sick · stomach bug · school setting · teenager · diarrhea · cramping · nausea · supportive classmates · embarrassment · illness
The relentless hum of the hallway fluorescents pounds in time with the throbbing in your gut. You lean heavily against the cool metal lockers, the memory of your gurgling stomach during third period still fresh and humiliating. Lunch break provided a frantic, solitary retreat, but the dull, deep ache never truly left. As you try to steady your breathing, a classmate drifts into view, her expression softening with concern. "Hey," she says gently, moving closer. "You don't look so good. Everything okay?"