Playing the Part

11. casually

Allie

Food poisoning. 

Magda checked for my symptoms and came to the casual conclusion that I'd probably eaten something undercooked and that salmonella is probably swimming leisurely somewhere in my intestines. 

Everett looks over to me and rubs his jaw, guilty as sin. 

Magda ensures that it'll all blow over in a couple of days and that I'll be good as new. That is unless it doesn't go away. Then death will be right around the corner, I assume. 

But, you know, semantics.  

"Wonder where that salmonella came from." We're walking back from Elo's health centre and while I'm strong enough to walk, everything feels a million times more intense today. 

While yesterday night felt like everything was in 240p and hearing clearly was basically impossible, the sun today is torturously blistering on my skin and water tastes so fucking intense. 

"I swear I didn't think this would happen. I'm sorry, Allie." 

"My question is how you're not sick from it." 

Everett shrugs. "I think my stomach has adapted to it. I've got enough microbiomes in there." 

He widens his eyes sarcastically when he says 'microbiomes' and I nearly roll my eyes at how he managed to pull that out of his ass. 

"Sure you didn't spike my food with raw chicken blood?" I slow down to catch my breath. 

"Where's the motive, Allie?" He stops alongside me and pats my back gently and sympathetically. 

"Not even gonna deny it, huh?" I tease. 

"Like the pros say: innocent until proven guilty." Everett flashes a handsome smile at me that definitely explains the many broken hearts left in his trail. 

There's a certain rugged charm to it that makes me feel hot all over but I'd die before I admit it to him. His ego is already big enough as it is.  

"Anything later?" 

"Some speed training with the boys but I cleared my schedule for you." 

I give him an amused look. "Look at Mr. Big Shot clearing his schedule for me. You really don't have to." 

"I'm a responsible guy. I clean up after my messes." He says unironically. 

"Hah! That's rich. Has it ever occurred to you that I need some time alone from you?" 

Everett scratches the back of head, his biceps rippling under his - what the fuck is wrong with me? 

"Well, do you?" 

I don't. 

"Go have fun with your buddies. I'm tired of hearing your phone blow up with messages. Probably of Leon and Nick cutting you off for missing so many parties." 

He looks over to me hesitantly. "I'll check up on you tomorrow morning. And please, call me if you need anything." 

I laugh because I never expected Everett to take this whole fake boyfriend thing so seriously. Or maybe it's the fact that I've never felt so taken care of other than the times when I'm with Alex. 

And this realisation feels a little depressing and so fucking scary. 

"I'll be fine. Thanks for everything, Everett. Not the salmonella though. You should watch it when we have a meal together the next time."