Semi-Immortal

[Reader Discretion: Semi-Immortal explores mature and challenging themes, including trauma, mental health struggles, violence, and discrimination. It contains scenes that may be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution and prioritize your well-being.] 

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Ivy's footsteps echoed against the linoleum floor of the hallway, each step heavy with anger and confusion. Her breaths came in short bursts, her chest heaving as if her body had yet to calm from the encounter. The sickly fluorescent lights above flickered, casting uneven shadows on the walls. The lingering whispers and muffled snickers from passing students clung to her like a second skin. Every glance felt like a dagger aimed at her back, every sneer like salt in a fresh wound.

A sudden wave of nausea surged through her, so sharp and overwhelming that Ivy nearly doubled over on the spot. Her stomach twisted and churned, a sickening whirlpool. Her vision going fuzzy as the hallway seemed to wobble and tilt around her. She blindly reached out, her hand finding the cold metal of a locker, desperately trying to stay upright as her knees threatened to buckle. 

"Move it, freak," a boy snarled, shoving past her with an elbow to her shoulder.

She stumbled but kept her footing, her mind focused on one thing: finding a bathroom. With increasingly uneven steps, she clasped a hand to her mouth as the sensation fought its way up her throat. The hallway blurred, the chatter of students blending into an incomprehensible din. Finally, she spotted the door to the girls' restroom and staggered toward it, her body moving on instinct.

"Watch it!" a girl snapped as Ivy shoved her way through the door, ignoring the protests and startled yelps of the other students inside.

Ivy barely made it to an open stall before her body gave in. She pushed past a girl who was stepping out, not even registering the disgruntled gasp as she collapsed to her knees. Her stomach heaved, and she vomited into the toilet, her body wracked with spasms. The acrid taste burned her throat, tears stinging her eyes as she gripped the sides of the bowl for support. The stall door remained ajar, offering no privacy from the horrified stares of the other girls in the restroom.

"Oh my god, is she okay?"

"Probably hungover or something. Gross."

"What a mess."

As she finished, Ivy's body shook from the exertion, her chest rising and falling. For a moment, she stayed there, kneeling on the cold tile floor, her head resting against the rim of the toilet. The whispers continued, the judgment in their voices palpable. She could feel their eyes on her, the disdain radiating off them like heat.

"Mind your business," she rasped, her voice barely audible but laced with venom. It didn't stop them. If anything, it only fuelled their morbid curiosity.

Forcing herself to move, Ivy pushed herself to her feet, using the stall walls for support. She flushed the toilet and stumbled out, her legs unsteady beneath her. The girls parted as she approached the sinks, their expressions a mixture of disgust and morbid fascination. She ignored them, leaning over the sink and twisting the faucet handle. The tap sputtered, sending a rush of icy water into the basin. She quickly formed a cup with her hands, scooping the frigid liquid to her mouth, hoping to wash away the lingering, acidic taste. Then, with a fierce, almost desperate intensity, she scrubbed her face with the remaining water. 

One girl snorted, nudging her friend with a smirk. "Look at her—like some drenched little stray, scrubbing away like it'll fix that face. Bet it's as nasty to touch as it is to look at."

"Pathetic," another murmured.

Ivy's hands tightened on the edge of the sink. She straightened her stance, her wet face dripping down to the front of her blazer. Her sharp green eyes met their reflections in the mirror. The girls froze, their smug smiles faltering under her glare.

"Say that again," Ivy growled, her voice simmering with restrained anger. The challenge carried an unmistakable edge, her words cutting through the tense silence like a blade.

The girls exchanged uneasy glances before one of them muttered, "Whatever. Let's go." They shuffled out, their laughter fading as the door swung shut behind them.

Ivy turned back to the sink, her reflection staring back at her. Pale, dishevelled, with dark circles under her eyes and strands of dirty blonde hair clinging to her damp forehead. She looked every bit as pathetic as they'd said. She turned off the faucet, gripping the edges of the sink so tightly her knuckles turned white. 

"Pull it together," she muttered to herself. Her voice was hoarse, but the command was clear. "Pull it together."

She gave her blazer a once-over and tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to fix her hair. She then took a deep breath before drawing her shoulders back and exhaling loudly. Any longer in here, and she might actually suffocate. The bathroom air, thick with the smell of disinfectant and the lingering ghost of bile, felt oppressive. 

Ivy pushed open the door, stepping back into the hallway. The noise and chaos of the school enveloped her immediately, but she kept her head down, her focus on putting one foot in front of the other. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to keep moving.

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The bell rang, signalling the start of the next period. Students hurried to their classes, the hallway thinning as doors closed behind them. Ivy's pace quickened. The last thing she wanted was to be caught by a teacher and forced back into a classroom. Her bag felt heavier with each step, the straps digging into her shoulder.

Rounding the corner, she spotted the double doors that led to the courtyard. A rush of relief surged through her. Finally, a place where the air wouldn't feel so thick, where she could just be. With a decisive push, the doors swung open, and she stepped into the welcome quiet. The cool air hit her like a balm, soothing her overheated skin. The sky was grey, the clouds thick and low, promising rain. Ivy crossed the courtyard, her shoes crunching against the gravel path. She found a bench near the edge of the yard and sank onto it, dropping her bag beside her. For a moment, she simply sat there, her head tilted back as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

The tranquillity didn't last long. As a whisper of footsteps broke the silence, and Ivy's eyes opened. A boy—one of the bullies from earlier—stood a few feet away, his hands shoved into his pockets. His face was a blank slate, yet his mere presence sent a shiver of unease, raising the hairs on the back of her neck.

"What do you want?" she snapped, her tone sharp.

He hesitated, shifting awkwardly. "I just… Look, about earlier…"

"Save it," Ivy interrupted, standing abruptly. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I don't need your half-assed apology."

"I wasn't going to apologize," he shot back, his voice rising. "I just wanted to say… you're fucking weird, okay? Whatever you did to Jake back there? That wasn't normal."

Ivy's blood ran cold as her mind spiralled back to the hallway—Jake's horrified expression, the way he crumpled to the floor. She could still feel the strange, unexplainable surge of energy coursing through her veins. She clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles whitening as she fought to steady her breathing.

"Stay away from me," she said, her voice low and steady. "And tell your friends to do the same." With a derisive scoff and a shake of his head, the boy stepped back. He mumbled something indistinct, then turned and walked off. Watching him go, Ivy felt her jaw tighten, a prickling unease burrowing deeper into her chest. What had she done to Jake? The act felt strangely powerful, unsettlingly so. And that was a feeling she knew she couldn't ignore.

She glanced up at the sky, the first drops of rain beginning to fall. She let out a slow breath, the cool droplets landing on her skin a welcome distraction. Then, without a backward glance, she walked toward the school gate. Skipping the rest of her classes felt like the only option. She needed time to think, to process everything that had happened.

As she stepped onto the sidewalk, the city stretched out before her, its noise and chaos a stark contrast to the suffocating walls of the school.