"Jackson Styles, please concentrate! This is your last warning!" Mrs Scott warned loudly, her hands on her hips. I gave a slow nod, feeling my head pulsing with the small movement. Mrs Scott sent one last look my way before going back to teaching the class. I let my heavy head drop back down into my hands as her gaze drifted away.
I hadn't wanted to come to school this morning. I had known it was going to be a tough day the second I opened my eyes to meet the throbbing headache that had settled sometime during the night. Mum had already left for work so Dad had woken me up and was leaning over me with an amused smirk on his face as he watched me struggle to blink away the ache.
"Up and at 'em Jack!"
He grinned toothily and then left me alone again, probably to wake up my little sister Mara.
I grunted and groaned for a few minutes before finally swinging my legs over the edge of the mattress and forcing myself upright. I winced, my head felt like someone was having a good go at it with a sledgehammer.
I got changed into a pair of blue jeans and a simple three quarter sleeve top and headed to the bathroom where I swallowed down a couple of tablets in hope that they would get rid of the continuous thumping. Then I went downstairs and made some breakfast for myself. Dad and Mara were already seated on the bar stools, chatting animatedly to each other.
"And then Emily said 'but she doesn't even like hair clips!'" Mara howled with laughter, almost falling off her seat in the process. Dad chuckled along with her but I could see that like me, he had no idea what she was going on about.
"Morning Jack!" Mara greeted when she finally managed to pull herself together.
"G'morning," I muttered back as I poured myself a glass of milk. After looking at Dad's plate of sausages and eggs I decided I wasn't all that hungry.
I saw Dad glance at his watch in the corner of my eye and then he let out a gasp, shoving one last sausage in his mouth and pushing the plate into the sink with a loud crash that made me jump n my seat. Even the sunlight streaming through the windows was almost too much to handle, I don't think I've had a headache this horrible in my life.
"We have to go! Like right now!" He leaped to his feet, "everyone in the car!"
"Dad?" I blurted out before he could rush out the door. "I have a really mean headache, can I please just stay home today?" I asked, squinting slightly.
"You've tried this before Jacko, why should I believe you now?" Dad raised a brow and then he was gone and moments later the low rumble of the car started.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
I had lied to dad about this before but that was for a valid reason, I didn't want to drive for four hours just to see the world's biggest pencil so I said I was sick and they left me at home for the day. Then they came back early because Mara got carsick and I was sitting on the couch playing PlayStation and screeching like a madman while stuffing my face with chips. As you can see this was not very believable. In my defense, it was a pencil. Just about anything else would've been more interesting.
I grunted at my luck and swung my backpack over my shoulder before heading out to the car.
And now it was period two and I was in science seriously feeling like my head was about to explode. My gut was rolling under my hand from the pain and I was dizzy every time I moved. My shoulder was nudged gently and I turned to face one of my best mates Kade.
"What's up with you today, Dude? You're never this quiet," he whispered so that Mrs Scott wouldn't hear.
"It's nothing, just a headache," I replied. I figured if I told everyone how bad it was they'd either think I was lying like Dad had, or they'd make me go to the nurse and they would ring Dad and he'd tell them it was a lie anyway. There was no way out of this, I just had to suck it up and get through the day.
Kade nodded in understanding and went back to joking around like usual.
By lunch I was feeling even worse which earlier I didn't even think was possible. Kade and Georgia, my other best mate, knew something was up. They were being awkwardly careful around me as if the slightest thing would set me off.
"Are you going to eat anything Jackson?" Georgia asked, staring at me with those big brown eyes of hers.
"I'm not hungry," I told her gruffly.
Kade raised a brow, "I know you lied to me in science Jack, I'm not stupid."
"It's just a headache," I repeated, not looking him in the eye.
"Then why are you holding your stomach?" He pointed out. I immediately removed my hand. I thought I was being casual, unnoticeable. Apparently not.
"I'm not," I stated.
"Bullshit, you look like crap," Georgia rolled her eyes, "why are you so stubborn?"
"I'm not stubborn, alright? It's just a little headache, I'm completely fine," I muttered defensively, picking up my sandwich and biting into it to prove a point. Kade shook his head and went back to eating but Georgia didn't seem to want to give up. She reached across the table and set the back of her hand on my forehead. I pulled away instantly and didn't miss the hurt look in her face. She frowned but didn't take her eyes off me.
