James Pierce
Ahh why does my head hurt so much? I feel like I'm burning up but also it's so cold. When did the air get so chilly? Thank God, it's Sunday at least I don't have to go to work. Wow it's 12 o'clock already? How was I asleep for so long? I sit up and try to stand but the floor feels like ice and my body feels like it's been beaten up. I guess I'm sick. I muster up the strength to stand and quickly wear my slides so that my feet don't touch the icy floor. I wear another sweater over my wool cardigan and head up the stairs to make some breakfast, but as I go up, something already smells delicious, the girls probably ate breakfast..
When I finally reach, I see Collette in the kitchen making an omelette, she spots me lurking and exclaims "perfect timing, I just started making your omelette".
"Where's Thalia" I ask, "didn't you guys have plans today?"
"Oh no, it was just her, she's gone out with her classmates, she said she'll be late"
"And you didn't go? That's surprising, you always tag along with anything she does"
"That's not true, and she did call me, but it would be weird, cuz I don't know anyone else so I didn't go"
"Don't you have any plans with your friends?" I say hoping for her to leave the house.
"I do, but it's only in the evening" she replies "why do you look so sick?"
"That's just how I look on Sundays " I answer "or maybe it's because, I saw you, first thing in the morning".
"Ha ha ha, should I throw your omelette out?" She threatens
"Should I throw YOU out of MY house?"
"Just eat!" She yells back.
We eat in pretty much silence, we try avoiding each other most of the time, but weekends like today are the hardest, I was happy cuz I thought she had plans but apparently not. After we eat, she goes and grabs a thermometer and sticks it in my mouth, I try to resist but she just grabs my jaw. It rings and shows that I am in fact sick and have a fever of 102 degrees.
"I knew you were sick" she says," I'm going to make you soup and you're going to finish it, it was gamma's secret cure to fever, and it works every time, your fever will vanish in just two days".
I don't protest, because honestly I don't have the strength to, and I guess it is nice to have someone look after you. She seems really good at this too, she helps me stand up, puts my hand over her shoulder, holds my waist and helps me get to the sofa, which I could have just walked over to, alone, but I let her take me, don't ask why, it just felt nice. Then she put me down, put my head on a pillow and got my legs up on the couch, then she went and got my blanket ( I definitely don't remember giving her the permission to go to my room) and tucked me in it and asked me to sleep."What do you think you're doing?" I say finally.
"Babysitting you" she replies," now be a good boy and close your eyes and sleep".Before I could protest she places her palm over my forehead and slides it down, shutting my eyes close. And I keep them close and fall asleep in no time.
When I wake up, l see Collette's long blonde hair, one side tucked behind her ear and the other falling over my chest. She looked like an angel. She looked really worried and kept dabbing my face with a wet towel, which was pretty warm, then she dipped it in a bowl of cold water, squeezed out the excess water and kept it on my face.
"Woah that's really cold" I scream, but she just ignores me and keeps going on. "Stop, I'm already cold" I repeat.
"If I don't do this your body will get too heated up, which is not good, 102 is bad as it is" she says, while continuing to dab my face but the wet towel feels warm again.
She sticks it back in the cold water and I hurriedly sit up banging our heads. "Ow" we both scream. "What are you doing", she yells "lie down"."No way in hell, you're gonna put that cold towel on me again"
"Are you seriously a 5 year old? It's not even that cold, shut up and lie down"
"I, will, not!" I exclaim but I can't get off the couch because she is sitting on the edge, blocking my way. She tries to push me back down and I resist but then she uses all her force and pushes me, accidentally falling over me and I can smell her Lilly shampoo, it's so pleasant. Then she pushes herself off of me, sighs and tries to explain to me, calmly, "James, listen to me, if you don't get better in a few days, you won't be able to go to work, you'll be too tired and too sick to do anything... but if you listen to me right now, and let me take care of you, you'll get better, maybe by today even, so stop acting like a child and let me take care of you, capice ?"
