The Delinquent's Haven

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

 

          As he stretched, Darin looked over to his side.  His eyes zeroed in on Derek sleeping soundly in his own bed and that's when the confusion struck.  Sitting up far too quickly, he felt a wave of nausea hit him.  Throwing himself back down onto his bed, he groaned in discomfort. 

          "Derek?"  Darin croaked, causing him to look over at his roommate through his discomfort.  He didn't know what was wrong with him and he didn't understand why his body was reacting the way it did to his movement. 

          "What's wrong?"  Derek asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes clean of the sleep that had formed there.  Then, he looked over at Darin to see his best friend pale as could be.  Without a second thought, Derek stood up and walked over to him.

          Placing the back of his hand against Darin's forehead, he felt him burning with a fever.  With a groan, Derek left him laying in his bed and returned with a bucket and Maragret, who had a worried look written across her face. 

          "Oh, honey . . .  What's the matter?"  Maragret asked, looking down to see how pale Darin was as his entire body doubled over the bucket before he threw up.  He groaned in agony as he sat up, barely able to prop himself on his elbows. 

          Maragret took his temperature before she told him he was staying in bed and that she would be up with a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese around lunch time.  Then, she covered him with extra blankets and told him to pound on the wall if he needed anything or to text her cell.  

          "Get some rest, Darin . . . "  Maragret said, kissing his forehead before she left. 

          When the room was left with only a feverish Darin and a scowling Derek, it fell silent.  Darin was in agony; his stomach and head were killing him and he didn't know if he could even walk over to the bathroom on his own. 

          "You must have that flu shit that's going around the school, huh?"  Derek said, sitting on his bed and leaning against the wall. 

          "Can you do me a favor?"  Darin asked, holding his stomach with his hands.  Derek nodded, already knowing what it was that he wanted.  Though he knew, he was waiting for him to ask . . .  He was waiting to hear how his voice sounded when he said her name.  That would tell him if he was right about them or not. 

          "Can you go get her . . . Haven . . . ?"  

          "Let me ask you something," Derek said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.  Darin nodded, hearing a hint of either jealousy or anger in Derek's words . . . and it was quite possible that he heard both emotions mixed together, melting into one another. 

          "Why don't you just let her go?"  Derek snapped. 

          "Because I can't . . .  I think of leaving her, so she can find someone else and be happy, but I can't.  It's unbearable . . .  The thought of not seeing her smile everyday or hearing her laugh, so, please . . .  Humor me and go get her," Darin's voice was weak with sickness and it cracked in a desperate plea. 

          "You know what happens when you get attached," Derek snapped, again. 

          "Fine, I'll go get her myself," Darin said as he slowly propped himself up on his elbows.  This motion caused a wave of nausea to hit him, causing his attempt at getting up to become a complete failure. 

          "Lay down," Derek said as he stood and walked out the door.  

          He made his way towards Haven's bedroom door and knocked gently.  He heard a groan before footsteps slowly made their way down the steps and the door swung open slowly.  Haven stood, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, with shorts and a tank top on.