Charlie Whitmen loves sports, junk food, video games, cars and basically anything-if not everything-your average teenaged boy would find interesting. But wait a second, Charlie isn't even a boy! Oh no, she's actually a girl!
Bet you didn't see that...
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Playing the Villain
{ one hour earlier }
"I don't know. I don't think it's good idea for me to leave you alone, even if it's only for a couple of hours." Layna places the pitcher of water down onto her grandson's nightstand and takes a seat on his bed. Reaching her hand out, she presses a palm against his cheek and then his forehead. His temperature has gone down a little but his skin still feels scorching hot, like black asphalt on a sunny summer day.
"I'll be fine," he sniffles as he gently pushes her hand away. "It's Mrs Gertrude's birthday. You can't miss it." Through the years, he has always caused an inconvenience for his grandmother but now that he's old enough, he wants to help alleviate some of that burden from her. He wants her to get out and have fun.
"How about I ask Charles to have one of the kids come check up on you?" she suggests.
"No, don't do that," Ethan says, trying his best not to cough. "I don't want to be a nuisance to them. Plus, I could get someone sick. I'll just call you every hour to tell you that I'm okay. How does that sound?"
The woman contemplates about it and then shakes her head. "What if you get hungry?"
She's always worrying about him. "I can make something for myself," he assures, the corners of his lips pulling up to form a small and slightly strained smile. "I'm not a helpless kid anymore. And I've got Maxwell."
"Alright, if you say so." Layna concedes at last. "But remember, every hour. If I don't hear from you, I'm calling the police and sending them over right away."
"Don't worry," he laughs, "I've got this covered."
Or so he thought.
Ethan's throat feels like it's being rubbed down by sandpaper as he undergoes another coughing frenzy. His immune system has never been that great. As a child, he fell ill frequently, especially when the seasons were changing. His compromised immune system is the main reason he isn't too fond of winter. Since the weather has been getting colder lately, his body has become more susceptible to viruses, explaining his current, infirm condition.
This isn't anything new to him though. By this point in time, the boy has grown accustomed to getting sick. Unfortunately, it's almost like a second nature to him now.
But just because he's used to it, doesn't make it any less of a pain in the ass. When he's burning hot, it's as if someone has doused his entire body with gasoline and set him on fire, while, at the same time, his lungs feel like they're ready to explode at any moment. After a couple of days, however, he'll be back to his old, healthy self. Until then, he'll have to keep taking his medicine on schedule and try to avoid dying from boredom.
Despite what people might tell you, staying at home isn't all that fun. To be honest, he'd rather be in school right now, as strange as that may sound. Could the medication be messing with his brain? I mean, what normal teenager actually wants to go to school? Well, the kind that's got incentive, of course.
