Strain 7

Chapter Three

Janie’s POV

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. I wasn’t tired or sick. I jumped out of bed and turned on my iPod. I turned it up so I could hear it in my connected bathroom as I took a shower. I quickly jumped in and out. I blow-dried my hair and put on my make-up. I decided to wear a dress to school today. I always liked going back to school nice and fresh after being absent.

          I wore a belted printed skirt with an orange deep V-neck tee-shirt and some braided t-strap sandals. I accessorized with a cute flower beaded charm necklace and a filigree pinwheel ring.

          I grabbed my book bag and purse and ran downstairs to catch a ride with Haven and her friend. I decided to just meet Nick at school. It had taken me longer to get ready and I didn’t want to keep him waiting so I had called him earlier, telling him I would meet him at school.

          Once I got there I put my book bag and purse in homeroom before walking to the cafeteria, knowing that Nick would be grabbing some breakfast before the bell rang.

          I walked in and looked around, spotting him eating alone at one of the booths. I smiled to myself as I started walking over to him. I sat across from him in the booth silently. So silently that he didn’t even look up from his food. He didn’t even know I was there! Yeah, I’m sneaky.

          “So!” I said. He jumped two feet in the air and then looked at me before sighing in relief.

          “You gave me a heart attack” He said.

          “Oh please don’t have a heart attack. I would like to kiss you again sometime soon” I joked. He cracked a smile as he shoved some more eggs into his mouth.

          “Well how about now?” He asked.

          “Sounds good to me” I leaned across the table and gave him a kiss.

          “Okay, now I’m ready for the day” He said as he stood up. I laughed and stood up with him. We started heading out the door, him throwing his plate away on the way out.

          The bell rang. Great, time for school. Ugh. Today was another gold day so I had US History. Without Nick.

          “Bye” Nick whispered. He gave me a quick kiss.

            “Bye” I said and we both went opposite directions to our homeroom. We had to go there for fifteen minutes before first. On red days, homeroom is first period but today is a gold day.

          20 minutes later I was in history, doing my Bell ringer. After I finished answering the question, I started talking to Nicole. She was one of my best friends here at school. I just met her this year and she is a ton of fun!

          She started coughing. “Are you ok?” I asked her.

          “Yeah…I just got a cough.” She answered.

          “Okay, let’s get on with the PowerPoint” Ms. Robinson said. She stood up and walked to the front of the room. One of the students got on the computer to flip the PowerPoint pages for her. Half the lights went out for the screen but I could still see. I pulled out a piece of paper.

          Maybe you should go home

           I folded the piece of paper and passed it to Nicole.

          Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I’ll see you tomorrow.

          I read it quickly and replied.

          Actually I’ll come by tonight =]

          That would be great, she replied.

          She stood up and walked up to Ms. Robinson. I heard murmuring and then Ms. Robinson wrote her a pass. I gave Nicole a smile before she left.

          The rest of the period was boring. I drifted off into dream world. My dream was mostly about Nick and me. I am truly in love with him. We’ve been dating for a while year and I’ve never been happier. He’s so sweet and romantic and very protective, which is what I need. I couldn’t ask for anyone better.

          The bell woke me from my thoughts. I quickly stuffed everything in my book bag and grabbed my belongings before quickly walking out of the room and building, heading through the tunnel that goes under the street to the main building, where my second block, Geometry was.

          I walked in a minute before the bell rang. I put my stuff beside my desk and started on the warm-up. What’s with teachers and giving you work right when you get into the classroom? Geez.

          Nick walked in with a pass. He was cradling his arm. Oh Geez.

          “What’s wrong with your arm?” I asked as he sat in the desk in front of me. We were in alphabetical order. Luckily, there was no one between Johnson and Martin. We had a small class.

          “I tripped” Nick muttered, embarrassed.

          “Well, are you okay?” I asked.

          “Yeah…just landed on it weird. The nurse said it would be fine by tomorrow. Hey, did you know Nicole was sick?” He changed the subject.

          “Yeah, she was in my last class. I convinced her to check out.” I said.

          “Oh okay” He replied. He had to turn around because Ms. Slane had started the lesson and was giving us the death glare. That glare kills from that lady.

          The rest of the day passed fast. Lunch was normal, theatre was normal, and science was hilarious as always. Soon, I was in Nick’s car, heading home.

          Once I got home I threw my stuff on the floor of my room and made myself a snack. Nicole only lived a block away so I was planning on walking over there.

          Fifteen minutes later I was knocking on her door. No one answered. I turned the doorknob and it was unlocked. I pushed it open and called Nicole’s name threw the house. “In here” I heard her voice. It was more of a croak though. She didn’t sound good.

          I walked to her room to see her lying in bed with several boxes of tissue at hand.

          “Hey, are you ok?” I asked her as I sat on the edge of her bed.

          “Yeah” She coughed into a tissue. She quickly wadded it up and threw it in the trashcan. I glanced at the trashcan. It was filled to the brim with tissue. Some had a lot of red on them. Red. Blood. She was coughing up blood.

          It starts off as just a cough. But then you start throwing or coughing up blood. Soon, you are in so much pain that you can’t move an inch and they say that most people die.

          Nick’s word rang in my ears.