I'm Fine

Chapter 14

Queen Of The Castle

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Mika and the boys sat waiting for their friend to wake up. They were in the nurse's office, JiJi had a coughing fit in the middle of gym class and a ball to the back caused it to worsen and she blacked out after a blow from the fall. A few minutes later, they heard a groan.

"JiJi." John gasped out. JiJi shifted on her bed before she slowly opened her eyes and confusingly looked around. "Where?"

"In the nurse's office. You fell and blacked out in gym class, got hit by a ball after a coughing fit." Mika esplained softly. "Can't you remember?"

JiJi shook her head lightly.

"Well, she did hit her head pretty hard." Ryan commented.

"That's probably just a minor concussion." Mika assured, letting out a sigh of relief. "She'll be fine."

"Are you feeling alright?" John asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." JiJi smiled.

"Oh you're awake!" The nurse walked in carrying some medicine. "Hello, dear."

"Hi." JiJi smiled.

"So I'm gonna give you some painkillers, for that headache of yours. And a menthol, for your sore throat." The nurse gave JiJi what she needed. "If you're feeling better, you can now leave, but if you don't, you can stay here and rest or I can call your paren-."

"I'm feeling fine now, thank you, um uhh."

"Lie Ren."

"Nurse Ren, thank you, wait, Ren?"

"HUNNY! HOW IS MY STUDENT DOING THERE!?" The familiar red headed gym teacher came barging in through the door.

"I'm doing fine, thank you very much." JiJi jumped out of the bed and immediately stood beside her three friends. "I'll take the medicine, the menthol, whatever and my friends will just make sure I'll be fine for the rest of the day."

"Yeah we will." John added.

"Oh, okay then." Nurse Ren said.

"You better stay safe, alright Jim?" Coach Nora asked as JiJi walked out with a nod and a wave of her hand.

☆

"JiJi!"

"Hm? What?" JiJi snapped out from her daze.

"We were asking if you were fine but you seem to be not with us." Mika stated.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm fine." JiJi laughed. "Don't worry."

"You haven't even touched your food yet." Ryan said, concern laced in his tone.

"Food?" JiJi looked down at her table. "Oh. That food."

"JiJi are seriously okay or was the blow too much?" John asked.

"I'm fine, I promise." JiJi replied picking up the apple from her plate. The three friends exchanged looks before sending back their concerning gazes towards the green eyed girl. After she ate her lunch, which were just a mere apple and tuna sandwich. John gave her more of the painkiller pills nurse Ren gave to him. She took them without hesitation.

On their way to their first arts class together, John gave her another menthol to keep her busy. Then it went to his head, now that they have the same classes for the rest of the day, he wouldn't have to worry about keeping an eye on her. He has always been keeping an eye out for the older girl. He can't stop now.

"Take a picture, they last longer." John came back to reality to see JiJi smirking at him. He looked behind her to see Ryan and Mika snickering just outside the classroom. "You good?"

"Oh, yeah." John laughed. "Sorry."

"S'okay." JiJi laughed and took his hand, leading him inside the room followed by the other two. After 10 minutes of waiting, the teacher finally arrived to start the lesson.

"Good afternoon class!" A petite young woman came in and settled her stuff on her table. Then she wrote her name on the board. "My name's Stefanie Li and I'll be your Arts teacher as well as some of you's Music teacher later on after a free time."

"Arts and then free time and then music!?" Mika whispered with disbelief and happiness.

"I know right?" Ryan whispered back.

"That's it. Friday's my favorite day of the week." John whispered as well. "Wait, it always has been." The three snickered quietly.

"This afternoon as our first time together. I would like you to paint something. It can be anything you like. It can be your favorite food, your favorite season, it can also be how you are feeling." Mrs. Li said as she walked around. "You can pass it on our next meeting but be sure to be at least halfway done today and let me see it. And for those who have classes with me later on, feel free to use your free time to finish it and pass it later on music time, I wouldn't mind at all. Canvases, paints and brushes are to be found in the cabinet and on the shelves to your right. Now please begin."

Art class was not that big of a crowd. They were like only 17 students in the room. So when Ryan and John stood up to get some of the materials for them and the girls, they just easily took them without any rough pushes. They went back to the girls to find them sitting by the window. Four tripods posed and ready beside their desks for canvases to be placed on top of them. John went to give JiJi her materials which she gave a silent thank you in return.

John noticed the declining health of his best friend throughout the rest of the class. He was painting beside her only to see her barely touched her canvas that was still on her desk instead on the tripod. She was slightly slouched over and looking outside the window holding onto a medium sized tub of  black paint on one hand and a paintbrush on the other.

"JiJi." He called. JiJi jumped and dropped the paint and it splattered across the canvas board and a bit on the ground.

"Excuse me, is there something wrong here?" Mrs. Li asked as she walked over.

"Oh no! I'm sorry. I am just really clumsy just so you know and because of that, I spilled paint all over my canvas." JiJi laughed.

"Oh dear, I could get you another clean canvas so you can start over." Mrs. Li offered.

"Oh that's fine mrs. Li, I can manage." JiJi smiled.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Li asked.

"Oh she's sure ma'am." Mrs. Li looked at John. "She's like the most talented painter I have ever met, improvising huge paint mistakes and making them work!"

"That sounds promising." Mrs. Li smirked. John and JiJi laughed while  Ryan and Mika smiled. "Well then, I can't wait to see your magic then." She smiled and then left.

"You can make thay work right?" Ryan asked JiJi with a laugh pointing at the now black surfaced canvas.

"Of course." JiJi smirked. "I'm in my kingdom at the moment, I should take it as an opportunity." Then she left to get more materials.