Tainted Love | ✓

Chapter Six

the sweetest coating

won't matter

if there's poison inside

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　-: ✧ :-゜・．

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"

With all the strength I had, I lifted my head off the table to see Toby looming over me, casting a dark shadow on the table. My head flopped back down, and I let out a muffled groan from underneath my hands. Despite the room being warm, a shiver ripped through me and my stomach lurched from side to side as I clamped a hand over my mouth.

"I feel awful," I moaned.

He poked my shoulder, "Are you sick or something?"

Ashen faced, with beads of sweat gathering on my forehead, I glared up at him, "Can't you see I'm dying here?"

Holding his hands up in defeat at my murderous expression, he asked, "How did you even get sick?"

I sniffed, dragging myself upright in my seat and rubbed at my eyes, "It was probably because I was standing in the rain for half an hour."

Toby's eyes widened at my words, "Are you stupid? Why would you do that?"

I banged my head against the wall behind me, and I lifted a hand to hold the side of my head. There was a searing pain running through my head, pounding against my skull like a jackhammer. My eyes were sunken and my skin sallow, while I ached in places I didn't know I could.

"I was waiting for my dad to come and pick me up," I explained, leaning away to cough into my elbow.

Toby's face creased into a frown, "Where were you?"

"Tyler and I were on a date," I confessed after a moment of hesitation, "Last night. We went to the movies."

A shadow crossed his face at the mention of his name, but he nodded, "Okay. . . And?"

"Well, he had to leave," I wrung my hands together in anxiousness, "He had a family emergency. I had to call my dad and ask him to pick me up, but it took him a while to come."

"Wait, he just left you?" Toby spluttered, and shot me an incredulous look, "In the middle of nowhere?"

"Well, not in the middle of nowhere. I knew where I was," I tried to defend him, "Besides, it was an emergency. It's not like he wanted to."

"Stop trying to defend him," Toby snarled out, his face twisting in disgust. I blinked at his harsh tone and laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just a small cold," I reassured in a soothing tone, "It's not like I'm dying. You know I love annoying you too much."

"Why did you even come in today?" he scowled, not appreciating my attempt to lighten the mood, "You should be at home trying to get better."

"I didn't want to miss anything," I complained, before I had to turn away to start coughing again. My face scrunched up at the stinging pain that erupted in my throat, "And you never take the notes down properly."

"Yes I do," he argued, "You just don't appreciate my handwriting."

"That's because it's ugly," I pointed out, "I don't know if you're even writing in English or another language."

"You should be grateful that I do this for you. I barely write my own notes," he raised a brow.

"As my best friend, you have to do as I say anyway," I tried to smirk with the little energy I had left, "This is part of the package deal."