Chasing Casey

Chapter Eight

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Dedication: Naramatilda for the amazing cover! Thank you!

Recap:

It all happened so fast.

Someone stood on my back and another person kicked my head. My face smooshed into the grass and I couldn't breathe. After feeling someone's foot connect with me again, my vision began to darken.

Letting my body sag, I closed my eyes, being enveloped into darkness.

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My head was throbbing. My stomach was churning. My body was aching.

Stirring groggily, I blinked, attempting to figure out where the hell I was. It was kind of dark and I could smell something gross. Like mud. Wrinkling my nose, I let out a loud groan.

"Finally!" Marissa suddenly exclaimed, gripping my arm.

Dragging my eyes to look up at hers, I realised how worried she looked. Her auburn hair was messy, one of her braids having come loose. Her make up was smeared and the sequins she made me attach to her face were skewered and mismatched.

She was shivering uncontrollably, which made me realise, it was cold. Really cold, actually.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

Another groan left me as I slowly sat up. I was in a tent with a few beds set up.

There was another person in there. They were positioned on their side, vomiting their stomach's contents into a plastic bin beside them. My stomach lurched at the sight and I quickly looked away, before I made myself feel sicker.

"Like shit," I whined, clutching my head. "What happened?"

My vision was still not quite right. It was like my eyes couldn't focus. My heart felt heavy inside my chest and my limbs felt like they were made of lead. Collapsing back on my side, I realised it was too much effort to hold myself upright.

"Sadie," she said with concern, shaking me. "You need to stay awake."

"Why?" I complained, refusing to reopen my eyes.

"Because you probably have a concussion."

"Good."

"What?" she asked, a voice in a higher pitch than it usually was. "Stay awake!"

She began viciously poking me and I grumbled in annoyance at her persistence. Couldn't she just let me rest?

"She's awake?" a new voice asked as a body emerged into my line of sight. He squatted down eye level to me. "How's it going?"

Owen. Of course.

"Don't ask," I mumbled, snagging the water bottle from him.

I sat up again, with extreme effort, leaning heavily against the pole beside my bed. I took huge gulps of water, almost finishing the entire thing in three seconds. Marissa bit her lip, her eyes round with worry. She was cute, looking after me.

"Sorry if I'm ruining this for you guys," I muttered, feeling like a complete nuisance.

I only came because they asked me to and now I've probably ruined the whole thing for them.

Great friend I was.

"You haven't," Marissa insisted.

Owen's face wasn't quite as casual as it had been when he first walked in. He was looking at me with something I'd never seen him look at me before. Disappointment.