7 Chicken Heart

I wonder how the original Anais prevented herself from going insane.

Mother, Father, Older Brother, I'm scared.

I think I underestimated my situation for a second there, these past few weeks...

The hair-raising chill I feel at night that wake me from my dreams always get my heart pumping immediately. What if one day I wake up and she's standing next to my bed, watching me, then kills me?

The fact that she was Amelie dearest was something easily forgotten once I saw her face. My grief and sadness would be maximized by petrifying terror, whenever she stood there without purpose staring at me. Watching me.

This wasn't something a chicken hearted person could endure. When I watch horror movies, I could tell certain things were fake so the make up of monsters never scared me but the jump scares always got me.

Whenever Amelie was there the room felt alive, even in her absence it felt like I was being watched.

I resorted to spending less time in my room and genuinely keeping myself busy.

I had joined the culinary club, it was supervised by the school chefs and whenever there was an event these students worked as caterers instead, even though there were restaurants on this island, it seemed they intended students to be their own nation. If that made sense.

Learning how to serve and present the food made it feel like I was back at college learning a culinary arts degree. As expected of Hawthorne Academy.

Students whom's cooking or service skills were bad weren't drafted by teacher, Muffin was among them. She had joined the Service club, a separate club from the cooking that was related. They were responsible for helping us to serve food but not obligated as our club was also trained for such things. This club was often sought out by student council and disciplinary committee to help perform errands around the school for any other clubs that needed help like hench men.

These students were allowed to wear black versions of our uniforms and shades which only made this terrible nickname spread. "The Council's eyes, The council's henchmen, snitches..." I heard people go around muttering that.

There was also the Preparing and Planning committee which was manned by an elite faction of nobles who were responsible for sending out invitations as well as planning the events, decorations, though they dealt more with fundraising and social networking.

This group over time became a rival to the student council. For some reason I always saw them glaring at each other.

After giving her some tips she eventually got the hang of it and I would always see her confident back emerging from a sea of students during events every now and then.

She always slouched before but these days she stood tall, I realized she was a good chunk taller than me and the cute but weird girl I pegged her to be now seemed strong and cool.

Still, It's weird having someone so tall and strong revere you for no reason. Each and every time she loses her elegance when she sees me daily I can only smile.

But I didn't realize making myself so busy would make things worse. Because I was tired it worsened my reaction whenever I woke up. My heart would beat faster. Was more likely to panic.

In the end, I began to roam the school campus at night. That only resulted in me feeling too tired so I slept in class.

That day I dozed off underneath the gazebo during lunch time.

I ended up having a nightmare.

"no!"

Don't ask me what it was about, but I woke up in a cold sweat.

"What's the matter?"

I nearly had a heart attack.

Donald was sitting across from me, scribbling on papers. He was a part of the student council now so we didn't see each other often. Seeing him now might as well have been the same as seeing a ghost.

I held a hand over my chest and sighed.

"What are you doing here?" My annoyance was evident in my tone and I immiediately regretted it. I wasn't trying to take my feelings out on him but...

Donald adjusted his glasses at me, not seemingly hurt or offended by my irritance in the slightest- Ahhhh, I forgot. He's a kuudere.

He walked around the table and held a hand to my forehead.

"You're feverish. Just what have you been doing sleeping out here?"

"Am I?" I held a hand to my head but I felt nothing. "Whatever, just let me lie here."

I tried to lie down but he pulled me up by the arm. His gaze narrowing.

"What are you talking about? You should go to your dorm to rest!"

"I dun wanna." I flopped sideways back onto the bench where I had spread out a comforter and slept.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"There's sun out here! It's warm! But in my room its always cold." I muttered as I drifted off too sleep.

It was a careless sleepy comment. I didn't know it'd cause me even more of a headache later.