Say Hello, Wave Goodbye -- Louis Partridge

20. Hunting High And Low

I was right. I got a cold. I skipped school on Monday even though we only had four days left. The truth is, I feel like shit. The last time I was this ill was when I was eight and got this exact same cold because I decided to dance in the rain for an hour. Deja vu much? Last time I ended up in hospital. My immune system isn't the strongest. The thing I'm scared of is when I was eight day one was barely anything. Day two was when my fever spiked. I just wished that didn't happen again. Mum was okay about it but I think she was trying to hide her concern.

All I had today was a headache. And two swollen tonsils. I didn't tell Lou as I didn't want him to skip but I got a call from him as soon as the clock struck four. 

"Where are you?" He asks, a hint of worry is in his voice and it makes my heart melt.

"You know how yesterday I said I might get a cold? I think that might have happened."

"Are you alright."

"I'm surviving don't worry it's just a cold." I gulp at that, what if I have to go to hospital again? What if something really bad happens. What if... no. I'm not going to think about that right now.

"I need to go talk to Mister Hampseed about my French essay can I call you back?" Oh. Okay. I hide my disappointment.

"Sure! You don't need to call me it's fine I'll see you at school tomorrow." We say our goodbyes and I close the phone and carry on binging teen wolf. It's very good. I can't believe I didn't listen to Carly last year when she said I might like it more than tvd. Stiles Stilinski formed into my comfort character and it took him the first five minutes of episode one.

I'm on the finale of season one when the door bell rings. Mum has a key, maybe she forgot it? I get up and realise how stiff my legs are. Another symptom I got when I was eight. I blink when I see Lou's face.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, Lou smiles through the camera.

"You didn't think I would leave you alone while you were sick did you love?" Yes. Yes I did. I buzz him in and the first thing Lou does is carry me to the sofa.

"I can walk, you know."

"Yes but your mum filled me in on symptoms that you might show and difficulty in movement was one of them. Besides I got an excuse to touch you." I grab his hand and pull him beside me and we cuddle for a bit. Then, Lou springs up as if he forgot something. He walks to the door where I notice a bag that wasn't there before. Lou shakes it around and starts pulling out stuff one by one. "Soup, from the café, apparently it's your favourite. I ran to the pharmacy whilst your mum boiled it. I know you haven't eaten anything today and so I decided it's time to force you."

"You are not forcing me." Lou smiles and runs into the kitchen to grab something.

"I so am... with the power of, aha!" He runs back into the kitchen with a spoon. "The power of baby feeding! Works like a charm."

"Fine. Maybe. No. What else do you have in there?" He pouts when I decline him but I can tell he hasn't given up.

"Basic medicine. I got you paracetamol for headaches, Calpol and Nurofen if a fever comes andddd." He pulls out a get well soon card from the bag and I start laughing. "Tada!"

"Thank you, so much." It was as if next to him I already fe,t ten times better. His warm brown eyes made me feel so safe. I opened the card, astonished to see how many people have signed the card. All of his friendship group and all of my subject teachers have signed it, he also got my mum and the coworkers at the café. I see that there are five wishes that I don't recognise the names of. "Who are Dave, Natalie, Emma, Robert and Josh?" I ask.