It's OK

Part 2 - Chapter 10

Adam looked around his apartment. He finally had furniture. It looked amazing. He had managed to get another job at Acme and a pizza place called Bob's pizza. Even though juggling three jobs was hard work, he had managed. He didn't have that much furniture since he still had to pay off the rent he owed but he did have some.

He looked down at his phone. No calls nor texts. 'Yet.' he reminded himself. Soon he'd have the guts to text Danny. Soon he'd be the man he should have been years ago. Now, he was just a man trying to get some damn sleep. He had work in an hour and had to go to his other job ten minutes after his shift ended. He wouldn't be able to sleep again until midnight.

Adam yawned and let sleep engulf him. He woke up to his stupid alarm clock. 'Damn it!' he thought. He yawned and hurried to get ready. Work was tiring and at midnight that night he stumbled home. He plopped down on a bed, a real bed, and fell asleep.

He dreamed of finally going home. He saw his father actually smile at him and his mother hug him. When he saw Danny, his heart stopped. Danny wouldn't even look at him. Adam awoke on the verge of tears. He checked the time. 2:24 am. He had work in 3 hours. He yawned. He was so tired. He felt like he was melting.

He felt like he was on fire. His head felt hot and stuffy while his stomach felt like it was going to explode. Suddenly he leaped up and dashed for the bathroom as he began to heave nothing into the toilet. Afterwards he laid next to the toilet on the bathroom floor. He felt like he was dying.

He was up the rest of the night heaving everything he had eaten into the toilet until it became just dry heaves. It was Sunday. He was supposed to call Miss Foster. He had to check on Danny. For five years he had never missed a Sunday. He had to call.

He reached for his phone but dropped it again as another round of heaves took over. He knew he had to call out of work but every time he tried to talk he had to vomit. He reached for his phone one more time and called Acme.

"Hello, this is Acme how can I help you?" The lady said.

"I can't come in today. I'm very sick," Adam replied, heaving into the toilet. His voice was raw and it hurt to talk.

"Ok. Uhm, what's your name? I'll leave a note," she suggested. Adam told her and hung up to call McDonald's. After he had managed to call out of all three jobs, he laid on the floor. Sleep took over him before he could call Miss Foster. This was the first time he wouldn't call in five years. He hoped she wouldn't be worried.

The next day he, again, called out of work and laid on the couch. He had stopped heaving, finally, but hadn't broken his fever. He had a cold compress on his head as he tried to get to sleep. Then his phone went off. "Hello?" He answered weakly.

"Adam? You sound horrible. Are you ok?" Miss Foster asked. Adam couldn't believe she'd called.

"I'm fine. It's just a stomach bug," he replied. "How's Danny?"

"He's fine Adam but I'm worried. You usually call on Sundays," she answered. Adam smiled. She had noticed. She had cared. She had called.

"I'm fine. Sorry for not calling. I slept all day yesterday," Adam whispered. He was so tired. His eyes felt heavy.

"Ok. Well you call me when you're better ok? Don't you forget. Now get to sleep so you can get better," she demanded. Adam chuckled and hung up the phone. He was glad she wasn't mad at him for anything. He slept soundly for the rest of the day.