Next I had English and both Kade and Georgia shared that class with me. Not much longer to go. I plopped down into my usual seat and rested my head in my hands, wishing that Dad had believed me this morning. If he had I would be at home sleeping this thing off and not feeling like I had been ran over by an eighteen wheeler.
We got back to work on our projects, I was working in a group with Kade, Georgia and some other random kid called Thomas. We had to make some kind of presentation about Shakespeare or whatever, I wasn't really listening.
I couldn't focus on anything. My eyes were squeezed tightly shut and my fists were clenched in my lap so that they wouldn't wrap around my tummy like they so desperately wanted to.
"Jackson?" Georgia said my name and I opened my eyes and turned to face her. Everything spun around like some kind of sick merry go round and her voice became distant as blackness crept into my vision.
"I think I'm going to pass out," I muttered quietly, barely able to hear my own voice. My head was pulsating as if someone was crushing it over and over again between their hands and the room was still whirling around me. I was aware of a touch, someone's cool hands were on my forearms and holding me tightly.
Then I was ushered to my feet by someone tall, it must've been the teacher and next thing I know I'm outside in the halls, struggling to keep my eyes open. I was leaned against the wall and my fast paced and panicked breathing slowly slowed down as my vision went clear again and the dizzy feeling fell away.
Mr Tripp, the teacher, was tending on my left and Georgia and Kade were on my right, eyes wide and faces pale.
"Are you okay Jackson?" Mr Tripp questioned, scanning me over worriedly.
"Of course he's not okay! He almost fainted!" Kade exclaimed loudly and I shrunk away from the booming sound. He noticed my reaction and apologised.
"It's alright," I murmured quietly. I might not have quite passed out but I was not feeling any better, that's for sure.
"Can you take him to the nurse please Georgia? And Kade can you take his stuff?" Mr Tripp asked.
"No, I'm fine," I slurred. Dad would just say I was lying and then I'd be staying anyway.
"No, you're not." Mr Tripp shook his head before glancing at Georgia, "take him now."
Fuck me.
I could feel Georgia's eyes on me for the whole walk as I struggled to look normal. She was hovering just to my left, her shoes scuffing the ground quietly.
"You don't need to watch me like that you know."
"You almost fainted back there Jack, what do you expect me to do?" She replied.
"I'm fine, I don't need watching," I grumbled as my stomach did the same.
She scoffed, "whatever, I don't know why you're lying but I bet it's stupid."
We were silent for the rest of the way.
The nurse is a bitchy middle aged lady with a snarl on her face the size of Texas. When she saw us come in her big nose turned up and her scowl deepened ever more.
"Hey Mrs Wickers," Georgia greeted her sweetly, trying to ignore her obvious mood.
"What's wrong this time? Needs a plaster for a scraped knee? Threw up in the bathroom but there's no proof and it won't be happening again?" She practically growled. I have no idea how she keeps her job here, she would suit a jail warden position much better.
"This is my friend Jackson," Georgia pointed at me as Kade came in with my bag. I grunted. This was another reason why I didn't want to tell them. The fuss. So I was sick, that doesn't mean I need two personal assistants for the day, I am perfectly capable.
"Yeah, so what?" Mrs Wickers frowned. I wondered how the hell this lady was a Mrs.
"He almost passed out in class so it would be a great help if you would call his parents." Georgia raised an eyebrow.
"Fine." She nodded and looked at me doubtfully, " go through there and lay down until they get here."
I took my bag from Kade with a forced smile.
"Can we stay?" Georgia asked.
"I don't care, as long as you're quiet."
Mrs Wickers shrugged carelessly, going back to her computer.
Both Georgia and Kade followed me into the tiny room and sat down in the plastic chairs as I laid down on top of the bed and put a pillow over my head.
"So much for a little headache," Kade joked.
I took the pillow away and sat up against the wall, ignoring the churning in my stomach and the way the light seemed to be making my head complain even more.
"You want to know the truth?"
"That's what I've been trying to get out of you all day," Georgia rolled her eyes.
