{Neil and Todd's Dormitory}
Snow fell over Welton campus, the air so cold it would choke you, the smell of pine and burning logs warmed the building. But that couldn't stop the abundance of germs in the air...
Neil sat by the windowsill, blanket wrapped around his shoulders and script in hand, studying his lines. His nose was stuffy, his head was heavy and his throat was incredibly sore. So he was taking it easy but opening night for A Midsummer Night's Dream was soon approaching, and as the saying goes 'the show must go on'.
"Tea?" Todd says, mug in each hand, from the doorway. His nose was pink, not because of a cold, but from the frosty weather outside. Charlie had challenged the boys to a snowball fight and Todd fought on Neil's behalf...he got obliterated and was thankful that Neil wasn't there to witness the embarrassing defeat.
Neil smiled a tired smile and coughed into his sleeve to clear his throat.
"Thank you." He said in a hushed husky voice, taking the mug in both hands and snuggling up in the corner of the windowsill, warming up.
"Charlie's soaked through, he's gonna catch his death. How are you feeling?" Todd says as he kicks off his boots before sitting on his bed, getting cosy too.
"I'm fine really, just getting to know *cough* Shakespeare." Neil sighs, he was over the moon about his acting debut as Puck. He wanted it to be perfect. And something about him being a little sick just made him feel sorry for himself, a little insecure about his ability, so instead of resting he turned to studying. His dress rehearsal was tomorrow, it had to be good.
"Should I leave the room?" Todd giggles to himself, very proud of the cheeky quip. Neil sat even managed a chuckle before a small fit of coughs came over him.
"That sounds painful, Neil."
Todd was right, it was very painful. Neil had tried his best to remedy it, he gargled salt water, drank hot tea, he got some cough medicine from the infirmary nurse but his throat was still giving him a lot of bother.
"I know, but I'll survive." Neil says with a smile, he knows Todd cares but he also worries himself sick. And it was just a cold, he needn't lose sleep.
"Actually, can you *cough cough* run a few scenes with me?" He says as be passes the script to his roommate, unravelling his blanket cape and standing by the bed.
"If you feel up to it, sure." Todd agrees politely, resisting the urge to tell his pal to lie down and get some rests. Neil doesn't look well, his cheeks are pink and his nose is raw, he's shaking a little.
"Just the one scene, then I'll lie down before dinner." He promises his friend, to which Todd can agree to.
"Alright, just one scene."
later that evening...
{Welton Dining Hall}
"How does that victory feel, Nuwanda?" Gerald giggles as Charlie shivers in his chair, his hair is still wet and his teeth are chattering.
"S-Sweet as sugar." He claims through a grin, a genuine grin, he had no regrets. Besides choosing to wear the chunkiest white sweater to keep him warm, it was a bastard to eat his spaghetti and meatballs in.
"You're going to have a terrible cold in the morning." Meeks sniffled as he sat down at the table with his dinner, he was coming down from a cold himself, probably the very same that had gripped Neil.
By the sounds of it, half the school was feeling the winter chill, sniffles could be heard all around.
Todd and Neil sit down at the table with the guys, Neil looking particularly worse for wear, his hair was dishevelled from his nap and his eyes were bloodshot from Todd's efforts to wake him up before dinnertime ended.
