Devils Roses 01 - Cursed

gone.” I held my hand out, trying not to think about Wade potentially date raping me.
    He reached into his pocket. “I found it in the pile of vomit—well on top. It was shiny and clean but sitting at the top of the pile. I grabbed it and washed it for you. I know how important it is to you, it was your mom's right?” He passed it to me. I put it on and tried to ignore that it slid on too easily. I had clearly lost more weight.
    I blushed. “How do you know it’s important to me?”
    He shrugged. “I pay more attention than you’d imagine, Aimee.”
    I felt the heat in my face getting stronger.
    He smiled. “It’s nice to see you have color again.”
    Unsure where the conversation was going, I looked around. “Where’s Alise?”
    He blushed. “Not sure. With Blake maybe. What do you remember?”
    “ It’s a haze right now. Mostly I remember Wade.” I lay back down on the bed, feeling ready for some more sleep. His words came crashing back at me and I shot up thinking out loud. “Why is she with Blake?” My head spun.
    He looked preoccupied and lost in my question. “I think it's Blake and Alise’s job to tell you about what happened with them.”
    I frowned, wondering why he hadn’t answered me. The doctor and my dad came into the room, before I could ask more questions. I wanted the answer to my question, but my eyes got so heavy. I blinked and Shane was gone from the room, no doubt giving the doctor some space to check my vitals.
    “ So, you’re awake?” The doctor put her cold hands on my wrist to check my pulse.
    “ Barely. I think I need more sleep.”
    “ I agree, a few days maybe and you can go home. Right now though, we need to keep you for observation. You’re a very lucky girl.” Her tone was annoying.
    “ I don’t feel lucky. I went to my first party ever and was drugged. Not so lucky, I think.” I kept my eyes closed. They were too heavy to try to lift.
    My dad grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. “Well, the important thing is that you’re going to be okay.”
    I pried open my eyes. “Dad you can’t blame Alise for this. It wasn’t her fault at all. I wanted to go to the party. Or Shane, he’s a very nice guy.”
    He nodded. “I apologized to her—don’t worry. I was just so mad. I know Shane's a good guy. He's been here everyday. He sleeps and eats here. I’ve asked him, your sister, and Blake to try to help out. I want them to find out who did this to you. You kids will hear more than the adults will.”
    There it was again—Alise and Blake in the same sentence. I knew that I wouldn’t get any answers from my dad, so I closed my eyes and thought about who would want to drug Giselle. The list was endless. She was beautiful and fairly dumb. The combination would be hard to resist. I had never been friends with her. Undoubtedly, something had to have happened to make me even consider drinking, not only with her, but in general.
    The list would have to consist of who would date rape someone. In my sister's group of friends, again I felt the list was endless. She had friends who had been creepy when we had been in kindergarten. Senior year, they were serial killers waiting to strike. Then again, I was biased. They had all been mean to me on more than one occasion.
    No one from my nerd table came to mind. All of them would have the capability and intelligence needed to make a homemade date-rape drug, but none of them would have done it.
    Slowly but surely, the doctor and my dad left and I was alone to drift off to sleep again.

Chapter Two
    Friends and foes

    “ Aimee.”
    I opened my eyes but no one was there.
    I sat up, looking around. My stomach hurt. Thankfully, my pounding heart seemed to be supplying me with the energy.
    “ Aimee,” the woman called me again. I was pretty sure it was Giselle’s voice.
    I lowered my bed and stepped off gingerly, hoping I wouldn’t fall and reveal the opening in the back of the gown. Hospitals really were cruel with their open-backed gowns.
    I started to walk from the room, not noticing the IV. I made it two steps, before I felt the stab of the moving needle. I stepped back and leaned against the machine. My hand burned where the needle went into it. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to let the throbbing stop.
    I grabbed the IV machine and started my slow progression down the hall, in search of Giselle’s room. I didn’t know which room she was in, but there were only so many. My body ached and the IV machine