In Your Orbit (1st Book) Completed.

Chapter 10: A Warm Heart in the Cold

The morning sun crept through the curtains of Lisa's room, but the light did little to ease the heavy, sluggish feeling in her body. She had woken up to the familiar sensation of chills running down her spine, her body aching as if she had just finished a marathon. She tried to pull herself out of bed, but the effort felt monumental. Every muscle ached, and when she sat up, a wave of dizziness hit her like a wall.

She cursed under her breath, knowing exactly why she felt this way. The rain from that night-the night she and Jennie had been drenched- and had gotten to her. Lisa had always been prone to getting sick easily, but this time, it felt worse. She sneezed, the sound echoing in her empty apartment, and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"Great," she muttered. "Just what I need."

Her phone buzzed beside her, and she squinted at the screen through bleary eyes. A couple of unread messages from the volleyball group chat, but nothing from Jennie. That was a small relief. She didn't know how she'd face Jennie today after how awkward things had been between them since the beach.

A deep sigh escaped her as she collapsed back onto her bed, her body too weak to fight it anymore. The weight of the past few days had been hanging over her, the tension with Jennie leaving her restless and frustrated. It felt like everything had changed since that night. If only she could rewind time and take it all back-undo all the mess, the confusion, the hurt she didn't quite understand.

But for now, all she could do was rest.

Lisa fumbled for her phone again, typing a quick message to Jennie.

Not coming to school today. Caught a cold.
She hesitated before adding, Sorry.

Sending the message felt like admitting defeat, but she was too tired to dwell on it. She pulled the covers tighter around her and let her heavy eyes drift shut, hoping sleep would take her mind off everything.

At School

Jennie pushed open the doors to the school, greeted by the familiar sounds of students rushing through the hallways, the chatter of conversations blending into the usual morning chaos. She barely had time to settle into her thoughts before she spotted Jisoo and Rose waiting for her near her locker.

"There's our council president," Jisoo teased, grinning at Jennie. "Ready for another exciting day of school?"

Jennie smiled, though her mind felt far from ready. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Rose nudged her with a playful look. "You seem a little distracted, Jennie. Still thinking about the beach trip?"

Jennie opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, her phone chimed with a message. She pulled it out, glancing at the screen, and immediately her heart sank.

Lisa: Not coming to school today. Caught a cold.

Jennie frowned as she read the message. She knew Lisa well-well enough to understand that when Lisa got sick, it was never just a simple cold. Most people could manage, but not Lisa. She always seemed to take it worse than others, stuck in bed for days, barely eating, and too stubborn to ask for help. Jennie's heart tightened with worry. The memory of Lisa sneezing and looking pale that morning flashed in her mind, and Jennie knew Lisa wouldn't take care of herself properly.

"You okay?" Jisoo asked, noticing the change in Jennie's expression.

Jennie bit her lip, trying to make a decision. But deep down, she already knew what she had to do. "Yeah, but... Lisa's sick. I think I'm going to skip school and check on her."