For the following two weeks, Lucas would stay with me if he happened to come over late. But I had been seeing less of him because of testing. Darrel had to take them too and he was staying up late these past nights to study.
But that also reminded me that I had a science exam to prepare for. Science really wasn't my best forte. I had procrastinated when I got home; putting off the inevitable studying by watching anime. Now it was late and I wanted to go to bed.
"This is your own fault." Darrel had told me just before he went to bed.
"Don't stay up too late." my mother had told me as she set a cup of coffee in front of me. After a while though my eyelids wouldn't stay open and before I knew it I was asleep.
I dreamed that I was running on water. Something was pulling me towards it, a strong force. But suddenly I was under the water and I was drowning. I tried to swim but my legs were tangled on something I couldn't see.
"Riley!" I bolted straight up; knocking my head into Darrel's.
"Ow! What gives?!"
"You bumped into me!" he said rubbing his forehead.
"Why did you wake me?"
"Because you're gonna be late for school."
"Oh no! But I have an exam first period!" I scrambled up and picked up my books; shoving them into my bag before running up the stairs. Lucario barked as he ran in between my legs, barking the whole time.
"Lucario i can't play with you right now." I entered my room and paced back and forth in front of my closet. I wasn't someone that would pour over my closet for hours just trying to find what to wear. But I wasn't trying to go outside looking like I got dressed in the dark.
After thinking for about 5 minutes I decided on a close fitting turtleneck and a pair of sweatpants with my boots. Tomboy chic I suppose. That's what Zoe would call it, she was such a girly girl, and way into fashion. I blazed down the stairs and considered asking Darrel for a riser but he was already back asleep on the couch. And he wasn't even dressed.
So I put on my outerwear, grabbed my bag, and left. I reached the school 10 minutes into the test.
"Sorry I'm late."
"Just sit on down and start." said my teacher as she handed me a test.
We went over the answers and I had failed. I think I got a total of 5 questions right. At the most, I'd get an F plus. I had to come up at lunch to retake it. Which meant that I had to cram during study hall.
It really took a lot out of me. But I retook the test and got a B plus. That was good enough. I hadn't had breakfast and I had just missed my lunch. And then I just had gym. I left early; my team having won our soccer match.
It took me a while to get up to stairs and walk down the hall. My vision was getting a bit blurry and my head was hurting. I tried shaking my head to clear the fog but that only made it worse. I heard someone call my name, I turned around to see who the person was but instead of being met with a face I was looking at the lights on the ceiling.
"That can't be right." I mumbled before my eyes slipped close.
When I woke up I was in the nurses office, laying on one of the two cots in the room.
"Bloody hell." I grumbled; feeling a sense of dejavu.
"Hey." said a voice. I looked to my side to see Christopher sitting next to me. My instant reflex was to roll my eyes.
"Oh come on. Is that how you greet the person who brought you to the nurses office?"
"If it's you then yes."
"I found slouching against the lockers and muttering to yourself. When I called out to you, you passed out so I brought you here."
"Oh, you shouldn't have."
"What was I suppose to do? Leave you on the hallway floor?"
"Yes. Class would have been starting, someone else would have found me and brought me here." I started to get up.
"Don't you think you should rest more?" he reached an arm out and I slapped it away.
"I'm fine. I just need to eat something." I grabbed my bag and proceeded to leave. I took out my phone and texted Zoe to sneak me some coffee from the teachers lounge. She could go in there because of her student council president privileges.
I also texted Lucas. I knew he was busy but I wanted to see him. I asked him if he could pick me up after school. He replied a few minutes later with a yes. I was glad that I had art last period, it would be quiet. I would be able to drink my coffee in peace. I ended up falling asleep and was woken by Zoe.
"Come one, school is over." she said pulling me up. I rubbed my eyes and swung my bag over my shoulder and let Zoe take my hand to lead me out the building. My phone rang and I dug through my bag to find it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, I'm outside."
"Okay." I said kinda drowsily.
"You alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine."
"No she's not." Zoe said grabbing my phone from my hands.
"Give it back!" I tried reaching for my phone but Zoe held me back.
"She waited too late to study so she stayed up late and overslept. Then she pushed herself too hard with cramming, without eating lunch. And I can bet she didn't have breakfast either. Then she passed out and slept through a period and a half." she explained to him.
Lucas said something that made Zoe nod and then hand back my phone after hanging up.
"What did he say?" she gave me an indecipherable look and continued walking.
"Come on. He's in the front." sure enough Lucas was waiting in front of the school.
