The Accidental Skype Call (EDITING)

Chapter Seven

Cassie

'Cassie?' someone says, immediately shaking me out of my sleep. My precious, much needed sleep, that was completely ruined by some evil being who decided to wake me up.

I glare at the offending party with groggy eyes, attempting to burn holes into them with my gaze. I stop glaring, however, when I realize it's my mother who has woken me up - I can't burn holes into the woman who birthed me. Rude.

'What time is it?' I ask her, rubbing my eyes to remove some of the grogginess.

'Around seven in the morning, how are you feeling?' She responded.

SEVEN IN THE MORNING?

It's seven in the morning and she's asking me how I feel. How does any human being feel this early in the morning? Horrendous, that's how.

'Not too good.' I reply, burying my head under my pillow.

It's a trick I like to call the "Ostrich Maneuver". It's where you bury your head into your pillow so nobody sees your face when you exaggerate about how you're feeling.

'Okay, well stay at home today, I'll call the school and tell them you won't be in again. I'm headed out for work.' She says, stroking my head fondly.

'Okay Mum, have a good day. Love you.' I say as clearly as I can with my head buried under a pillow. It comes out more like "okai mmm, habba bood bayy" instead, but she seems to understand it either way. She strokes my head once more before walking out of my room with an "I love you too" and a soft pat to my shoulder.

I wait a good few minutes making sure my mom has left the house, and only once I hear the front door close and lock do I throw the duvet off myself and drag my face out of the pillow cave I buried it in.

So maybe I lied about how I'm feeling. I'm actually feeling fine. Not fully recovered of course, but enough that I probably could've gone to school.

One extra day won't hurt me though, in fact I think it'll be good for me. School can be so overwhelming that a break is necessary - so if not when I'm recovering from flu, then when else?

I know what you're thinking, that I'm a terrible student. Well, I'll have you know, you are absolutely right.

You think I'm joking, I'm actually not. I'm the type of student they call up on stage, during assembly, and show the other students how not to dress. Considering the fact that we all wear the same uniform, you'd think it would be impossible to mess it up. Apparently not, because somehow that's what I did.

I contemplate my next move from my seat on the side of my bed. Do I shower now or do I go back to sleep. Both very tempting options, however I sweat so much last night, due to my slight fever, that I feel icky and very much in need of a shower.

I pull myself up slowly, making sure to avoid any waves of vertigo that might happen if I hop up too soon.

As hastily as I can I strip myself of my clothes, enter the shower and wash away the remnants of yesterday's extreme sickness.

The warm water works wonders for my achy joints and I realize at this exact moment I feel like a senior citizen struggling with arthritis. This flu really knocked a lot out of me.

I finish showering as soon as I can, turning the taps off and stepping out of the cubicle and into a bathroom so steamy you'd think people had been vaping in here.