"Capice" i agree, I haven't been sick for a long time, and last time, I was alone and it was depressing, but this time, it feels nice to not do anything and have someone by your side, to take care of you. At times like this I forget that this was the same Collette who I had seen that day, she doesn't seem like she could hurt anyone especially her best friend, she's even taking care of me, when I have just been mean to her for the longest time. Why? Why is she doing this to me? She doesn't have to. But she still is.I drink the soup she made and go back to sleep on the couch, Collette says it's easier for her to take care of me when I'm asleep, and I don't mind sleeping at all. Her phone rings and wakes me up, but I still keep my eyes closed. She gets up from beside me and answers her call. She goes a little far and talks quietly but I can still hear her.
"Heyy, listen I don't think I can make it today, my friend fell sick so I'm looking after him, so you guys go ahead I'll come next time for sure, enjoy! Bye bye". She ends the call.She cancelled her plans... for me? No why would she.. maybe she just didn't want to hang out with those people. But she was also picking outfits for today.. no it was definitely not for me.She touches my cheek, checking my temperature, but for some reason her touch just makes my heart race. I open my eyes, and she smiles at me, "I think it's reducing" she says. But i kinda don't want it to reduce, that way she'll be close to me for longer. I can't seem to hate her right now. Again. She's just nice, or maybe it's all just a facade. Maybe im thinking too much,"stop" I yell at myself, "what, What's wrong?" She asks"Uh no, nothing, not you, you can. Keep going" I stutter, she giggles and stands up, but before she can leave i grab her hand and say "Where are you going? Don't go".
"I'm not going anywhere", she smiles "Aren't you hungry?, dont you want food?"
"I guess I'm a little hungry"
"Ok soup it is"
"Again?"
"Yes again, it'll be good for you"
"How about some solid food, like bread maybe?"
"No bread for you, i'll give you solid food for dinner"
"You're still stubborn as ever"
"You are too, they only reason im winning right now, is cuz you're sick"
"It's good that you know that"
It's 7:00 pm right now, and I actually feel so much better than the morning, Collette really knows what she's doing, I can't wait to have the solid food i was promised.
Okay i do not know what she did, but i had no idea rice could taste so good, it was spicy and absolutely delicious, she said it was Korean fried rice, whatever it was, it was totally worth the wait. After i finished gorging on that rice, i realise that I haven't thought about Thalia the whole day, she knows I'm sick, how could she not call her one and only brother?
"I'm home" i hear her voice,She sees me glaring at her from the couch, and comes running. "Aww how are you, brother of mine?" She says hugging me,"Are you better now?"
"Now you remember your dying brother, do have any idea how much pain i was in?" I exaggerate.
"Aww, so much pain, I'm sorry I wasn't here, come let me take you to your room
"This little girl, really does not know anything about taking care of people, she was literally dragging me to room and wasn't even waiting when we were going down the stairs.
"I heard Collette cancelled her plans, to take care of you, is there anything going between you two? Don't lie" Thalia asks
"Are you kidding me, i hate her, why would anything be going on?"
"Really? You still hate her, even after everything she's done for you today? How could you possibly hate her?"
"My hatred goes back years, it wont just disappear in a day"
"Ok, i really want to know, why do you hate her so much?" She asks
"Believe me, YOU dont want to know, she did something really bad to you, and you're just so naive, you still let her whatever she wants to you." I say
"WHAT. DID. SHE . DO?" She yells "Tell me now!"
"Ok if you really want to know, on your 15th birthday party, she kissed your boyfriend and god knows what else she did, and you know how important trust is—"
"THATS WHY YOU HATE HER?" She asks, not surprised or shocked with what i just said.
"What do you mean, that's why, did you know?" I ask
"Yes i knew that, and it was so much more complicated than just that, and NONE of it was Collette's fault. So if that's the reason you hate her, just stop. She didn't do anything wrong.
We were still near my door and i was so mad that Collette had such a hold on my sister, that I angrily opened my door and asked her to leave me alone. But when i opened my door, Collette was standing in front, with a flask."Letty" Thalia says
"Um hi, i was, i was just, i just came here to drop this off" she points at the flask and then hands it to me and runs up the stairs.
"Congratulations, you have successfully hurt my best friend, AGAIN, im going to kill you if she doesn't beat me to it" Thalia says and runs behind Collette.
Ugh why did she have to hear all that, did i really hurt her? I really didn't mean to.