"I'll see you later." Zoe said; waving to me as I got in the car. Lucas glanced at me as I relaxed into the warm interior of the car. I put on my seatbelt and Lucas started driving.
"I'm stopping by Panera, so I'll get you something to eat while I'm in there." I nodded and it didn't take us long to get there. Lucas left me in the car and went inside. He left the car on so I would still be warm, but for some reason I still felt chills. I curled up a bit in the seat and leaned my body against the door.
Lucas soon came back out and set the bag in the backseat with my messenger bag.
"Now let's get you home." he pulled out from the parking space and back onto the road. I guess it was because I was quiet that Lucas kept glancing at me the whole ride.
"Riley are you alright?" I shook my head lightly, the pounding beneath my temples slowly coming back. He frowned and reached a hand over to put on my forehead.
"Gods, Riley you're burning up." even though he sound cool and collected I knew he was worried. I think he drove faster because we reached my house quick. I had my eyes closed most of the way so his figure looked extremely blurred as he lifted me and the bags from the car.
"Where are your keys?"
"In my bag." I could hear the rustling and then jingling sounds.
"Kick your boots off." I held tight to him and swung my legs until they slipped off my feet. He carried me up to my bedroom. My mom wasn't home, and Darrel had a date today do the house was empty and quiet except for Lucario who was currently napping. Lucas was gonna put me right in bed but I stopped him. I
"I don't wanna sit on the bed in the same clothes I wore to school." I told him. I raised an eyebrow when he stood there staring.
"Turn around. I'm not gonna undress with you watching me."
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Lucas' POV
I'd seen her both in her underwear and naked before. Though, they weren't exactly times where she was trying to flash me. So like the gentleman I am, I turned around and waited for her to change.
"I'm going to sleep." she told me.
"No, you have to eat first. If you go to sleep on an empty stomach you'll just wake up feeling worse." I retrieved the soup I had gotten her from the Panera bag. I pulled the beanbag chair next to her bed, good thing it was a low bed do that this wouldn't be too weird of a height difference between our positions. She looked like she wanted to protest, but the soup did smell good. I held out a spoon and she gladly took it.
I took out my laptop from my bag and started up the game that was still inside. Riley didn't say anything but she looked on with as much interest as a sick person could have. I was playing Sims 4. A week and a half ago I had created sim versions of us. I had needed something to do in between studying, and working with my dad wasn't an appealing option.
Our sims already had 3 children, and sim Riley was pregnant again. I was trying to fill our household with our kids. I was doing some remodeling for a while when I heard soft snoring. I looked over to Riley who had the bowl sitting on the bed while she curled up into the blankets and her pillow. I sighed and removed the bowl.
"You finished the soup. Good girl." I placed the disposable bowl back in the bag and then bent over to kiss her forehead. I pulled covers higher up on her body. Now it was time to actually get to business.
Clicking the screen to save my game, I waited patiently for about a minute and then exited before putting in my flash drive. I clicked on a file and it opened up a report on the drugs that were stolen from our warehouse.
The first; X1 was a suppressing drug. Its name describes it function, to suppress both supernatural and non-supernatural powers. X2 was an adapting drug. It would travel through your blood stream and adapt to your body, giving you corresponding powers.
X3 is a high powered numbing drug. You're still conscious but you can't feel any part of your body. Together these drugs make up Group X.
They had stolen 3 of the most productive drugs in the warehouse. My father must not be pleased. I sucked my teeth at the realization. We still had the information to make more but what good would that do if the Hunters had it? I signed into my email and started to type one to both my father and Jermiah, just in case one didn't get it.
We would have to start working on an anti drug for each one of Group X. If the Hunters want to use it against us then we'd have to take precaution. I fear the only one we wouldn't be able to make an anti drug for would be X2. Since it adapts differently to different bodies there wouldn't be a steady anti drug.
I let out a sigh as I sent the email. I looked over at Riley and I know I say this a lot but she's just so adorable. Especially when she's sleeping. It wasn't that late in the day yet, and I wasn't about to leave her in the house alone.
Closing my laptop I decided I'd put her food away. Lucario was in the kitchen eating his food when I got there. He barked and I shushed him before patting his head. I placed her food in the fridge and then moved into the living room. There were a few pictures on the mantle above the fireplace.
My eyes zoned in on one picture with a man who I could assume is Riley's father. He was holding up Riley in his arms while Darrel is holding Karens hand. The man looked familiar, but I couldn't tell who he was because his face was turned at a certain angle. I'd have to ask Riley about him when she gets up.
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