Page 111 of Hide And Seek

“Yes. Really.”

Sutton stepped closer, lip curling. “Do you honestly think the rest of us haven’t noticed you two sneaking off together every five seconds? Or constantly whispering to each other?”

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “What are you implying?”

“Maybe you two are behind all this.” Sutton’s brows rose. “Hiding in plain sight.”

A few people shifted uncomfortably.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jasmine said, voice laced with exasperation. “Not this shit again.”

“Why can’t you just tell us?” Sutton narrowed her eyes. “Why are you constantly sneaking off together?”

“Fine. If you really must know the big bad secret, here it is,” Jasmine snapped. “I got my period recently, and whenever I have that, I get a lovely case of the period shits. I’m sure at least half the girls here know exactly what I mean by that.”

A couple of girls nodded, grimacing.

“So, yeah, you’re right. I’m constantly sneaking off… to thetoilet,” Jasmine continued. “Alissa comes with me because I’m not an idiot who wants to wander around alone. And if you’re wondering why I’m not just using the staff bathroom in here,it’s because I don’t want to blow it up for everyone else. Clear enough for you?”

Jesse lifted a hand. “She did mention… digestive issues yesterday.”

Wren, Tamsin, and Simon all nodded as he spoke.

Maren lifted a hand. “It’s true,” she said. “Grace and I went to the bathroom with her yesterday, and we ended up being stuck in there for twenty minutes.”

Jasmine tilted her head, venomous gaze still focused on Sutton. “Should I pull down my pants and show you the murder scene in them?” she asked. “Or should we get back to focusing on theactualmurder scene all around us?”

Sutton glowered at her. “Whatever,” she muttered.

Silence fell over the hall again, but it wasn’t the same as before. It felt thinner now. More fragile. Like one more push would crack it completely.

A small sound suddenly broke through it. At first, I thought it was someone laughing under their breath at Jasmine’s final dig at Sutton. Then I realized it was Grace. She was sitting in the same place she’d been earlier, and her shoulders were shaking like crazy.

“Oh my god,” she muttered, the words barely holding together.

“What’s wrong, Grace?” Sutton asked, moving closer.

“What’s wrong? What’s fuckingwrong?” Grace’s head lifted, eyes wide and glassy. “Are you serious?”

Sutton let out an irritated sigh. “I just meant what’s wrong with you right now? Do you need something to drink? Eat?”

“You’re so fucking delusional,” Grace said, a strange, breathless edge creeping into her voice. “You’re all talking about food and plans and bathroom habits like any of this matters.”

“Grace,” Maren said quietly, stepping closer. “Hey. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Grace snapped, her voice jumping an octave. She surged to her feet so suddenly it made both Maren and Sutton flinch. “It’s not okay! None of this is okay!”

“God, not this again,” Jasmine muttered beside me. “How many mental breakdowns can one girl possibly have?”

“Don’t you see? None of us are getting out of here alive!” Grace said, words tumbling out faster now. “He’s blocked everything. Every single way out. And he’s picking us off one by one while we sit here and talk about fuckingperiods!”

Sutton lifted a palm. “You really need to calm down.”

Grace shook her head again. “I can’t do this anymore!” she cried. “I can’t just sit here and wait for my turn!”

Her voice broke then, splintering into something raw.

“I’m done,” she said, backing away from everyone. “I’m done waiting. I can’t take it anymore. I just… I want it to be over.”