Blue Letter Night

13. Mason knows the cure

My parents next visit happened fast, faster than I thought it would. With my parents came another round of our belongings only this time I didn't have to rush up to the attic in a race with Beth; She had been laying in bed for the past 24 hours coughing and blowing her nose at volumes that could be heard at the other end of the house. When Beth and I were little, I locked her in just about every closet and small space the house had available. As soon as I would turn the corner I wouldn't be able to hear her screamed threats.

Beth was quarantined in her room, but that didn't stop her from pretending she wasn't sick.

At 6:30 pm she wobbled down the stairs and wandered into the kitchen where I was having some dinner and getting ready to say goodbye to my parents.

"What are you doing out of bed?" I asked shuffling away when I saw her. Her whole face was colourless except around her nose and her eyes which were a bright pink.

"I'm fine. I'm just getting more medicine,"

"Maybe you should lay off that stuff before you become a DayQuil addict,"

Anne walked into the kitchen, probably looking for some dinner. Instead she got a very sick Beth standing in the kitchen in her pyjamas.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed at the sight of Beth.

"Its just a cold," her voice was horse and you could hear her nose was plugged.

"I can see that. What are you doing out of bed? You look like a corpse,"

Beth just rolled her eyes and took a seat the the table, she almost toppled over in the process, but managed to stay on the chair, "I just came for some medicine,"

"Uck okay but stay away from me. I'm not looking to catch the virus that starts the zombie apocalypse," Anne moved away from the table towards the fridge, wether that was for food or to get away from Beth was debatable.

"Don't be dramatic. It's not that bad,"

"Well either you haven't looked in the mirror today, or the virus is already eating away at your brain," I said taking a seat at the table with my bagel.

"I don't like it when you tag team insult me. Please just hand me the DayQuil," Beth stretches out a hand to revive the medicine. Rolling her eyes and picking up the bottle, Anne made a puzzled face. She must've noticed how light the bottle was because she put it in a cabinet Beth could only reach if she climbed on the counter.

"Umm I don't think so, half the blood in your body has probably been replaced by this stuff, what you need is sleep,"

"I hate to say it but I think Anna might be right about this," I agreed taking a bite of my bagel.

"No what I need is another dose of DayQuil and less judgemental friends thank you very much,"

"If this is about the gallery I-" Anne started but was interrupted.

"I don't want to talk about it so, moving on, have you guys seen Max today?" Beth layed her head on the table her eyes shut and her face growing paler. We were going to need to disinfect that spot later.

"Wait, what about the gallery?" I asked, mouth full.

"Moving on," She repeated in an irritated sing song voice which was rough as gravel and had as many cracks as a prepubescent boys. Her eyes were still closed tightly but her eyebrows knitted together in annoyance.

"She might be too sick to go," Anne explained, ignoring Beth who picked her head off the table and was glaring.

"Moving. On,"

"Oh, well if you want I could show you my trick for getting over a cold, you'll be good as new for the-" I started to offered.

"Hey guys. Whats up?" Max walked in the room and and grabbed a banana off the table.

"Max, where have you been?" Anne asked.

"With Kyle and Oliver," he shrugged, "Beth you look terrible. Take some DayQuil," Smiling triumphantly Beth walked towards the cabinet where the bottle was but not before Anne grabbed her.

"No! You're going to take Masons advice so you can kick the DayQuil and be well enough for the gallery,"

Beth just groaned, "Alright. Mason, give me twenty minutes,"

It was more like twenty five minutes when Beth was dressed and her hair was pulled back from her face in a dripping bun; she looked like she was a corpse masquerading as a real human. I hadn't really minded how long it took her, that left plenty of time for me to say goodbye to my parents and whip up my signature cold fixer elixir.

I pushed the glass towards her, "drink up,"

Clearly in disgust from the smell alone Beth took a good look in the glass and then back to me.

"I just brushed my teeth,"

"Do you want this cold gone for the exhibition or not?" I asked. She frowned.

"What's in it?"

"Mason Carter's cold fixer elixir recipe is classified. It's also better if you don't know "

Beth looked Anne who only shrugged as if to tell her it was safe.

"Mason I swear if you've done anything to this I will not hesitate to throw it at you," and with that she closed her eyes tight and took a sip. Gagging and then tipping her head back, Beth made a face that was exactly to be expected. She took a breath in out and then turned to me.

"Is that milk... with garlic and onion?" She asked sliding the glass away from her. I nodded and she gagged.

"Hey, my grandma on my Columbian side swears by it," I defend.

"Whatever, just- what's next?"

"Give me your socks," Anne's laughed echoed through the laugh and Beth sort of joined before having to stop to cough.

"Does your Colombian grandma swear by this one too?" Anne asked.

"No but the British one does. Grandmas know everything about getting rid of colds— it's kinda like a super power you get I guess— just trust me." So Beth handed me her socks, and I ran them under cold water in the kitchen sink. When I turned back to the girls they looked at me holding soaked socks in each of my hands, then each other, then back at the socks.

"Okay, I get drinking weird stuff, but how is this going to help?" Beth asked.

"Yeah I'm starting to think your British grandma was putting something other than sugar in her tea," Anne chimed in.

"Just put them on," I told her handing her the socks. She was looking at me like I had two heads.

"Okay... and then what?"

"Then we go for a walk,"