My favorite red head.

Sick Day

"Ughhh." I groaned, leaning over the toilet. This was like the second time I've thrown up since the morning started. I got up and brushed my teeth again. I'd probably be hunching over this toilet once more, but I wasn't gonna walk around with vomit-breath all day. I was one more cap-full away from overdosing on Pepto Bismol, so I decided to save it for later, in case of emergencies.

I slumped back down on the couch, and continued trying to grade my papers. Normally it was easy, but I was having a harder time today. All the words kept scrambling together as I stared at the page. What was that word? And? Land? Who knows? I was pulled out of my thoughts by a loud knock on my door.

I stumbled my way over to the front door, swinging it open. I expected it to be Jacob and Janine or something, but it wasn't. I stared at Melissa, trying to process that she was actually in front of me. My head tilted to the side, as my eyes failed to make out her face. "Mel?" I mumbled quietly.

"Awww, Hon." She cooed, making her way past me and into my house. She set a container down on the coffee table with all the worksheets on it. She came back over to me, and cupped my face, taking in all my disoriented features. "Nina. You know you should be resting." She warned. And all this-" She gestured to my messy table. "Is not resting."

"Mel, I gotta get these finished before tomorrow, or I'll be behind."

"You think I'm letting you go to work like this? You'd be lucky if I didn't put your ass on bed rest for the rest of the week." She shook her head at me and led me over to the couch. "Honestly Nina, you're burning up." She felt my forehead with the back of her hand, and continued examining my face.

"Wait, shouldn't you be at work?" I asked her, checking the time on my clock. "Eh, it's early, I still got time." Her hands dropped from my face. "Jacob told everyone in the gc that you were sick. I figured that you were, but I didn't think it was this bad. He said he'd be coming over with some stuff later, but I told him not to." She brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

She looked at me before laughing softly. "Baby, you look terrible." She continued laughing. I didn't think it was funny, but I laughed with her. I think all that cough syrup is getting to me.

She stood up from the couch and pulled me along with her, dragging me into my bedroom once she found it. She sat me down and said- "You better be in this bed when I get back."

"Yes ma'am." I laughed at myself. She gave me a strange look as she slid off her shoes and got under the covers with me. "Melissaaa. I'm sick. You can't be this close to me." I tried pushing her away, but she didn't budge.

"Yea, no. I'm not going anywhere until it's time for me to leave. Who the hell actually shows up this early?" I checked the time again, realizing that it was around the time that I would usually arrive.

"Yeah." I laughed awkwardly.

She grabbed me by my waist and pulled me closer to her, so I was laying on her chest. Her hands came up to my head as she ran her fingers through my hair. "Mel." I whispered her name. She let out a soft hum in response. "I don't want you to leave."

"I'll come back after school." She assured me.

"And maybe you can stay the night?" I looked up at her, silently begging.

"If that's what you want." She smiled at me.

I'm not even sure what gave me the balls to ask her that, but I did, and I'm glad she said yes.

*******************************************************

I didn't even realize I had even fallen asleep until I woke up, not sweating this time, but absolutely freezing my ass off. I looked down and noticed the cover, half on and off my body. I looked around, still struggling to see a little, and reached for my phone.