Shadow Souls

Chapter Twenty

When my alarm goes off for school the next morning. my entire body aches and I can't breathe through my nose. I try to sit up, and immediately start coughing.

"You're sick," Tyler says, looking at me like I'm on my death bed instead of just facing a minor cold.

"I'm okay," I assure him and start to get up and get dressed. However, I don't even make it to my closet before I have a sneeze attack and another round of coughing. I shoot Tyler a look to not say a word when I hear a knock on the door.

"You okay, Alice?" My dad asks from the other side.

"I'm fine," I tell him and open the door, "It's just a little cold."

"Doesn't seem like it. It seems like you are paying the price for playing outside in the cold rain yesterday," he scolds.

"Oh no! I hope Paige is okay," I say rushing over to grab my phone and text her.

"I think you should stay home today and rest," he says, and I hear Tyler mumble his agreement. Great looks like I have two worry warts to contend with.

"Dad I can't miss school on the first week," I argue. "I'm already behind as it is."

"You can and you will," he tells me in his stern dad voice that I know means there is no room for discussion. "I'm sorry, but you can miss one day. Now I am going to go call the school and you will get back into bed young lady."

He pulls out his phone, and I grumble as I climb back under my blanket before being ravaged by another cough attack. "Maybe I should call into work too," he says, looking worried.

"That really isn't necessary. I promise I'm okay, and I don't even think I have a fever."

He comes over to check my forehead, and grunts in agreement. "I should still make a doctor's appointment for you though. Just to be safe," he says.

"Dad, really, it's just a little cold. I promise if I'm not any better by tomorrow then you can take me to a doctor, okay."

I smile at him hoping he knows I appreciate his worry even if it's not necessary. I also know he just started at a new office and can't afford to miss work either, but luckily, I finally get him to agree that I'm not in such a dire state and can be left home to rest on my own.

He runs downstairs to grab me water and ibuprofen and lets me know he will call on his lunch break to check on me. I thank him and he leaves me with a kiss on the forehead before heading off to work.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Tyler asks me while watching through the window at my dad's truck pulling out of the driveway.

"Honestly sleep," I tell him as my phone buzzes in my hand. "It's Paige. She says she is feeling just fine," I fill Tyler in. "Lucky her. I guess she is just more immune to cold water than I am. Now I wonder why that is?" I joke.

I text her again letting her know I am stuck at home today and ask if she could get my assignments for me. She agrees but not before giving me a lecture on not knowing how to probably milk a sick day.

"She right, you know," Tyler agrees. Just like I knew he would. I stick out my tongue at him, then I roll over to go to sleep.

When I wake up a few hours later, I check my phone and see it is a little after eleven-thirty, meaning Paige is currently in Physics without me. I sit up and look around for Tyler, but instead find a cardboard box sitting on the floor next to the bed. I pick it up and start to inspect the contents and find water, juice, tissues, aspirin, and an assortment of trashy magazines. Not to mention a variety of snacks hitting all the marks; cheesy, salty, and sweet. I move the box aside smiling to myself and I get up to find my best friend.