"I tried to tell Dad this morning but he thought I was faking and made me come here. I thought if I told you you'd either think the same or you'd bring me here, they'd call Dad and then-"
"Your dad says you tried faking your way out of school this morning kid, so sorry not sorry but you're going back to class," Mrs Wickers cut me off, saying exactly what I though she would.
Georgia tried to protest but I shushed her and stood up, my legs feeling like lead. My knees were quaking and I don't know if it was the light wave of dizziness that washed over me or if my stomach had finally had enough but next thing I know I'm doubled over dry heaving violently and painfully.
"Stop it kid, I'm not stupid. You think you're the first to try something like this?" Mrs Wickers snorted as my friends tried to comfort me. Everything was swimming again and I couldn't see straight, I had never been ill like this before.
Harry's POV (Jackson's dad)
I hung up the phone, feeling irritated. That kid. I should've been expecting a call really, once he had some thing in his head there was no talking him out of it. I couldn't believe he had gone as far as to almost fainting though, what's he trying to accomplish here?
My phone rung again and I huffed when I saw it was Jackson calling.
"Hello?" A girl's voice sounded in my ear and I recognised it as Georgia's. I liked that girl, and I thought that Jackson did too.
"Hey George," I replied, a little confused as to why she was calling me on my son's phone, "what's going on?"
"He's not lying, he can't lie this well," she said. I sighed. Jackson had gotten Georgia into this?
"He can lie pretty convincingly when he wants to," I said, tapping my knee with my fingers.
"I know you don't believe him but he can't stay here like this, please just come take him home? It's the second to last period anyways, he won't be missing much," she tried.
I thought about it for a second. She was right, it couldn't do any harm. And I guess I had a small amount of guilt. Just in case there was actually something wrong. Unlikely, but I was a parent and that meant I was a worrier. "Fine, I'll be there in ten."
"Thank you, you won't regret it," she said and then hung up.
"What was that about?" Liam asked curiously, poking his head over my shoulder. We were doing some recording at the moment so it was all pretty relaxed.
"I've got to go to the school. . ." I stretched and got to my feet.
"Why?" Niall butted in.
"I told you that Jack tried to get out of school this morning right? Well apparently he's in the nurses office after almost fainting, he's even got his mates involved in the lies now," I huffed.
"Maybe he's not lying?" Louis suggested.
"I doubt it, he looked perfectly fine this morning and it's not as if he's given me any reasons to believe him," I shot back. "Anyway, I'll be back soon."
I waved and then left in a hurry.
At the school I pretty much stomped into the nurses office, my hands clenched by my sides.
"Good afternoon, Mr Styles," Mrs Wickers greeted me.
I nodded in her direction, "Hey. Where's Jackson?"
She scowled, "just through there, I don't know why you bothered coming though."
"Neither," I replied and went through the door.
Jackson was on the bed, a pillow over his face and Kade and Georgia were sitting in the plastic chairs along the edge of the room. The curtains were drawn and a dull light was emitting from the small bulb in the ceiling. They turned to look at me when the door creaked.
"H," I said blankly.
Neither of them looked very impressed.
"At least he came," Kade whispered to Georgia. She looked up at me expectantly.
"Do you still think he's lying?" She gestured to Jackson.
"Probably, but I can't leave him here acting like this," I replied and I shook him awake for the second time today.
"I'm fine," his words were muffled by the pillow.
"It's Dad," I told him after realising that he didn't even know it was me.
"Dad?" He pulled the pillow away slowly, his hands trembling, "I thought you weren't coming?"
I gasped quietly as his face was exposed. His pale, teary and pained face. Shit, I really screwed up this time.
"You're really not well are you?" I uttered quietly, feeling like the shittiest dad in the universe.
He didn't even have time to reply and suddenly he was leaning over the side of the bed heaving violently. A bucket had been put there luckily so nothing was dirtied. Well, apart from the bucket.
"I'm so, so sorry Jack."
I felt like crying. I rubbed his sweaty back as he finished up, almost falling forward and off the bed. I caught him with steady hands and pushed him gently back so that he could lean against the wall.
"It's not even your fault Dad, it's mine," he whispered.
"I should've known. . ." I trailed off.
"Please just take me home," he pleaded and I nodded, "of course, let's get out of here."
Jackson's POV
Within the next forty eight hours I was feeling better and hoping to never get a migraine ever again.
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