Down The Hall

Chapter Ten

The whole day I spent in my room. From last night's extravaganza, I couldn't bring myself to exit my room physically and mentally. It either came down to coughing my guts out alone and never seeing Henry again out of embarrassment or making people question how I got sick and a chance of seeing Henry with a smug smile on his annoying face. I don't know which was worse.

Kendall and Ella were the only ones to notice my absence as they both were to knock on my door at different times. Kendall asked if I was okay, to which I came up with the excuse that I had horrible period cramps. As the caring mother she is, she brought me some heating pads along with hot soup and some chocolate.

Ella, on the other hand, knocked on my door and without giving me time to answer, barged into my room. She was screaming about some Disney princess she had just watched on TV and couldn't get over how beautiful she was. I entertained her for a while, complimenting her on her beauty and how she would eventually find her Prince Charming. She later left my room as Kendall called her downstairs.

I was already regretting jumping into the ocean through the day but as dinner time rolled around I started to hate myself for it. In the middle between hot and cold, comfortable and dissatisfied, hungry and full, I couldn't make my mind up for what I wanted to be.

I could have said, "I think I'm going to throw up," about twenty times, but this time I really felt like I was.

Kendall had just made lasagna, which is my favorite of hers. The taste of the ricotta cheese in between the thin layers of noodles, along with the meat sauce, complimented each other perfectly. I would usually feel a warm sensation flow through as I was about to take another bite, but now I couldn't even get one bite down.

My head spun from the smell, making me want to pass out right here on the table. I propped my arm up on the table and settled my head on my palm. I felt as though I was going to burst into tears from not being able to eat.

"Lucy, are you feeling okay?" Kendall asked.

Just as I was about to answer the front door opened, grabbing everyone's attention in seconds. To everyone's surprise, Henry had just walked in and was making his way over to the stove. He grabbed a plate, plotted his food down on it, and came over to the table.

He grinned over at me before pulling out the seat in front and sitting down. Everyone was amazed to see one of the two empty seats at the table finally occupied by Henry.

I didn't know how much he affected me until he was sitting right in front of me. His presence was like a drug that had just flipped a switch I didn't know was inside me. I managed to muster up the last of the strength into a half smile only for him. Maybe I was still a little hungover.

That's when his smile set in a hard line and his eyebrows knitted together. He must have noticed how shit I look right now. I sluggishly moved my head to look back down at the table feeling self-conscious.

"Where were you?" Bradly questioned Henry. There was a bit of tension coming from the question.

"I was just out. No big deal. I'm here now aren't I," he replied calmly, without his normal attitude.

"Now you're here," Bradly said, tuning up his voice a little. "What happens tomorrow when you aren't? Me and your mom have to wait up again?"

The blatant strain of the conversation was enough to heat the room. I ran my hand through my hair, keeping my eyes on the food to make sure it didn't make any sudden movement closer to my mouth.

"Y'all don't have to wait up for me. Especially you," Henry snapped back.

"We don't have to but we do," Bradly said.

Kendall placed her fork down forcefully, shutting up the whole table. The twins jumped to the loud clank, not expecting something so sharp to pierce their ears.

"We'll talk about this later," Bradly declared.

"Lucy, eat your food," Dad said as he glared at me from the other side of the table.

"Don't think talking about it later will make much of a difference anyway. Everyone in the house can hear you yelling." Henry's attitude came back through one sentence.

I hesitantly picked up my fork and picked into the lasagna. The smell as I cut into it burst out along with steam that didn't sit well in the air. My stomach churned just thinking about this entering my mouth but I didn't want to make dad angry.

"Henry. Later. Please, don't do this right now," Kendall pleaded.

Kendall's plead seemed to work on Henry as he settled back into his seat with his head down. That is until Bradly decided to shoot back again.

"Listen to your mother."

Henry's eyes burned with rage. At the same time, mine closed in disgust as the fork entered my mouth.

The saucy, moist texture of the noodles was enough to make me gag. What pushed me to the edge was the powerful viscous ricotta that sat in the middle of it. I threw the chair out from underneath me and clasped my hand over my mouth, running towards the bathroom.

I made it just in time to throw up the hot, chunky white soup from earlier. My throat burned with each heave as my eyes watered from the rancid smell of my puke.

Henry was by my side in seconds, pulling my hair back and tying it up with a hair band he found on the counter. I weakly pushed him away, not wanting him to see me in this state.

"I should've known you would be sick like this," he started rambling, "Jumping into that water was a stupid idea."

I shook my head no, not being able to reply with my mouth filled with puke. He shut up abruptly when my dad walked in carrying a wet cloth. Kendall and Bradly followed in behind.

"Here, let me see it," Henry demanded, snatching the cloth out of my dad's hand.

He gently started dabbing it on my neck and slowly worked up to my forehead. I pulled my head forward into the toilet bowl puking more.

"Lucy, I wouldn't have cooked that today if I knew it would make you sick. I'm so sorry."

"You should have told me you're sick," my dad said.

"Henry, give her some space," Bradly chimed in.

Henry backed up a little from me, still keeping the cloth on my temple.

"I'll go get some medicine," Kendall said.

My head pulsed excessively with every word that came out of their mouths. Not being able to keep upright anymore, I laid down next to the toilet, wrapping my body around the cool surface. I didn't have enough energy to care about how unsanitary it was.

"Go," I sniffled, shooing them away with my hand.

I couldn't take everyone's eyes on me. I wanted to drop dead right here next to this toilet while they just kept talking and talking.

Bradly was the first to leave without question, while my dad hesitated before going. Henry was still standing in place, chewing on his bottom lip. It was obvious he didn't know what to say or do to comfort me, but if only he knew his presence alone was already enough to make me feel better. My ego on the other hand couldn't keep him in here any longer.

"Henry."

"What is it? Do you need something?"

His eyes glistened as he nibbled on his bottom lip, waiting for me to answer.

"Please go," I pleaded, not bringing myself to meet his eyes.

A pang of regret flooded my heart as the bathroom door slammed behind me.