Slugger

31: Whoosh

About a month after our Disney escapade, I'm packing up some stuff for college when Jackie enters my room, decked in his Iron Man pyjamas and the fluffiest socks I've ever seen. It strikes me as odd, mostly because it's just past eight in the morning and Jackie hates both being in pyjamas and fluffy things. He looks like me when I'm about to go to sleep.

"J? You good?"

He attempts to wrinkle his nose. "That's what Tay says."

I turn away from my hastily bubble wrapped lamp and face him. "What does Dante say?"

"Tay always says – wait, I gotta do his voice." Jackie sits on the floor and tries to clear his throat. "Yo J! You good?" He says in a deeper voice.

I burst into laughter and he giggles, pleased with himself. "Oh my God."

Jackie looks around my room and suddenly starts frowning. "Kenny, I'm sick. I have the cold."

"A cold, huh?" He shivers and rubs his arms to imitate being cold. "Aw, poor baby."

I take a seat on my bed and rub my eyes. Without any invitation, he stands up and heads on over, sitting in my lap and hugging my stomach. I feel his forehead, and sure enough he has a temperature. His eyes are also red rimmed and his nose is bright pink.

"I told mommy but she went to work and told me to tell daddy but he's asleep and he told me to tell you."

"What would you do if I told you to tell Tyler?" The look he gives me prompts me to laugh. "Don't worry, David isn't working today so he'll look after you, okay?"

Jackie sits up. "No. You don't have work today, you have to look after me."

I stare at him, perplexed. "How'd you know I didn't have work today?"

"I heard you over the phone when you were talking to Stacy." He says quietly and then sneezes into his hand. Then he looks at his snot with awe. "Gross."

Slightly disgusted, I look for the pack of tissues that I keep under my pillow and help him blow his nose. "Well, I can't look after you because Dante and I have a day date."

He sniffles. "Cancel it."

"What?"

"I said what I said."

"I can't cancel it, this is the first date we're going on in two weeks."

"Well this is the first time I've had the cold since January." He says, sliding off my lap and to the floor. "I don't like Tay."

This is news to me. "What? I thought you said he was your favourite-"

"That was a long time ago, I stopped liking him when he stole you from me and took you to Disneyland."

I pause, wondering how I should go about this. Jackie's got his hands balled up into little fists and his nose is slightly pink and running. We have a stare off and I only end up winning because he sneezes a bunch of times and complains that he's cold.

I drape my comforter over him to warm him up. "Dante didn't steal me from you. I'm still here."

"Liar. You never play with me anymore because you're always talking to him." He says with disgust. I blink a few times, surprise.

"We played Mario Kart yesterday. Remember? I was Daisy and you were Bowser."

"Yeah but then he called you and I had to play by myself!" Then, defiantly, Jackie stands up and shakes his fists in the air. "You and Tay can't be boyfriend and girlfriend because I'm sick!"