The morning after was even harder. Lina felt as if she had stones in her chest.
She had woken up far too early, lying there, her heart restless, her breath shallow. The same fragments kept running through her head like a broken film:
Giulia. Dad. Hall.
He has to deliver.
The same words over and over, until they felt like they were burned into her skin.
When she finally arrived at the assembly hall, Giulia was already there. She waved broadly, as if everything was normal.
"Nixie! You look even worse than yesterday. Did a poltergeist visit you?"
Lina forced herself to smile weakly. "Didn't sleep."
"Again?" Giulia put her hands on her hips. "You know sleep is important, right? Otherwise you'll turn into a walking math test – pale, incomprehensible, and full of errors."
Lina let out a short laugh, more out of reflex. The sound seemed like it didn't belong to her.
Giulia grinned. "See? Not so hard."
