For Nevermore Season 1

own with an annoyed face as she took a seat and began sipping the Frappuccino.
    “Sure.” Sam took his phone from his pocket, handed it to Becca, and said, “Be back in a second. I have to pee.”
    Sam’s stomach rumbled and the pain grew intense as he got up from the table and made his way as quickly as possible to the restrooms.
    Sam shoved the bathroom door open, then pushed his way into an open stall, and hunched over the toilet, waiting to puke.
    More sharp pangs twisted through his stomach.
    He was sweating, his hand on the wall, bracing himself. He hated puking, and almost never did. But with his stomach in so much pain, he would welcome the purge if it meant the pain would go away.
    He waited as minutes seemed to stretch into infinity, but nothing came forth.
    The longer he waited, the more he felt like his absence from the table would be noted, and the girls would wonder what was wrong, or if maybe he was taking the longest dump ever. And then another thought occurred to him – Becca had his phone.
    Noella’s message!
    Oh no!
    Sam wiped his brow, went to the sink to splash some water on his face, then raced out of the bathroom, hoping his churning stomach wouldn’t pick now to blow.
    His phone was sitting in the middle of the table. Vicky and Becca were in the middle of an animated conversation which they severed when Sam was a few feet away.
    Becca looked at him with a weird expression as he tried to figure out if she’d heard Noella’s message. Vicky had a similar expression on her face which Sam couldn’t figure out.
    Oh crap, she knows.
    Becca looked at him and said, “Ready to go home? I’m sick of the mall and everyone in it.”

    * * * *

CHAPTER FOUR

    6:30 p.m.

    “So, what do you want for dinner?” Josie asked as they both stared at the pantry chock full of blah.
    “I dunno,” Noella said. Nothing looked good, and she’d been thinking all day about her call to Sam and the incident in Tori’s playroom, so her appetite was absent. Her head was pounding again, though not as bad as when she’d woken up this morning.
    “Seriously, Noey, I’ll make anything. Randy’s working late, so whatever you want. I’ll make you mac ‘n’ cheese if that’s what you want. Just say the word.” Josie waved her hand over the short row of boxes. “See,” she said, “I stocked up. All for you!” Josie was beaming, as though boxes of Kraft Mac N Cheese would make everything better, like it did sometimes, back when she was nine.
    “Sorry,” Noella said. “Not trying to be picky, just feeling blah.”
    “What is it?” Josie asked.
    “I don’t wanna talk about it right now,” she said, because talking about it meant thinking about it even more, and all she wanted to do was turn on the TV and veg out until it was time to go to bed.
    Then the doorbell rang and both of them jumped, startled.
    “You expecting someone?” Josie asked.
    Noella shook her head. “No.”
    Her heart sped up.
    What if it’s Sam?
    Oh God, I don’t even know what to say.
    They approached the door slowly, Noella behind Josie, as if she might be able to turn and flee without being seen if it was Sam.
    But it wasn’t.
    It was Jen and Tori, inviting Noella, Josie, and Randy over for dinner, to thank Noella for being such a huge help, and Josie and Randy for letting her. Plus, Jen said, she wanted a chance to get to know her new neighbors.
    The invitation meant that Josie didn’t have to cook, and Noella didn’t have to decide or sit at home thinking about Sam or Dante. And the best part was that Randy wasn’t home to grouch that he didn’t want to go across the street to dinner, or make them feel bad for wanting to. Josie thanked Jen for the invite, then said they’d be over in a few minutes.

    **
    Tori screamed, “Noella!” when they stepped inside, then ran to Noella and threw her arms around her waist.
    Jen gave Josie the short tour, then led them both to the table, which was already set, complete with custom place cards drawn by Tori. Each card had a name, along with a small drawing beside it. Noella’s card had falling snow, because of her last name, Tori explained. Josie’s card had a heart, Randy’s a sheriff’s badge, Jen’s a smiley face, and Tori’s was a bar of chocolate. Tori tried calling Noella “No-Snow,” a couple of times, but Noella ignored her because she didn’t want the nickname to stick.
    “Sorry that Randy couldn’t join us,” Josie said. “He’s been pulling some awfully