Kiss Me Goodbye

Real Men Don't Cook (Day 4)

 Wednesday, June 28

I wake up around noon the next day, my head pounding. Groggily, I reach over to the clock and stare at it in surprise- it's already one in the afternoon. I rub my eyes and stretch out, but I can barely think above the dizziness of my head. I cough weakly and throw the covers over myself, blocking out all the sunlight.

*

"Alli, Alli, wake up," a soft voice murmurs as I feel someone tap my shoulder. Throwing the blankets off me, I look up into the concerned face of Renee. "Are you okay? Mom and Dad already left for work and you had a fever and I don't know what to do!" she says all in one breath.

I laugh, then cough weakly. Next to my bed, there is a little bottle of Motrin and I crinkle my nose at it. Renee gives me a cup of water and shakes out two little red tablets. I swallow them quickly, trying not to gag, and she smiles. "I'm gonna go. Just holler if you need any help." I nod at her and she smooths the sheets, then closes the door quietly behind her.

A few minutes later, my phone beeps and I groan, sitting up and trying to grab it from off my desk without getting out of bed. In my messages, I have a text from an unknown number. I open it and smile inwardly to myself.

"Are you alright? Renee told me you were sick. Let me know if you need anything. Love, Luke."

I quickly text back, telling him that I'm fine. Then I fall back into my bed, waiting for him to respond. After five minutes, he still hasn't responded. I check my phone every few seconds, hoping the screen will light up, but it doesn't. I wonder what he's doing right now while I'm sitting here pathetically, waiting for a text that will probably never come. The door opens while I am staring at my phone, and I say "Hey, Renee," quietly.

I nearly jump out of my bed in surprise when a deep voice answers "Hey, Alli. Miss me?"

Luke comes out and flops down on my bed, lying down next to me with his arms behind his head. He is so close to me I can feel his body heat radiating off his skin and it takes all my self control not to scoot closer. Despite the fact that he isn't under the covers, my breathing still grows faster at his close proximity.

"Why are you here?" I ask.

“Do you not want me here?” He turns around on his side so he is facing me, his head propped up on his hand. "'Cause you're sick, silly. You alright?" He tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear and I flinch away, suddenly self-conscious.

Whenever I get sick, I look like a mess, with red-rimmed eyes and frizzy hair- definitely not the image I want Luke to see. I turn away from him and stare blankly outside my window when he tugs on my elbow and manages to flip me over. "Why'd you turn away?" He asks, his piercing blue eyes searching mine.

Before I realize what I'm saying, I blurt out "I'm sick! I look hideous!" loudly. I cover my mouth in embarrassment, already feeling my cheeks turn hot.

He laughs softly and says, "What does it matter what you look like in front of me? It's not like we're dating or anything." His eyes seem to smother with intensity even though his tone is light and teasing. "Anyways," he says, laying down on his back so he is staring at the ceiling, "you look beautiful, no matter what."

My heart flutters as he says this and I smile, staring at his perfect profile. Suddenly, he springs off the bed and the spell is broken. "Come on!" he says, pulling me up into a sitting position. "Let's watch some movies! They're the perfect remedy to a cold." He crouches down by the TV in my room and shows me the DVDs he's brought, grinning widely. "Disney movies!" he announces, smiling like a little child. "They're the best." He chooses a random disc and shoves it into the player, turning on the TV and then jumping onto my bed. He scoots up close to the headboard and puts his arm around my shoulders.

As much as I want his arm there, I lightly push it off. "I'm sick," I say. "I don't want to get you sick, too."

"I don't care," he responds. "Besides, it's the gift of being an athlete. Great immunity." He gives me a goofy thousand-watt smile and I giggle, just as the word "Bambi" flashs across the screen.

Luke groans and mutters "Not this movie again!"

"You're the one that chose it!" I tease. He pouts and keels over sideways, pretending to choke. "Oh shush," I say, slapping his arm lightly.

He reluctantly gets up and assumes the expression of someone who has gone through haunting torture.

After watching Bambi's mom die, I sniffle and wipe my eyes on Luke's shirt. He ruffles my hair and says "I'll make you some soup," leaving me to bawl by myself.

When he comes back upstairs, his eyes shine with hope as he asks, "Is the movie over yet?" When I shake my head no, grinning evilly, he sticks his tongue out like a baby and says "Here's your soup."

"Fine," I say, reaching over to grab the remote. I flip the TV off. "I guess you've gone through enough torture. Better?"

He smiles. "A lot better."

As he hands me the steaming bowl, I ask, "Does Renee know you've been using the kitchen?"

"No... I just come and go here whenever I want. I don't know what Renee's up to, actually. But when I feel like hanging out, I normally just come here, so I have a key."

“You have a key?” I ask incredulously.

Luke grins and shows me it. “Yep. I guess you could say Renee and I are pretty good friends.”

I try to curb my jealousy and furiously gulp down the soup, almost burning my tongue. "Ah!" I gasp, and Luke laughs.

"Easy on the soup," he says.

I glare at him. "Don't make fun of me," I warn teasingly, "or else I might have to turn the TV back on to Bambi!"

He pretends to cower in fright as I finish up the soup, my spoon clattering against the porcelain bowl. "Thanks," I say to him. "That was delicious. I'm feeling so much better. I didn't know you could cook though."

He laughs nervously. "Heh, yup, I sure cooked it."

I roll my eyes and poke him in the arm. "Yeah, right. You used the canned soup, didn't you?"

"Maybe?" he says with a puppy-dog face.

"That's not fair!" I stick my tongue out at him. "You're not allowed to use your puppy eyes on me! But thanks for the soup, anyway."

He suddenly looks at his phone in alarm and jumps off my bed. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go now! I'll come check on you tomorrow." He picks up his jacket from the ground and heads out the door. He suddenly stops in the doorway and rushes back to my bed. "Goodnight, Alli," he says, brushing my hair away from my face. After kissing my forehead, he disappears outside the door.

When he leaves the room, the warmth seems to disappear. I clutch the sheets tighter around myself and huddle up against my pillow.

Suddenly, I feel weary, even though it's only 7 at night. I'm stuck in a limbo between consciousness and sleep, my head throbbing. I vaguely acknowledge my aunt and uncle coming home from work and coming up to see me. After checking my temperature, they leave, leaving Renee standing in my room. She stares at me with an undecipherable expression in her eyes before turning on her heel and closing the door, shrouding me in darkness.

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hey, if you're reading this, can you comment on it so i know if people are reading it or not? xD just sorta want a headcount