Ava sat by herself while she waited for the coach to arrive. She ignored the others, even Emily, as she stared blankly ahead of her. There was an ache—a hole in her chest. Like something had been taken from her in that forest that she would never recover again.
She should have listened to Mr Patrick, but she had been desperate—and she was still desperate. She could feel death looming over her. It would only be a matter of time before Claire succeeded.
“Ava Morgan!”
She was startled when she heard her name and looked around to find the coach had already come in, and the others had already started the warm-up.
“If you are still sick, you shouldn’t have come back. I will not tolerate your laziness. Everyone participates in my class!” the coach snapped.
She didn’t look him in the eye tod
