𝑾𝑨𝑲𝑬 𝑼𝑷 * ・° ( 𝐥𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 )

𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑻𝑨𝑳𝑳

However, she wasn't exhausted this time because of talking to a ghoul until three am. She had the smallest fever that she broke into last night and had barely subsided an hour ago, the ibuprofen doing it's best to keep her from breaking into chills once more. Luke had freaked out the moment he slowly felt the sweat gather in her hairline and how badly she began to shiver. He used every bit of strength he had necessary to grab her hoodie from the back of her desk chair and snag the spare blanket on her window sill. She protested greatly when he tried to crawl back into bed with her after seeing how pale her skin was growing, but sighed with fingers curling into his shirt after her cheek was squashed against his collarbone.

Her stomach was churning almost like she was on the brink of losing any contents that resides in her organ. He had allowed her to sleep until it was an acceptable time to help her get ready to go to Julie's like they originally planned before the sickness overpowered her. She tried to tell him she would have her call about the news, but he was too worried to leave her alone at the house. So that's how she found herself nearly falling asleep on the couch in Julie's garage with an anxious sixteen year old fussing over her.

"Honestly—" Darlene grumbled, "It's just a cold!"

She may have spoken too soon before a strangled gasp spilled past her cracked lips and her torso hunched over, a brilliant violet spiking in the garage. Her chest was pressed against her thighs as her arms came up to hold herself as pain ripped through her stomach and travelled through her chest. Her vision blurred and her body ached for a few seconds until the black dots disappeared and she was met with a concerned dark gaze. Darlene merely smiled weakly and opened her mouth to speak before Julie was harshly cutting her off.

"Don't you dare say you're fine! You literally just glowed purple and cried out in pain!" Julie hissed out.

Darlene gasped with offense, "I wasn't going to say i'm fine, I was going to say i'm okay. Thank you very much."

"I can't deal with all this anxiety—" Julie muttered while pacing, "You look like you're on the way to greet death and the boys are trying to book us a gig at one of the hardest places to even get into."

Okay, so maybe Julie had a reason to be stressed out, Darlene thought to herself after catching a glimpse of her dark bags and pale complexion in her phone screen. She shifted until she was curled against the armchair once more, tired eyes watching as Julie paced along the small length of the coffee table. She had felt the cold coming for the past week, it seemed like the random bursts of purple only progressed as it was becoming more frequent. Stupid Caleb, she thought, Stupid Luke and his trusting nature. Her head snapped up from where it was drooping once more the familiar whooshing noise filled the air, the boy's frames appearing into focus.

"Oh my gosh! What took you guys so long? Did Willie do it! Did you talk to them—" Julie rambled without taking a breath.

Darlene was so focused on the disaster that made up Julie as she ranted with worry that she jumped when fingers trailed across her forehead. Luke was looking down at her with worry as the back of his hand pressed more insistently against her forehead, looking relieved as the fever didn't return while he was gone. She gave him a look and shooed him away to answer Julie's questions because her rambling was giving her a headache. Luke's nose wrinkled in an adorable fashion before he stepped in front of Julie, hands raised.

"Take a seat—" Luke told her as he leered forward, "It's fine. Everything's fine."

Julie moaned miserably, "No it's not because you sound just like Charlie did a few minutes ago!"

Luke was moments away from asking why Darlene had said that before Alex cut in, "Yeah! You should be getting a call right..... Now!"

It was silent as Luke shuffled to sit on the arm chair that Darlene was practically laying on and rubbed at her shoulder that was now pressing into his stomach. They all stared at the phone with nerves that made them nearly vibrate as the screen stayed darkened. Reggie and Alex's eyes were bouncing between Julie's face and the darkened screen of her phone. Darlene's lips pursed together and leaned further into Luke as her eyes fluttered close. He was so warm and i'm was so cold, she thought to herself as she suppressed a shiver. Their wide smiles flattered as every pair of eyes landed on her uncle's dejected one. He straightened up as he noticed the gazes on him and pointed once more with more desperate enthusiasm.