A Love That's So Demanding

Sick & Tired

Sick & Tired

Edited by: Trensetta

It's been two months since we broke it off, and everyone can tell. Nonnie and I were both in foul moods. I walked down the hall to the bathroom, the door was open and Nonnie was puking her guts out. I rushed over, got a wash cloth, and ran cold water over before placing it on the back of her neck. "Are you okay?" I asked once she finished.

"Yeah, I gotta go get dressed for work." She said attempting to stand. She swayed a bit before falling and I caught her before she hit the ground.

"You aren't going anywhere." I said, picking her up and carrying her to her bedroom.

"I have to go to work." She said in a poor attempt at arguing, she was too weak to really fight me; a clear sign that she was sick. I laid her in the bed and left to go get a cup of water. I’d never seen Nonnie sick, I’d known her practically all her adult life and part of her teens, and I’d never seen her so weak. I didn’t like this feeling of helplessness, watching the woman I loved just about collapse had me completely panicked.

When I walked back into the room she was sitting up and trying to reach a pair of pants on the chair next to her bed.

"I told you you're not going to work, “ I said, throwing the pants out of her reach.

"But the rent Frank," she said with with a sigh of defeat, the sick and worried expression on her face made me want to fix everything, to take the burden she carried and throw it over my own shoulders. She was the one who needed  to be protected and taken care of, not the other way around, but she always took it upon herself to take care of us, leaving herself last and usually unattended. God, something had to change soon, when we finally got our big breaks, Nonnie wouldn’t want for anything, she never be this tired, sick, and overworked again.

"What are you worried about, we’re three months ahead on the rent, no excuses, lay down." I said in a stern voice while gently pushing her back so that she’d finally lie back into the headboard covered in pillows. I handed her the glass of water, she drank and handed it back to me, using the last of her energy to do so. She laid down, and in about two minutes she was fast asleep.

I watched her sleeping peacefully and wondered where the hell Travis was. There was no way he hadn’t seen that she was sick, unless he hadn’t come home again last night. Since he’d joined that new band he'd spent maybe ten nights at home out of a full two months. I’d tried very hard never to judge him as the man that was dating the girl I loved but I couldn’t understand how he could not want to be with her every night, to hold her every chance he got. I left the room and prepared myself to call Gerard and let him know that I wouldn't be able to make it to practice today, I knew he wouldn’t be happy, but Nonnie was more important than band practice, and I needed to be here for her.

“I have to take care of a sick family member,” I said pacing the hallway outside of Nonnie’s room door.

"Who?"

"Nobody you know," I said fumbling with the stray guitar pic I’d found in my pocket.

"Oh so it must be that girl you broke up with." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I didn't break up with a girl." Sounding like a petulant  teenager, unintentionally...

"Yeah so you've been moping over who?"

"If you must know it's my room mate." The last part came out a little harsher than intended, I knew that I wanted more from her, the fact that I shouldn’t just pissed me off more.

"The roommate you've been moping over, isn't she dating your best friend."

"No she's the roommate who's sick. God, where in the hell do you get these ideas? I'll see you later okay," I said flicking the pic towards the opening of the hall.