spine as all three girls stare at me, waiting for some kind of response. I roll my eyes, playing it off as if they’re being ridiculous.
                          
 “Of course not.” I take a piece of French bread and dip it in my untouched pasta sauce. They all watch me closely as I plop it in my mouth and make a big deal of eating it.
                          
 “You call that dinner?” Ember gives me a look after I’ve swallowed.
                          
 “I’m not that hungry, I think I’m sick,” I explain, playing it off as if I don’t feel well. Which, in all honesty, I guess I don’t. All I can think about is going back to that place and reliving the scene for real, rather than in my dreams. How is recreating my worst nightmare going to help me?
                          
 “Are you still going to go see Danny?” Melody asks.
                          
 I had completely forgotten about seeing him tonight. When Ember asked me to go and spy on Doreen after dinner, I had told them about my plans, though I’m more interested in this spy business. Apparently, rumours are going around that Doreen has something going on behind closed doors with Michael, and Ember wants to get to the bottom of it. Gross.
                          
 “I don’t know,” I reply truthfully. As much as I want to see Danny, I’m too consumed by fear and anxiety about the upcoming trip back home to even try to have fun.