I trudge my way upstairs, backpack in hand, utterly exhausted. And it's only three o'clock.
Everything hurts, and I want to die.
I swear I'm going to find a way to go back in time and murder whoever came up with the idea of high school starting so early in the morning.
Ever since I almost killed Aaron for not telling me he had a sister––I mean, seriously, how do you just not tell someone that?––Autumn had been hanging out with us.
Everybody had no problem with her being there––except for Aaron, but I think that's because she's his sister.
A few days had passed since she started hanging out with us, and today was Friday.
Normally, most kids my age would probably be out somewhere, having fun.
Me? All I wanted to do was sleep and never wake up. Maybe then I'd finally catch up on all the sleep I miss on a daily basis.
I drop my backpack by my door and shuffle over to my bed, throwing myself on it and snuggling into one of my pillows.
My head pounds, and my skin feels clammy, and I just feel so...icky.
I feel myself start to drift off to sleep, and that's when my mom bursts through my door.
"Cass, sweetie?" she asks.
"Yes, mom?"
"Could you go do the dishes for me, please?"
I huff into my pillow, and I slowly push myself up and get out of bed.
"Sure, mom," I say tiredly, my feet moving me out my door and downstairs.
It's really cold right now. I'm shivering as I walk and I make a detour to the thermostat to turn the heat up before I head towards the kitchen to wash the dishes.
I stop once I see the amount of dishes in the sink.
There's a bowl and a spoon.
You have got to be kidding me.
---------
After I got done washing the dishes, I stayed downstairs for a little bit, played with the dogs, watched TV––the usual––and by the time I felt like I was going to pass out, it was only eight-thirty.
Fucking school.
I wouldn't be surprised if I started growing white hair because of all the stress.
I slowly make my way up the stairs, feeling much more tired than I did a couple hours ago, and collapse onto my bed once again.
I keep tossing and turning, mostly because I keep getting so hot to the point where I'm sweating and then getting so cold to the point where I'm shivering.
It's torture.
And I can't get comfortable, no matter how hard I try, no matter what way I lay on the bed, I just can't
So I lay there, uncomfortable and hot––scratch that, it's cold again ––until I eventually fall asleep.
---------
My eyes open slowly, almost as if they're being held shut, and my body aches.
Not in the good way, like after a workout, but in the bad way.
In the sick way.
Oh, God, please don't tell me I'm sick.
"Mom?" I croak out, my voice sounding like I ate glass for dinner, and I let out a cough that was building up inside my chest. "Dad?"
No response. Which probably means they aren't home. Great.
I hold back tears. I just want some soup and comfort. Is that too much to ask for?
A series of coughs rip their way through my chest, and my body jerks with each one.
When I finally manage to stop, I may back against my pillow, extremely exhausted.
I roll onto my side with a groan and find my phone.
My burning eyes manage to unlock it and go to my text messages.
Sure enough, there's a message from Mom saying that, yet again, she and Dad got called into the office.
A quick glance at the time tells me it's just after one in the morning, and I let out another groan, followed by a cough.
I need to call someone because there's no way I'm making it out of this bed to get medicine, water, or food.
Okay, maybe I would for food, but that's besides the point.
Gabs doesn't talk to me outside of school anymore, so she's out; I vaguely remember Gracie saying that she'd be spending the night with Cole––something about a sleepover––and I'm pretty sure Cole doesn't live close to where I do, so both him and Gracie are out; Adrian said he'd be going on a weekend getaway upstate with his family, so he's out; Jacob's out because, from what I've gathered, his parents are very strict, so I doubt they'd let him drive to my house in the middle of the night; Autumn's out because she's staying at a friend's house.
The only person that's left is Aaron.
Another round of coughs plague my lungs, and I press on Aaron's contact and then the call button. I put the phone on speaker, hoping he picks up.
The phone rings once, twice, three times before there's a pause, one long enough to let me know that Aaron picked up, and I want to cry out of relief.
And pain, because everything still hurts.
"Cassie?" comes his sleepy voice. "What's wrong?"
I start coughing hard enough that it feels like my lungs are trying to catapult themselves out of my body before I can answer Aaron's question.
"Cassie," he says again, more alert now, the worry clear in his voice. "Tell me what's wrong."
I let out a groan after I swallow and the pain in my throat flares up. "I think I'm sick."
"Where are your parents?"
I barely register the question, but I somehow answer the question. "Not here." My voice sounds terrible; I sound like a chainsmoker. "Went to work."
He curses, quite colorfully, and I cough again, bile rising at the back of my throat before I'm able to swallow and shove it back down. "I'm coming, okay? Hang on."
