Not A Bad Thing (A Russell Wilson Story)

Twenty-Six

"Girl, get up! Time to get ready so that we can watch the guys practice!" Dani throws a pillow on my bed. She isn't talking very loud, but it sounds amplified with this pounding headache.

"Dani, can you just tone it down a bit, please?" I beg her as I squeeze my eyes tight. This is so not fun. I turn away from her, trying to fall back asleep to see if this headache would go away.

I feel the bed dip behind me. "Mel, are you feeling okay?" Dani asks, concern evident in her tone.

"My head is killing me," I moan. I feel her hand on my forehead.

"Dude, you're burning up! It's super warm in here too and you're covered in blankets." I feel her get off the bed and rummage through some bags. "I'm going to run down and get you some medicine and something to eat first. I'll be right back."

Minutes later, the door opens then closes again. "Can you sit up?" Dani asks.

I open my eyes slowly, flinching at the light, and sit up. I bring the blanket around me, keeping the warmth. Dani sets a pastry in front of me and puts the pills and water on the bedside table. I smile at her thankfully. "You're the best."

She sits in front of me, still looking concerned and torn. "I don't want to leave you here alone. I'll feel bad. Maybe I can just stay?"

I shake my head. "Girl, go ahead and go watch them practice. I know you want to. I just need to sleep this off and we can hang later in the afternoon. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I reach over and take the pills. "Go. And please don't tell Russell. I don't want him to lose focus the day before the game. Just reassure him that I'm okay if he asks."

"Okay." Dani gets up to put on her jacket and calls for David. "I'll text you later. Get some rest. We still have a lot more to do later," she smiles. "Love you!"

I curl up under the blanket. "Love you too. Have fun!"

After Dani leaves, I try to go back and sleep. In truth, I'm a bit grateful for this headache, because I am not up to face Russell yet. I still need some space and time, and hope that he realizes on his own that his words hurt. Finally, I feel the meds kicking in and I fall back to sleep.

The next thing I hear is excessive vibrating. Groggily, I reach over to shut my phone off. I peak one eye open at the time and see that it's well past noon. Hmmm... I've slept for a good four hours. I notice my headache subsided, but I still want to sleep. I turn over to get more comfy and see if I can slip back into unconsciousness.

"You should have told me she wasn't feeling well Daniella," a masculine voice outside the door says.

"Well, she didn't want to worry you. You know she's like that and always considers others first. And I made sure to take care of her before I left." Dani explains.