Losing the Light [h.s.]

05

By seven o'clock in the morning, Marlee is out of bed and ready for Harry's family to pick her up. Her mother had planned on coming along on the trip, but a work project had come up in the course of the week, so she told Marlee to go and have fun. She said to have the best time because she didn't have any schoolwork to worry about, seeing as Marlee and Harry both graduated recently.

In the previous hours of the morning, Marlee had been taking cold medicine and trying to look healthy. She had started to feel better after Harry called her the other night, but she still had a splitting headache and a runny nose.

Marlee drags her heavy bags to the front of the house, saying goodbyes to her mother as the doorbell rings. She goes to the door, forcing a smile onto her face as Harry reaches for her things.

"Are you sure you're okay to come?" he asks, carrying her bag with no trouble to the car.

Marlee nods. "Of course, Harry, don't worry."

"Okay," he says, letting it go. There's nothing he can do to stop her. She looked sick, for sure--and Harry would never tell her that because he's a gentleman--but he wished there was something he could do to make her feel better. Even if he said something, it wouldn't be enough to make her turn around and go back inside.

Harry helps Marlee into the backseat of his dad's car, and Marlee is  sat in the middle, between Gemma--Harry's older sister--and Harry.

"Hi, Gem," Marlee says.

Gemma smiles back. "Morning. I heard you were sick."

"Yeah, I just--"

"Don't cough on me, and we'll be okay," Gemma tells her. "Just kidding, I've built up an immunity to the common cold. This one--" she jabs a finger at Harry "--seems to get sick nearly every two weeks, you know."

"I do not," Harry says. "It's at least four weeks in between..."

-

"Do you think I'll do well?" Harry asks after takeoff.

Marlee shrugs. "I'm rooting for you always. Win or lose, you'll still be my best friend."

"Are you feeling okay?" Harry asks quietly.

Marlee's eyes snap open at the sound of Harry's voice. "I'm fine." She had been sitting with her head in her hands, trying to get over the awful pinching feeling in her head.

"Are you sure?" Harry asks.

"Didn't I tell you to stop asking?"

The plane ride is not a good one for Marlee. Harry can tell that she's in a lot of pain, but he promised not to bring it up again after they got in the air.

-

"Marlee, you can sleep in Harry's room," Anne says once they make it to the hotel. "We know nothing will be happening between you two." She winks at Harry and he laughs. Nervously.

"Of course not," Harry assures her. He and Marlee had slept in the same room many times before. Well, not many times, but more than once, at least. They'd fallen asleep studying twice, and Marlee had slept over a few times, too.

Anne knows that nothing will happen between them, honestly. But she, like both of their parents, wishes something would.