He hangs up and I throw the covers off of me as my body decided it's hot.
I hate being sick, which is a little ironic, because I'm always getting sick.
I have a weak immune system. It's not anything life-threatening, it just means that I get sick a lot, and it takes longer for me to get better.
Which sucks.
At least, Aaron's coming over. As much as I hate to admit it, he makes everything better, and I could use that right now.
Shit.
My balcony doors are locked.
With a groan I push myself up and out of bed, and as soon as I stand up, the blood rushes out of my head and the room spins, but I manage to stumble to my doors.
I unlock them, open one, and Aaron gives me a crazy look from where he's standing right in front of them.
"Why are you up?" He rushes towards me and picks me up bridal style. "You don't need to be walking."
His voice is muffled and I squint through my blurry eyes to see him with a doctor's mask covering his mouth.
"Really," I say irritatedly, which causes a series of coughs to erupt from me. "You jackass."
He gives me a sheepish look as he walks over to my bed with me in his arms and places me on the bed, covering me with the covers.
"No," I whine. "It's hot."
He ignores me and places a hand on my forehead, letting out a curse as he moves his hand to my neck. "Where's your thermostat? Nevermind, I'll find it." He leaves and I shove the covers off of me, shivering even though I'm so hot.
He comes back and covers me once again.
"Aaron," comes another whine.
He grabs my desk chair, brings it so he can sit at the side of my bed, and grabs my hand. "Sorry, Cassie, but you need to sweat the fever out. It's going to get really hot."
"It's already hot," I groan after I cough.
"You'll be fine, Cassie."
"God is punishing me for my sins," I say seriously, and Aaron bursts out laughing.
"You're dramatic when you're sick, aren't you?"
"Am not." I close my eyes and swallow, even though it hurts my throat. "Aaron," comes my soft voice. "Can you make me some soup?"
He laughs and I hear the word needy leave his mouth. I'm not needy; I just want some soup. And ice cream. And cuddles. But that doesn't make me needy.
"Sure, Cassie. I'll be right back." He gets up to leave, but stops in the doorway. "Don't take the covers off." He shoots me a warning look before he leaves, leaving my door open.
I groan, and without him here talking to me, keeping me awake, I fall asleep.
---------
I wake up to someone shaking me.
My eyes blink open and I stare up at Aaron, who's leaning over me.
"What?" comes my scratchy voice. I look outside to see that the sun isn't up yet, which means it's sometime before six.
"I brought you some soup." He motions to my nightstand and I look over to see a bowl of hot soup.
Aaron helps me set up against my headboard and he gives me the bowl of soup.
I look down at it and then back up at Aaron. "Chicken noodle?"
He nods. "Without the chicken and noodle."
I pout. "But then it's not chicken noodle soup anymore."
"I just don't want you throwing up that much. I think liquids stay down better than food." He pauses, furrows his eyebrows. "Or maybe it's the other way around."
I eye him. "If you kill me, I'm haunting you for the rest of your life."
"Just drink the soup."
I lift the bowl to my lips and take a small sip, closing my eyes as the warm liquid rushes down my throat, soothing it, and a pool of warmth gathers in my stomach.
Aaron watches me drink the soup and he takes the bowl from me when I'm finished.
Out of nowhere, I get super tired.
"What did you put in that soup?" I ask sleepily as I scoot down and put my head on my pillow, my eyes already closed.
"Melatonin." A scowl grows on my face at his words. The bastard drugged me. "You need to sleep."
"I hate you," I mutter, not reaching out to hit him because all I want to do is sleep.
He chuckles. "No you don't."
No I don't.
"Can you lay with me?"
My voice comes out soft, and the tiredness is evident.
He's silent.
"Aaron?"
"Sure, Cassie."
I feel him move behind me, and I scoot to the edge away from him, making room.
Once he's settled, he pulls me back against him, my back against his chest.
I sigh and relax before a disturbing thought crosses my mind. "Where are the dogs?"
"I took them for a quick walk, and they're downstairs in their cages. I think they're sleeping."
"Where are my parents?"
"Oh, they sent you a text saying that they're going to sleep at the office. There's a big case they're working on, and it's really important."
I nod and relax once again.
I feel sleep starting to edge into my brain, causing me to sink into a state of half-sleep; I'm not asleep, but I'm not fully awake either.
"Cassie?"
I make a sound of acknowledgement.
"Don't throw up on me."
I laugh softly. "No promises."
He doesn't talk after that, and I fall asleep again.