The rain taps so lightly on the window that the only way to hear it is to turn everything off and listen; and that's exactly what Josh is doing. He doesn't do anything more than sit on the carpet next to his window, his arms hugging his knees.
The moonlight and his small desk lamp is the only thing illuminating his room due to the fact that it's nearly 11:30 at night, and his mom is still not home. He can't remember the last time he and his mother talked- last week maybe?
When Josh was 12, his mother started her own clothing business, leaving him all alone to raise himself along with his younger brother, Jordan. Most nights she didn't come home, and even when she did, she left seconds after.
A clothing business doesn't sound like it would take up that much time, but it did. Eventually, Josh got the idea she just never came home because she didn't love Josh, or want him around.
He would try anything, when he scraped up enough money to get a bike, he'd even ride it to her office and bring her lunch. He gets accepted by everyone in his family but her, and that's the one person he wants it from. He just wants to make her proud.
"Josh, you have to come out at some point." Jordan's voice radiates throughout his previously silent room, yanking Josh out of his more or less dangerous thought process.
"Jordan, you should be asleep." Josh says, ignoring his brother's remark.
"And you should be a regular teenager going out to parties. Some would see us lucky that our mother never comes home." He laughs, trying to ward off the sensitivity.
"Right." Josh gets up to get ready for bed as Jordan gets shooed out. Once his brother's presence is no longer in the room, he flops back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling once again to just listen to the rain.
The next day at school is particularly dreary, everyone there acting like they'd never wanted to do anything less in their entire life. Although most times, that's the way it normally is.
As the day goes on, the tip tap on the window in the classroom is only adding to the dread in Josh's stomach. He knows he shouldn't be worried, and he knows he shouldn't be shaking uncontrollably, but here he is.
Before he knows what's happening, he feels an authoritative presence next to him, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he jerks his fuzzy head to the side to see the teacher leaning over his desk just enough to catch his attention.
"Mr. Dun, you seem shaky and distracted- are you alright?"
It was such a simple question in such a simple situation, yet Josh couldn't quite understand it.
"Uh- what?" Josh asks, his eyes flicking anywhere but the man in front of him.
Mr. Crouch only sighs in response.
"Go to the nurse?" He asks, placing a chalk clad hand on his shoulder and looking at him expectantly.
Before his mind can comprehend he's nodding his head furiously, getting out of his seat a little too quickly.
Before he can make it to the door, in front of everyone, his dinner spills from his stomach, out of his mouth and onto the floor.
Nurse Karla is one of the nicer nurses, Josh decides. She's not one of the mean ones that when you have a broken foot, they just give you a lollipop and tell you to walk it off, no, she has genuine care in her eyes, and it soothes the red-faced boy. When he walks in, she already has a fresh toothbrush, mouthwash, and water ready.
"You definitely have a fever, kiddo," She says softly, brushing back the hair from his face and feeling his forehead.
"Looks like it's from stress too. High school can be rough huh?"
