That night, Shadd couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in pain, her body writhing in silent agony. By morning, she lay helpless on the floor beside her bed, a faint trail of white foam having oozed from her mouth.
"Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" her mother called, knocking worriedly on the bedroom door after noticing her daughter had overslept—something highly unusual.
After repeated knocks and no response, her mother muttered nervously, "Something's not right. Let me call her dad."
Moments later, both parents rushed back to her room, knocking frantically and calling out her name.
"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Open this door…!"
When she still didn't respond, they rushed to the back of the house, peering through her bedroom window—and froze.
"Oh my goodness!" her mother gasped, covering her mouth. "She's unconscious… there's foam around her mouth!"
"We have to break in before it's too late!" her father said with grim determination.
They smashed the window and clambered inside. Elizabeth was rushed to the hospital and immediately admitted. Her family waited anxiously in the hospital corridor.
After nearly three hours, a nurse finally emerged from the emergency room.
"Is she okay? Please—tell us something good!" her family pleaded.
"Silence! Please, calm down!" the nurse said, raising her voice to command order. Once everyone settled, she continued, "Elizabeth is stabilizing well. Her vitals—blood pressure, pulse—are all within normal range. No need for alarm. After a thorough diagnosis, we discovered food poisoning through strains found in her blood samples."
"Food poisoning?" the family echoed, shocked.
"Yes," the nurse confirmed. "She'll need to be hospitalized for a few more days while we continue her recovery."
"That's fine," her father said, speaking for the rest. "We're just glad she's okay. We'll be visiting her every day."
Later, the family was allowed to visit Elizabeth briefly at her bedside.
---
Meanwhile, Jasmine had no idea her best friend had been hospitalized. At school, she grew worried over Elizabeth's absence.
"Maybe she just overslept," Jasmine thought, trying to reassure herself.
That afternoon, Teacher Sally was also absent—first noticeable during the History lesson.
At cheer practice, Tiffy stepped up as self-proclaimed captain.
"Hey everyone! Welcome to another... weird session," she said. "I know you've noticed both Shadd and Teacher Sally are missing. No one knows why, but we have to keep going. The semester's ending soon. I've already talked to Nick—he'll lead the boys while I handle our squad."
After practice, Tiffy and Marie walked home together.
With a sly smile, Tiffy whispered, "Everything worked out perfectly. Both Shadd and Teacher Sally are obviously hospitalized. That gives me all the time I need with Niiiiiick!"
Marie nodded. "Then put him back in your arms before it's too late. We don't know how long they'll be out."
Tiffy grinned. "Exactly. Leading the squad and seeing him more often? That's step one. Next, I'll start visiting him... daily. You know Toto told me Shadd once visited him at his house? Shameless!"
"What?!" Marie gasped. "She went that far? Well, you should totally visit him too—he'll start seeing who truly cares."
"Right! Let's go. Tonight will be our first stop."
Later that evening, the two girls visited Nick's place. He welcomed them warmly.
"Well, this is a surprise," he smiled. "Come in, have a seat."
As they settled in, Tiffy spoke with gentle intensity.
"Nick, I know we've argued a lot lately, but I love you. I won't stop until you feel the same—completely. From today, I'm visiting you every evening, just to show how serious I am."
Nick paused, taking it all in. Then, softly, he replied, "Tiffy, I appreciate your love. Honestly, I've been confused—torn between emotions. The therapy helped, but now I realize… it's you. You've always stood by me. I want to share my life with you. I'm done with the confusion. I'm committing to you—fully. One day, I want to marry you."
Tiffy lit up like a flame, barely able to speak. "I... I don't know what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything. I'm being honest," he reassured her, taking her hand.
Marie nodded in agreement. "I remember how Sally, Jasmine, and Shadd all wanted your attention at the pizza inn. It was a mess."
Nick sighed. "Being the 'lover boy' isn't easy. Everyone wants a piece of me—it's been overwhelming. But Tiffy stood with me. That means everything."
As if to seal their budding romance, Nick fetched snacks, and the three spent the evening watching telenovelas, laughing and exchanging gentle touches—Tiffy and Nick especially.
---
That night, Lawrence visited Elizabeth in the hospital.
"Hey, sis. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Hopefully recovering soon."
"Do you know how it happened? Any suspects?"
Elizabeth hesitated. "After our Saturday hangout at the pizza inn with Jasmine, Sally, Nick, and Marie… it all started. That whole date was Tiffy's idea. Considering everything, it's obvious she's behind this."
Lawrence clenched his fists. "What?! Nobody messes with my sister. Tiffy and Nick better pray I don't find them—"
"No, please," she interrupted. "Nick is innocent—he even gave me a gift. I'll just talk to both of them myself. I plan to apologize and walk away peacefully. No more drama. There are no winners in revenge."
Lawrence sighed. "I get it. But I hate seeing you give up on Nick. You really loved him."
"I did. I still do. There was chemistry, magic… I thought we were destined. But maybe my true love is still out there."
"You'll find it. True love always wins."
---
The next morning, Jasmine was still disturbed by Shadd's absence—and Teacher Sally's. "This is too weird. Something's not right. Tonight, I'm finding out."
That evening, she visited Shadd's home. Her mother greeted her with a heavy heart.
"Jasmine, thank you for coming. I have bad news…"
Jasmine stiffened. "What happened?!"
"She's in the hospital. Food poisoning."
"Oh no! We were all at the pizza inn that Saturday... maybe it came from there."
Shadd's mum nodded. "She's recovering well. In fact, I just got a call. She's being discharged tonight."
---
Later that night, Jasmine returned to welcome her back.
"Shadd!" she cried, hugging her. "I was so worried."
"I'm fine now," Shadd said with a weak smile.
As they sat down, Jasmine asked, "What really happened?"
"I don't remember much. I only know I was in pain… then in the hospital. Doctors said food poisoning. Given my beef with Tiffy, it's easy to guess who's behind it. But I'm recovering. I'll return to school tomorrow—but I won't join practice."
"What?! Where will you go instead?"
"Maybe the library. I'm not fully okay yet."
"What about Nick and Tiffy?"
"I'm planning to apologize to them. I'll swear off Nick for good. No more drama."
---
The next day, during break, Shadd tracked down both Nick and Tiffy, requesting to meet in the library after school.
That evening, they sat facing her across at a library table.
"I know you're both busy," Shadd began. "I won't take long. I just want to say—I'm sorry. I interfered in your relationship. Nick and I were seeing each other, secretly. But I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. So… it's over between us. No more meetings, no feelings. I'm stepping away for good."
A pause.
Then Nick gently took her hand and said, "It's okay. We understand. Tiffy and I are together now—for real. Like… marriage serious! We're all friends now. Thank you for being honest."
With that, Nick and Tiffy stood to leave.
"People are waiting for us at the pitch," Nick said kindly. "Take care, Shadd."
As they walked away, Shadd sat still for a moment, alone—but lighter than she'd felt in weeks.