37. Hunter

I sit up on the lumpy dorm mattress and blink, forcing my eyes to adjust to the dark room. I don't think I drifted off to sleep for even five minutes. My body aches from tossing and turning for hours.

Note to self: add a mattress topper to my next shopping list.

My head's pounding with a severity no amount of caffeine or over-the-counter meds is going to touch.

It's gonna be such a long day.

With a cleansing breath in, I try to center myself.

The sun hasn't even started to rise, but I might as well get up. A hot shower will feel wonderful, and this early, I'm practically guaranteed an empty bathroom.

I stifle a yawn as I stretch out my arms. I don't want to wake up Louie.

We stayed up way too late talking and laughing and having the best time. I'm genuinely bummed she won't be here until spring semester. We clicked so well. If she were moving in this fall, I would have jumped on the chance to put in a request with housing.

I slip out of my sleep shorts and tank top, then throw on a robe and step into my brand-new shower shoes.

Shower caddy in hand, I slip out of the room, smiling at the thought of the guys with their own this fall.

As expected, the bathroom is completely empty. I shuffle to the first stall and turn the knob. An icy blast shoots out more intensely than I expected, forcing me to pivot out of the way.

I turn to place my shower caddy on the floor, but as soon as I stand up, a piercing pain ricochets through my temple.

"Shit," I hiss, bringing my hand to the side of my face as tears spring to my eyes and my vision fades in and out. With my free arm, I brace myself on the wall to keep from stumbling.

My head was throbbing before, but the pain is so sharp now it feels as though someone took an ice pick to my temple.

As tears stream down my face, I slump against the wall and bow my head, focusing on steadying my breathing. By the time the pain has dulled a fraction and my heart rate has leveled out, the water's warm enough for me to shuck off my robe.

I hang it up on the little hook right outside the stall, then step into the shower. Instantly, I'm surrounded by blood swirling down the drain.

With a shuddering breath, I use my fingers to search my head, weaving them through my hairline. When I pull them away, they're clean.

More droplets of blood paint the tiles beneath me crimson. For a moment, all I can do is stare, at an absolute loss.

Then it dawns on me. My period started.

Flovely.

I groan and silently pray that I've got a tampon and a pad tucked away in my bag. My flow is always so heavy during the first few days of my cycle.

My head hurts so badly I decide not to bother washing my hair. Instead, I stand under the spray, willing it to soothe me. Once the hot water turns tepid, I quickly scrub my skin clean.

Instead of feeling rejuvenated when I'm finished, the pain in my head is so intense it's creeping down my neck.

Between the lack of sleep, the splitting headache, and the piercing cramps, a sense of malaise has settled in my bones.

I slip my robe on and trudge back to the room. Louie's still asleep, so I quietly dig through my bag for the feminine supplies I need, then put my PJs back on. I pull out an oversized Lake Chapel High School sweatshirt and pull it on, too.

I fish out a few Tylenol from my purse and swallow them dry, then I curl up on the lumpy mattress and try in vain to get comfortable.

Minutes tick by.

Then a full hour disappears.

I'm going to be useless when I meet with my adviser later.

Fresh tears prick at the backs of my eyes as my frustration mounts, only making the pain worse and sending me into a panic spiral.

My phone has only been plugged in for a couple of hours, so it isn't fully charged yet, but I unplug it anyway and send a quick text to Greedy, even though he's probably still asleep.

When I watch the clock turn to five thirty a.m., I convince myself it's okay to text Levi. Work starts at seven, so he's usually up about this time.

Daisy: Are you awake?

His response is immediate.

Duke: Yes. Why are you up?

Daisy: Couldn't sleep. And then I hit my head in the shower

Duke: You hit your head? How hard?

I don't even know how to answer that.

Daisy: It hurts. But I'm just feeling sorry for myself because I'm tired.

Duke: Do you want me to come there?

Worrying at my bottom lip, I consider. Would it really help anything to have him here? If he came, he'd have to miss a day of work.

I yawn. Then I yawn again, my body finally giving up the fight as exhaustion takes hold.

Daisy: I don't know

Every inch of me aches, but I'm shutting down. Even as pain ricochets and radiates through my body, I drift off. I startle a few minutes later to find two more texts from Levi.

Duke: I'm on my way

Duke: Text me the dorm room number if you can

I type out 1022, then hit Send. It's the last thing I remember before I drift into a fitful, agitated sleep.