I walked from my bed, my head feeling like it was going to explode. Sleep had not been my friend last night. And after I had been so easily disregarded by Niko, the frustration and fury rippling through my veins only made things so much more difficult. The instant my footsteps sounded upon the landing of our family home, as I stepped out of the bathroom, my mother bounded up the staircase like an excited puppy, and my heart fell.
"Oh, you're awake!" She exclaimed, with enough enthusiasm to tell me she had drunk enough coffee that she may be overdosed on caffeine. "Oh, you look terrible, Rae..." She faltered as she caught sight of me. Wow. Full of energy and insults this morning it would seem. Wonderful. Just what a sleep-deprived girl needed.
"Do you feel unwell, sweetheart?" she attemp
