Poppy and Lotus [COMPLETE]

•❀Twenty-Two❀•

I woke up the very next day feeling really happy and content.

But also like crap.

My body felt hot and weak and I had aches from head to toe. I looked in the mirror that morning and saw a ghost of a teenage girl, her skin flushed and her under-eye dark like a skeleton. I immediately went for my makeup and started freshening up my appearance, going by any means necessary to make myself look like I was among the living.

I put my hair in a cute style and got in my uniform, heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning," I croaked, walking into the kitchen with my backpack in my hand. My mother had apparently already run off to work, leaving a note on the dining table full of breakfast food. My father ran in from behind me to grab a few foods before saying goodbye and leaving ahead of me, too.

"Have a safe trip and a great day at school!"

"You too, Dad. But for work, though!"

My younger siblings usually had to leave earlier than everyone because school for them started earlier, so I was all alone in the house.

I sighed, sitting down at the table and eating alone, slowly. I held my head in my hand as I ate, more invested in thoughts of my bed rather than of food. It tasted alright, but not enough to make me want to keep eating. In fact, it felt like I was forcing myself.

Its no use if I don't have an appetite.. may as well get a head start to school..

🌸

Wow, I really don't feel well...

"This is our schedule for this week..who wants to....be in charge of arranging the bouquet.... for Shinohara-Sensei's...m...maternity leave present?"

"I'll do it! I have some friends who would love to help. By the way, they're interested in joining the club."

"Oh, that's good..."

"Are you alright, Ayame?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You look a tad bit flushed..."

"Hinageshi-San, are you okay?"

"Just a bit dizzy..."

"Ayame?"

Ren opened his arms for me and I shook him and the others off as they stood up, concerned. We were in the middle of a meeting, and I had gotten noticeably worse throughout the day. Everything was hurting and it felt like my head was becoming fuzzy.  I had stumbled during my presentation during our club meeting and the others practically exploded out of their seats like I could crash at any moment.

...That moment was now.

"Ah...someone's going to need to catch me."

When my body just couldn't take anymore, things started going black!

The last thing I saw as the world began to spiral into darkness were all 3 of my friends reaching their arms out to catch me like I was an expensive vase...

🌸

"You've still got a fever...you'll need to stay in bed for today."

Sumire slid the thermometer from my mouth gently, eyeing the number worriedly. She set it down on my nightstand and picked up a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. I wasn't surprised to find out she could cook!

I had woken up in my bed about 30 minutes ago. I wasn't at all sure how I could have passed out to the point where I was carried all the way from the nurse's office to my bedroom without waking up! It was pretty insane, to say the least!

Seeing my friends in my bedroom was as strange as it was heartwarming...To know they worried so much about me that they went through great lengths just to take care of me. My parents were swamped with work and weren't able to come home until later, but Ren had told them not to worry.

Sumire changed my clothes for me and put a cold towel on my forehead. The boys took a trip to the store to get some home remedies as well as every cold medicine you could think of! Sumire made me soup and herbal teas and waited on me like I was a princess.

I couldn't help but feel special. I couldn't remember the last time someone outside my family had cared for me this much. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have such great friends....

Call me selfish, but I was more than happy to get this sort of attention! In that moment, I didn't really want to get any better!

😝Well, maybe I could be spoiled just for a day!

"Ayame, I should have gotten you home sooner..when we were in the rain, it must have made you sick..." Ren sighed, sitting on the edge of my bed. I felt my cheeks reddening as Hinata and Sumire nearly exploded into teasing mode.

"Ah, two lovers drenched in the rain, embracing for warmth.."

"How romantic," Hinata joked.

I gasped, "Ren, you told them?!"

Ren grinned mischievously, "Of course I did! We have such a great love story! These two are always being mushy in front of us, so I get a Brag Card, don't I?"

"Ren, you idiot! That's so embarrassing! How many people have you told?!"

"We had story-time in the locker room today."

"REN!"

"What?! It's not that big of a deal!"

"Don't worry, Hinageshi-San, we all knew he was exaggerating everything. There might have been a kidnapping thrown into the story," Hinata nudged Ren, who flared daggers.

"Nevertheless, it was really sweet. I never knew Ren was such a sensitive guy! You should have seen how much he cried when he called me after you guys' fight—"

Ren launched himself across my bed to try and silence Sumire, but she evaded him skillfully, sticking her tongue out at him. I loved seeing the playful side of her — she was shy when you first met her, but she could be a little devil when she became comfortable around you!

"Shut up you two!"

"Quit shaking the bed, you'll make me drop this hot soup all over your previous princess."

"I've never called her that!"

"Hinata said you did during locker room story time. You are so cheesy..."

"Look, I just came here to take care of my girlfriend. I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now."

I burst into laughter, then, and the entire room started to quake with it. I'd been told I had a laugh that could make a man with no soul crack up.

Just being around all of these goofballs, talking and joking like we were old friends was enough to make me feel 1,000 times better than ever.

The Flapp club was the best thing I've ever done in my entire life!