"Sorry I'm a little late." you say to your best friend as you approached his back.
He turned around at the sound of your voice, looking up at the clock in the yard. "Fourteen minutes late. " he stated in a happy sassy tone. "It seems like everyday you're one more minute later."
His smile grew seeing you roll you eyes. You didn't know if he smiled because of your presence or because he had finally found something to to call you out on.
The first day of school was nerve racking. You and Changsun hoped every night during the summer that you'd have classes together. But sadly, that didn't happen. When you first received your schedules, it was devastating. Not one class together.
In the back of your head you somehow knew it wouldn't happen.
Though you both had almost identical grades in every subject and equal academic skills, this year's student capacity broke the record. This causing some students to be split up into random classes.
With all the bad news, at least they didn't change your buses. Every morning he went to your house 2 hours before school to spend time and ride the bus with you.
Every. Morning.
He first started arriving early around 4th grade, a year after you two met. "I wake up super early anyways." he would always say as an excuse.
It never really bothered you, even now. That, unless it was one of those days where you wanted to sleep in but couldn't due to the constant banging on the door and body slams in bed. Your parents were most skeptical about it but got over it after getting to know him.
Along with the morning routine, you also rode the afternoon bus together. There were 3 bells. The dismissal bell, the final dismissal bell and the you should be off campus bell.
You usually met up on the sidewalk twenty minutes before the final dismissal bell where it was time to board the bus.
"So how was school?" you scoffed to change the subject away from your bad habit.
Changsun's joyfulness quickly turned into a frown. "I lost my phone charger on the way to 4th block today. I have to go buy another before I go home."
You hummed and reached into your bag. "Do you mean this?" you sang, holding up the tangled up cord.
His mouth hung open baffled. It was common for Changsun to somehow lose his personal belongings with you finding it abandoned, gratefully.
"Ah, Thank you!" he chuckled in embarrassment, running his hand through his hair in relief. You laughed along, a little at him but mostly with him. "So how was your day?"
Before you could answer, you sneezed. A second one followed ready to break loose but disappeared at the last moment, causing your face to look derpy.
The smiley eyed boy mocked along as you rubbed your face. "Bless you!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I hope you're not getting a cold. We have a test tomorrow morning."
"So I can let you copy my test answers?" You crossed your arms in slight disappointment. Changsun looked down at the ground then back at you. "And pay for my lunch."
He braced himself before you pushed him playfully, holding back laugher.
The final bell soon rang and the both of you made your way onto the bus to go home.
>>>The Next Day>>>
When you woke up the following morning, your nose was so stuffy you had no choice but to breathe out of your mouth and your throat felt like it was going to fall out and run under the bed from the dry air.
Not to mention the terrible coughs.
Your mom who came in to warn about the time you had left to leave, completely freaked out.
"But mooom," you whined half way into a pair of jeans. "I'm going to miss a test and I hate staying weekends to make work up."
Your mother folded her arms. "You're not going and that is final, young lady."
You threw yourself back on your bed completely dressed and ready to go. Thank goodness you decided not to wear make up today, otherwise it would've been a waste.
In the middle of putting back on your night clothes, there was a knock on the bedroom door. You took your time getting it.
"What is it mom? Please let me stay here and rest like you so badly want me to." you lazily called out before answering.
The door opened to a too familiar face.
"Good morning!"
"Changsun?" you whispered aloud in confusion. "What're you doing here? You have less than three minutes before the bus comes."
As if you said nothing, he simply walked past you and sat in your desk chair.
Annoyance cluttered your body language.
"I'm not putting up with this today!" your throat scrapped against the air.
"Aren't you sick?" Changsun finally says after getting comfortable in the small wooden chair. Dumbfounded and slightly dizzy from standing, you took a seat on your bed.
"Yeah, I woke up feeling like crap and mom won't let me go to school. But that doesn't mean you-"
"Exactly!" he excitedly cut you off. "Your mom told me when I came over, so I thought you could use some company since you're under the weather! " the joyful sweetheart ranted on in anticipation. Trying to keep up with his explanation, you hummed to sign that you were listening.
He eventually became aware of your drowsiness and quickly felt embarrassed that he was being so noisy in your state. With this, Changsun finished off shyly and collected. "Therefore I'm going to stay home with you today...."
If this child ever had sense, it was most likely stolen or pre-made.
"Okay dip-wad," His smile reappeared when you said this. "But isn't there a test today in your 2nd block? You shouldn't be striking up your absences because of me." you grumbled, jealous of his own current health.
That is when he jumped up and reached into his bag. He pulled out two files filled with a week's worth of work with your names on them.
"(Y/N - last name) and Changsun Lee will be excused November 3rd until further notice due to a breakout of the Coreyaelitus virus. Signed....Mr. Eli." he proudly read off the yellow slip stapled on the side.
You grinned in disbelief. "Really? Coreyaelitus? Was that the best you guys could come up with?" you praised his and his obvious friend's work.
Still surprised himself, Changsun exhaled deeply. "I was the one who all in five minutes had to fake a busted lung and cry to the principle about how we could barely walk!" He began to laugh at how silly it sounded now that it was over with.
You threw a blanket at him which made his laugh increase by an exaggerated amount, resulting him to wrap in it and jump on you.
There was nothing worth doing besides talking and watching tv after eating breakfast. Your father left shortly after for work, leaving your mom and Changsun to care for you.
Half way through the morning the medicine began working and caused you to get sleepy. Even Changsun himself started to drift off.
"Though we don't have the same classes," Changsun all of a sudden spoke as you laid half awake. "School would be kind of pointless to attend if you weren't there as my start and finish of the day."
"Kiiiids, I made some soup for you!" Your mom walked in the open door. Changun carefully took the tray and set it aside. Even your she didn't want to wake you from your place on his shoulder.
