Worthless Diary

Chapter - 5 / Sick

Ryan's diary

Dear Benjamin,

Lately, I have been missing a friend of mine. It's been so long since I last saw her. Her name is Flu. I know a lot of people don't like her but I do. I miss her so much that I have even written a rhyme just for her.

'Flu, Flu come please,
I need you, my friend.
I miss the days you were
there for me and brought me
A lot of care.
You're the only one I got
To help me skip school tomorrow.
Please come soon, my friend.'

Written by,
Your one and only,
Ryan
_________________________________________

The next morning

"Ryan! Get up your going to be late for school" Ryan's mom shouts and starts heading to her son's room.

"Ryan! Don't you want to go to school?"
She shoulds at her son who was under his blanket.

"Mommy, I want to get up but my body refuses!" Ryan cries out to his mother from under the blanket.

"What do you mean?" His mother takes the blanket off of him to find him in a fetus position.

"Ryan are you okay?" She asks, worriedly.

"I'm okay. I just have a really bad headache and there's a pain in my limbs but other than that I'm quite fine"
Ryan says, batting his eyelashes innocently.

"Do you have a fever?" His mother places her hand on his forehead.
"Your temperature feels normal to me"

"Then, I guess I don't have a fever," Ryan says, looking relieved.

"You know what, rest. I'll call the doctor to come over and visit you later"
She starts to leave the room.

"Mommy, there's no need to disturb the doctor for this. I'm sure he has many other patients in worse conditions than me. I don't want to deprive those people of medical help" Ryan says.

"My son, you do worry about people a lot, don't you. Your father was like this too when he was young. But I can't take risks when it comes to you. I'll tell the doctor to come whenever he's free. For now, I want you to stay in bed. I'll bring your breakfast upstairs" with this said, the mother leaves her son who had a smirk on his face.

_________________________________________

"Maria! Where's my orange juice?!"
Ryan shouts.

"Coming" his younger sister, Maria Holland replies.

It was now nearly 5:00 pm. Ryan had just taken a three-hour-long nap and now he was getting the sick privilege.

Maria enters the room and places the glass on Ryan's bedside table and turns around to leave.

"Wait a minute. I believe I asked for a bag of chips" Ryan questions his sister.

"You're sick bro and sick people are not supposed to eat chips" Maria replies to her brother with her hands on her hips.

" Sick people must eat good things," Ryan says.
"Chips are junk food," Maria says.
"Oh, Maria. You're such a child. Chips taste good, they make you feel energetic and full. They're carbohydrates and the human body needs at least 70% of carbohydrates per day. Then how are chips junk?" Ryan defends chips.
" First of all, I am not a child. I'm fourteen. And second of all, don't try to teach me science. I have school to teach me this stuff. And chips must be eaten when you can fully enjoy and savour the taste. You can only do that if you're in good health and you're not well" Maria explains to Ryan as if he's a toddler.
" Maria, my little sister, do you mind massaging my head. It's hurting a lot"
Ryan says holding his dramatically.

Maria slowly makes her way towards her brother. She puts both her hands around Ryans head and squeezes.

"Ouch! Hey! What are you doing?" Ryan screams

"Giving you a massage. Your head hurts does it not?" Maria asks with a smirk.
"You're making it worse. Leave it" Ryan says.
"Okay then brother, I'll see you later" Maria bows dramatically and leaves the room with Ryan glaring at the door.

_________________________________________

"My acting skills are great, aren't they?" Ryan asks his friends over the phone.
"Yes, sir. They are" Alan replies in a British accent.
"But don't be so relaxed. Your mom could figure it out. She called a doctor, remember?" Dexter says.
"Oh shit! I forgot" Ryan jumps up from bed.
"Don't worry. Relax. It'll be fine. Just make sure he doesn't realize that your acting" Alan says.
"Don't worry no one will find out that it's all an act," Ryan says and the door bursts open. Ryan's jaw hangs down.

"Did I hear a door open?" Dexter asks worriedly.
"I heard it too," Alan says, gulping.
Ryan's brain was still in the process of comprehending what was going on.

There in front of the door stood Maria. She had a vicious look in her eyes.

"My precious little sister, what did you hear?" Ryan asks, sweetly.
"Nothing more than ' no one will find out that it's all an act " Maria replies, innocently.
" Two jars of Nutella" Ryan offers.
" Four jars and 2 packets of potato crackers" Maria smiles.
"Three jars and one packet" Ryan bargains.
"Deal," Maria says and they both stare at each other naively.

_________________________________________

Ryan sat on his bed with his ears attentive. If his guess was correct then his mother was watching tv downstairs and Maria was in her room, God knows doing what.

It was 6 pm. There was still time left for his father to come home, picking up the doctor on the way.

Ryan opened the door of his room carefully. He tiptoes downstairs. He was about to enter the kitchen when his mother started moving on the sofa. Ryan froze. Luckily, she adjusted herself and focused on the tv show again.
Ryan enters the kitchen. He opens the fridge hesitantly. He picks up a candy bar and closes the door. He starts slithering back to his room.

"Ryan? " He hears his mother's voice behind him.
He stops midst of the stairs. He turns around and smiles at his mother. He starts running up but slips.
He falls in front of his mother with a loud thump.

_________________________________________

"I'm sorry mommy," Ryan says looking at the wall.
"Well, there's no point of pretending sick anymore. You won't be able to go to school like that anyway" his mother says staring at the white bandage on his left leg.
"You're lucky that the stairs aren't that long and you only fractured your leg. Now what is the lesson you learned from all this?" his mother looks at him.
"You must never lie to your mother" Ryan replies.