Epidemic

*1*

My fingers flew across the keyboard as the music blared in my ears. I couldn't remember how long I had been sitting like this but I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen; the words just kept coming. I had started this story a couple of weeks ago and I was so proud of it that every second I got to work on it was a special moment for me. Suddenly though, I was taken out of my daze.

"Jesus!"

I instinctively swatted at whoever had touched my shoulder and I yanked my headphones off my ears, pausing my music. Billy, the one who had touched me, jumped back about a foot and held his hands up in defense, staring at me frightened.

"Damn, Lacey, didn't know you were that into it. I just needed your dinner order." He spoke with a nervous chuckle, making his way back over to his place at the desk.

I smiled and sat my laptop down on the bed in front of me, stretching my arms and popping my neck. We were in a little town- taking a break from driving to our next destination- that didn't have many places to eat for the night and the only place open was an Olive Garden down the road. Billy had the website open on his computer screen, his order already there along with everyone else's. I unfold off the bed and walk over leaning over his shoulder. I nibbled on my lip in thought but rolled my eyes at myself knowing there was no reason to ponder it. I order the same thing every time; chicken alfredo. I tell him my order and go to sit back down to look at what I had written, then come to a sudden realization.

"Billy," He looked up at me with his eyebrows raised, "how long have I been sitting here?"

He chuckled and submitted the order, coming over to sit on the bed with me. "You haven't moved basically since we got to the hotel, hun. I came in here after a couple of hours and you didn't even twitch."

I looked at him wide-eyed and looked back down at the computer. I started scrolling the screen, the long paragraphs moving down the page over and over; holy shit, how many words did I type?

I gasped a little, "seven thousand four hundred and thirty-eight words?"

Billy chuckled again and slapped my shoulder, "You weren't kidding when you said you loved that story, huh?"

I sighed and saved it a couple of times, closing the laptop. I had zoned out like that before and I didn't like it. I didn't like the feeling of losing time.

Just then, the door to the room opened up and Aaron, Jay, and Zak came in; all carrying laptops and pillows. I stayed in my place on the bed not wanting it to get taken while they all settled in, as a quiet chatter filled the room. I pulled the blankets up over my legs and watched as everyone got comfortable, pulling up information about our next investigation and discussing things that happened in the last investigation. Not really something I wanted to do.

I chewed on my lip as Zak spoke, "We have to be more careful this time with what we say right, Lacey?"

I knew he was going to direct it specifically at me. I bit my lip hard and nodded my head, dropping my gaze and picking at the nail polish on my nails.

Billy chimed in, "Dude, it was her second go at it and you know that it wasn't her fault."

Jay and Aaron nodded their heads in agreement, but Zak just kept his eyes on me. My hand instinctively moved to the spot on my shoulder where I had been grabbed and everyone seemed to hold their breath. The second I moved my hand away, the room went back to the tension it had a moment ago.

Zak's jaw twitched, "Still, I warned her not to go too far and she did."

"So, what, are you going to punish me or something?" I folded my arms across my chest and huffed a breath.