fingers to the temples on her forehead to try to ease the building pressure in her skull. Her brain felt as it was two sizes too big for her skull.
Her eyes slammed shut at the throbbing in her head that pulsed with each heartbeat. All of a sudden, her heart slowed to a dangerously slow rhythm. Sweat lined her body. Her t-shirt stuck to her body like a second skin. Bright lights flashed behind her eyes. She groaned again when her brain pulsed and pressed against her skull repeatedly.
Why wouldn’t the pain go away? For days now, her head felt as if it would explode at any moment. No pain reliever worked on the ache, not even the medicine her doctor prescribed for her. The medicine only made her sleepy but never took away the headaches. Each day Raven suffered through each agonizing moment of it. Sometimes the pain lasted for a few minutes. Sometimes, like now, it lasted for days.
Another flash of light behind her eyes made her eyes tear up as her concentration broke and she could hear the noise around the café again.
Make it go away. Please, God, whatever you do make it go away.
“No sleeping at the table, Raven, you know the rules.”
Raven snarled then removed her hands from her face to look up at the one who spoke. It took several moments before her eyes were able to focus on Veronica.
Veronica stared at her without a word. Raven looked away from her for a moment then stared into her eyes. Raven squirmed in her seat when Veronica’s penetrating stare got on her nerves.
“What?” Raven snapped after the long silence.
“Wow, you look awful,” Veronica spoke a little too loudly for Raven’s sensitive ears.
Raven sat back in the booth wanting to argue with Veronica, but how could she? She knew how she looked. Over the past couple of weeks, she had lost a few pounds from not eating properly. Her skin gave off a pale grayish appearance. She had bags under her eyes big enough to carry a month’s worth of groceries in them. Overall, she knew she looked awful, but she did not want to hear how awful she looked.
“Thanks,” she spat. “That’s just what I needed to hear. How awful I look today.”
The redhead sat down at the other booth across from her. “Well, I’m sorry Raven. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. You are my best friend and friends should stick together. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t care. You don’t look well. Your eyes are bloodshot, as if you haven’t gotten a descent night’s sleep in ages. What’s going on with you?”
Raven shut her eyes again when the lights above her flickered from the storm brewing outside. The television in the corner blinked out.
“Hey! The freaking TV is out again!” Billy’s voice blasted from behind the counter.
Raven looked back as Billy jumped on the counter and banged on the side of the TV a couple of times. Raven heard sizzling from the TV and she was sure it was going to catch on fire.
“I told you to buy a new one,” Veronica yelled. “That thing is as old as you, Billy!”
“I’m not old, just preserved,” Billy teased.
“Right. Well, you may be preserved but that TV is still old. They don’t even make VCRs anymore.”
Billy hit the television once again and the picture cleared.
“There.” Billy said, then hopped down off the counter. “And, if you want a newer model TV, go buy one, Veronica.”
Veronica snorted. “Not in this life time.”
Veronica turned her attention back to Raven. “Sorry, Raven, but what is going on with you? We are friends and you’ve been keeping something from me I just know it.”
“To tell you the truth, I don’t know, Veronica. I have these terrible headaches and nothing — and I mean nothing — is making them stop. It goes on and on and on.”
“Have you been to a doctor?”
“Yeah, my mom has taken me to the doctor twice. He claims it is stress, and once I stop being stressed over whatever is stressing me then it will go away.”
A low rumble came from the skies. Raven opened