*Dan*
Genevieve would hate all of this attention on her.
I know it has faded, and it's important; but still, it's in the back of everyone's mind who lives in this town. It's rare something like this happens here.
Also, it's even weird for Genevieve to miss school, so that's worrying everyone involved with her, even anyone who knows her casually.
She has hardly ever missed any days of school in her years of middle and high school. And the only time she missed days in Elementary school were from sickness, and she took a few days off after her mom died. I think she's missed a day or two in high school, one was because she had a cold that wiped her out for a day, almost two. But she refused to take that second day off. And I mean, refused. She is stubborn. Don't even try with Genevieve, she will win.
She may be running a little late most mornings, but she's never been actually late, and she's rarely missed a full day.
There was one time she got really sick. She usually pushed through any sickness that hit her. But she got strep throat once and had to stay out for one day. And she hated it.
Genevieve is one of those people that likes to stay busy. Even with strep, she wanted to be up doing things, but since it was contagious for the whole day, her dad told her she should probably stay in her room. And that she should rest. But did she listen? No.
Genevieve cleaned the whole house. She even tidied her room that was usually always a mess. It was still "organized chaos" to her dad after, but still, it was tidying for Genevieve.
We only know this because me and Beth went over to bring her work that she begged for so she wouldn't fall behind, by one day. Genevieve was serious about school, she worked really hard.
We just happened to notice the house was very clean on the way up to her room.
Beth knocks on her door and we hear music from inside turn down.
"Come in!" She calls.
We open the door, and there she is, sitting on her bed with a soft looking blanket over her legs. She's wearing a big black sweatshirt that looks old(er), and apparently has a logo for the band 'Rush' on it. Her hair looks different, not like it usually does, which I notice right away, and she's wearing her big round reading glasses.
How can someone look cute while being sick?
"Hey," She smiles and puts a bookmark in a book that's on her lap, then puts it aside. She pulls off her glasses and puts them on top of the book.
"How are you feeling?" Beth asks, putting school stuff on the end of Genevieve's bed before sitting to the side of her.
"I'm contagious, be careful," Genevieve laughs.
"I'll risk it," Beth laughs.
"I'm feeling fine," Genevieve laughs, "I could have gone to school."
"You're contagious," Beth laughs, "You can't go to school when you're contagious."
"Oh pish posh," Genevieve laughs and her hands disappear into her sleeves.
We all laugh.
"Hi Dan," She says personally to me now.
"Hey," I get a little closer, "I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Thank you," She smiles, "Me too."
She was really sick over the weekend, but still somehow went to work without letting on that she felt like she was dying, as she put it in the group text.
She went to the ER Sunday night. It was hard for her to talk and her throat hurt so much. Doctors aren't open, sillily, so she went there where they were able to find out she had strep and give her antibiotics, while telling her that the first day of them she would be contagious and couldn't go to school. She asked for a note and everything, because she hates missing school.
She runs her hand through her hair and I look at it. It's beautiful like this too. She has really nice hair that suits her so well, matching her brown eyes and freckles.
"Leigh!" We hear.
"Uh oh," Genevieve laughs.
"Did you clean the house??" Her dad comes in, in his work clothes.
"No..." She tries.
He laughs and shakes his head, "You weren't supposed to leave your room!"
"But Dad!" She laughs.
"No 'buts' young lady! Stay in your room!" He says.
She laughs, "Fine!"
"Hi guys," He smiles, we wave/say him, and then he looks back at his daughter, "Oh, and I brought you soup, tell me when you're hungry." Then he leaves the room.
We all laugh.
"I think if that's the worst thing you do as a daughter, cleaning the house and also your room, you're golden," Beth laughs.
I laugh and Genevieve laughs, "Me too."
We all sit on her bed and update her on the day she missed. She wants to know the most mundane of things. She wants to know everything. Just like Genevieve.
"I wish you would wear your hair like this more often," Beth says and touches Genevieve's hair, "It looks beautiful on you, like you're a mermaid or something."
Genevieve kinds of shakes her head and laughs, "I would rather brush it out, I don't know."
"Shame," Beth laughs, "People work so hard to get wavy hair like you, that you already have so simply and naturally."
She touches it more and starts playing with it. Genevieve seems to relax a little more as she giggles, which makes me smile.
Genevieve seems to get kind of lightheaded at one point, even though she doesn't want to admit it, we can just tell. So Beth lays her down and pulls the blanket up for her. She runs a hand through Genevieve's hair and her hand touches her forehead and cheek.
"Close your eyes, Leigh, it's okay," Beth says gently.
"We'll see you tomorrow," I add.
She closes her eyes, "Thank you guys," She smiles.
We leave her room and head downstairs.
"I think Leigh might be taking a little nap," Beth tells Mr. Lambert who's in the kitchen.
He laughs, "Okay."
"And she feels a little hot," Beth adds.
"I'll get her some IbProfen," He goes to a cabinet, "Thanks, Beth."
Beth nods and he puts the bottle of medicine near her soup.
"Thanks for coming over you guys, I'm sure she appreciated it," He smiles.
"No problem," Beth smiles.
We say our goodbyes and leave the house.
Genevieve came to school the next day. Still a little run down, but stubbornly determined, as always.
~*~