Halftime

chapter 13

I was sick. Like fever, coughing and blocked nose sick. I guess being rained on and sleeping outdoors didn't really go down that well with my immune system, and I was probably a little run down from the last few weeks of school too.

I got home from Coney Island with a sore throat, ignored it and went the next few days telling myself I was fine only to wake up in the middle of the night with a burning fever. And a few hours later I'd started hacking up phlegm.

In the few hours since I'd gotten a fever Harley had become my own personal nurse, cooking up some chicken soup and dishing out medicine to me.

I hated being sick. Especially in summer. At least being sick in winter meant being all warm and snuggly while the weather was miserable outside. Being sick in summer meant missing out on beautiful days and trying to soak in all the vitamin d while it lasted.

But no, I had to go and get sick and was now in bed getting bored after watching basically everything good on Netflix.

"How you feeling?" Harley asked, walking in with a cup of tea. I loved Harley, but she was seriously being a helicopter parent right now. I think this was my fourth cup of tea she'd brought into my room since this morning. And it was only three in the afternoon.

"Fine," I told her, even though I definitely didn't feel or look it.

Harley rolled her eyes and pressed a hand against my forehead, "sure you do tough girl. You still have a fever."

I sighed and sunk into my pile of cushions I'd stacked onto my bed, "I don't really think fevers take half a day to go away."

She shrugged, "I can hope."

"Harley," I told her glaring as she proceeded to place a cold towel against my forehead, "I love you to death but seriously, I can take care of myself."

She pouted, "but you always take care of me when I'm sick."

"It's not an eye for an eye Harles. Seriously, I'm good. Go out. I know there's a party you want to go to."

"I feel bad leaving you alone," she sighed, "and you really aren't well."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not going to die. And I feel worse that I'm making you stay and baby me. Really, Harles I'll be ok. Just go have fun."

Her eyes brightened with an idea, "oh my god. Invite Hayden over."

I'd been texting Hayden regularly, some of our conversations going late into the night. I hadn't seen him since he drove me back home from Coney Island and he'd been badgering me to see him but I told him I was sick and said he wasn't allowed over since I didn't want him to get sick from me.

I grimaced, "I don't want to get him sick."

It was Harley's turn to roll her eyes, "oh please. He won't. I've been looking after you and I'm not sick. Besides, I'm not leaving you alone so unless you want me here all night then you better call him over."

I groaned but pulled out my phone to send a text to Hayden.

'You free tonight?' I typed out.

As usual, Hayden's reply came seconds later. 'Does my sick girl need some company?'

I smiled, 'more like rescuing from Harley. She won't leave the apartment unless someone comes to look after me.'

'Be there in an hour ;)'

I clicked my phone off and found Harley smirking at me. "What?" I asked.

She shrugged, "oh nothing. Just that every time you text Hayden you get the love eyes."

I scowled at her, "love eyes?"