Living with Pain

Chapter 28: Crashing with a Boyfriend

Sky

The annoying tone of my alarm pulls me out of restless sleep. I angrily hit the snooze button. Ugh. I feel like I have been hit by a train. Everything aches and my brain is foggy. It was going to be one of those days. I thought about fighting it, but I was in full crash mode. Not surprising considering the stress from recent days. As a wave of nausea and dizziness hit me, I turn off the rest of my alarms and lay back down under the comfort of warm blankets.

I wake up again a few hours later feeling slightly better. More like I was hit by a truck, not a train. My joints still ache, throbbing as I lay in bed. Despite the extreme nausea, I knew I needed to eat because my headache was getting stronger. With an inhale of preparation, I swing my legs over the bed.

My feet throb. Each tendon and muscle feel tight as I gently put my weight onto my feet. It hurt to walk, but the need to eat and pee won over the pain.

After relieving myself, I make my way downstairs and onto the living room couch. I need to take a break before I get myself food. Before I get the energy to stand back up, mom enters with a package of saltines, a pepsi, and my morning pills on a tray. She sets it on the end table and hands me the remotes. I smile my thanks. She nods with a strained smile, the look of worry clear in her eyes. I'm too tired to reassure her I will be fine. Besides, she knows I will. I always bounce back.

I curl up in my typical bad day "nest" on the couch and turn on some mind-numbing Disney musical shows. I realize I haven't checked my phone yet. I wonder if Cash has texted me.

Cash: Good morning beautiful :)

Cash: How are you? :)

Cash: I didn't see you before school... are you okay?

Cash; Miss you lots. Let me know what you need.

Cash: Are you having a flare day? What can I do for you? Heating pad, music, cuddles?

Cash: How bad is your pain on a 0-10 scale" He even included a picture of the chart.

I take a deep, steadying breath. Having someone care was exhausting.

I text back.

Me: I'm fine. Just a rough day. Taking it easy. Stay focused on school.

He immediately replies.

Cash: Can I come over after school?

"Um..." I look down at myself. My hair is still greasy from yesterday and I'm in a large t-shirt. Overall, not an attractive picture.

Cash: Please *puppy dog eyes*

Luckily mom walks in. "Need anything hun before I run to the store?"

"Advice."

"That I can give," She seems happy I was asking her as she sits down on the couch arm.

"Cash wants to come over after school. He's asking questions about how I am and I don't know if I want him to see me like this, but I want him here. He's comforting." Romeo raises his head from where he was laying on my lap as if he knew what I had just said. "You are too, buddy," I scratch his head, "He is in a different way."

Mom nods knowingly. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, Sky, but this is part of who you are. If he can't handle this, he doesn't deserve you."

I chew on my lip in concentration. Dang it. Decisions were extra hard on days like this. "Fine, I'll tell him he can come over."

--

Cash

I know I should be paying attention to class, but I'm so worried about my girl. My phone vibrates and I see her text.