Never Imagined~One Direction

30. That... Is How You Know

I think suppressing that cough was wrong. As I go inside a fit of dry coughs emerges, making me feel like my chest will explode any moment now.

Going up the stairs is even more tiring than usual, and when I get to the top I open the door -lock it- then proceed to flop down on the couch. I don't feel like moving at all. My limbs ache. But I have to go to school. Then work.

Oh, joy. Well, at least tomorrow's Friday. I love Fridays. 

I get dressed, not in the mood to care what I'm wearing as long as I'm wearing some descent jeans and a coat that doesn't show my warm pajama shirt under it, but to make sure I wear a scarf. I tie my hair into a low pony tail with a few stray strands of hair I didn't bother to include and finally grab my umbrella and tardily go to school.

When I get to school I wish I never came. "Ugh, So. Tired." I complain to myself as I trudge down the hall. I don't have any classes with Liz  today until after lunch and the first thing she says when she sees me is, "Diana?"

"Hey Liz, what's up?" I say tiredly.

"You don't look okay." Liz comments.

"Just tired," I state, then have another coughing fit.

"No, it's obvious you have a cold or something." She argues.

"Really I'm fine, let's just get to class."

She looks at me in a way that says she doesn't believe me, but doesn't argue any further.

"Listen, if it gets worse you should stay at home tomorrow." Liz advises.

"I'm okay." I'm reply stubbornly. Liz then heaves a sigh. "I'm serious, you don't look okay."

"I'll be better by tomorrow." I say.

Liz looks at me with an unsure look, "Alright, I'll see you later then."

I say bye to Liz then head to the toy store. "Hey Macy," I greet as I'm headed to the lockers.

"Hi Diana, how are you?" She looks over to me from the shelves she was tidying. "I'm good. When did you-" I sneeze but luckily it's into my arm. "Get here." I finish my sentence, annoyed.

"Bless you," says Macy. "Thanks," I reply. Since Macy also started her third year of college around the time I started she also switched shifts so it could be easier on her. So did Alex, although I don't know anything about him.

"You alright? You look tired." She says.

"Yeah I'm fine." I repeat the sentence for the hundredth time. Actually I think that was number one hundred and twenty one. I lost count.

An hour into my shift and I'm too exhausted to move and now have a rampaging headache. Alex finds me sitting on a chair in front of the storage room.

"Diana? What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Is it already my turn at the front?" I ask.

"No, I was just coming for something from the storage room." He says.

"Oh, I was just taking a short break. You need any help?"

"No I'm fine, are you fine?" He questions.

"Just a headache," I tell him. "I'm gonna get up now anyway." I struggle to stand up, my limbs and most of me aching. Alex grabs my arm, "Maybe you should sit back down." To tired to be startled by his touch, I try to pull my arm away. "No, I'm fine." I argue stubbornly. "I just need a painkiller or something."

Macy comes strolling by, holding the big mop in her hands. "Ugh, I hate mopping, too much dirty water." She says mostly to herself before she looks up and sees me and Alex standing there.