One Step Outside [Book 1]

Chapter 12 Change In Attitude

Bianca sighs as she watches Heather pass by. She didn't look or speak to Heather, neither did Bianca. Bianca waits patiently for the plane to take off. The plane starts up and takes off, Bianca forces herself to stay awake, but fails.

Bianca wakes up and checks the radar on the TV, About halfway. She thinks to herself. Looking next to her, Heather was asleep on her arm. Bianca grins, pushes hair out of her face, and falls back asleep.

"Hello Coach passengers! We are about to land, please make sure your tray table is stowed, your seat is in an upright position and your seatbelt is fastened. Thank you!"

Bianca opens her eyes and blinks away sleep. About to land? Already? Hm. Bianca looks down at Heather who was still resting on her shoulder and shakes her gently awake.

"Meh, wha-?" Heather looks up.

"We're about to land lass. Pack your stuff up."

"I didn't get anything out."

"Oh. Why so?"

"Like you said on our first flight. I need to grow up." Bianca winces. Hm, oh well. I guess she just kept them in her backpack. "They are still in my backpack. But I could leave the bag here and let some other kid have it."

"What? No. Don't do that." Bianca sits up.

"Why? You're the one who told me to grow up."

"Just take them home."

"Fine, bossy." The plane touches down on the runway and pulls into the dock. Evan, Kodi, Heather, and Bianca jump off the plane and head to the car. Bianca notices Heather seems already exhausted. She slept the whole way...

"I'll drive," Bianca offers. Evan nods and gets in the back with Kodi after he loaded all of the team's bags. Bianca gets in the driver's seat and Heather sits in the passenger seat.

"Hey, you finally got shotgun." Bianca chuckles after a while of a quiet car ride.

"Yeah, I'm going to get some sleep."

"You slept the whole plane ride."

"Huh, I guess I did." Heather shrugs and curls up in the passenger seat and passes out.

. . .

"We're here." Bianca pulls into the driveway to their house. Heather wakes up and huffs. Kodi and Evan swiftly get out. Bianca stays in the car after she watches everyone walk into the house.

"What's going on with Heather? Sleeping so much... Grumpy." Bianca says out loud to herself. She could just have jet-lag.

"Jet-lag is a viable option. Maybe, I'll just keep my eye on here." she decides. Bianca pushes her way out of the car and walk up to the door.

As soon as she enters, Bianca slips into Heather's room, finding her inside her room.

"Hey kid."

"Go away."

"How are you feeling?"

"Go away." Heather repeats. She lies flat on her bed.

"Food?" Heather sits up.

"Fine." She hops out of bed slowly and walks out the door. Bianca follows. Evelynn greets Bianca downstairs by a small hug. She greets Heather with a hug and a twirl. Evan was talking with Spyjoe on the couch and Kodi and Taylor were joking and laughing. Nobody seems to notice the weird actions of Heather. She goes over to the fridge and grabs a carton of milk and walks back upstairs.

"Guys." Bianca calls out, "Something is wrong with Heather." Kodi looks up.

"It must be the infected rat bite." She suggests.

"What?" Evelynn practically explodes. "She was bit? Why couldn't she keep, like, a bandage on it?"

"I had to take it off so the airport wouldn't be nosy."

Evelynn just scoffs and rushes after Heather.

"Great. She was mad with me, now she'll be mad at Evelynn." Bianca points out.

Kodi sighs. "I'll have to check on her later."

"No. You'll do it now." Bianca growls, giving her a stern death-stare.

"Okay, okay, I'll check on her now." Kodi stands up and walks up the stairs. Bianca huffs and plops herself on a stool by the bar. Taylor stands up from where she was sitting and walks to the opposite side of Bianca.

"So, you seem like, really good friends with 'lil Heather."

"Leave me alone." Bianca hisses in reply.

"Hm. Guess I'm right." Bianca pushes herself away from bar and storms upstairs, passing Evelynn in the process. Her eyes stained with tears.

Wow, one little bite can cause a bit of drama. Bianca scowls and puts her ear up to Heather's closed door.

"That doesn't look good." It was Kodi's voice.

"What do you mean, Kodi?" Heather whispers.

"It's spread. The infection has spread."

"It'll heal right?"

"I'm not sure, I don't even know what's causing it."

"Bianca will have a cow."

"She just cares about you, Heather, don't be so negative. Plus, she's lactose-intolerant."

"It was just a joke."

Bianca hears Heather's breathing, only it was more like wheezing.

"We'll keep an eye on ya, kid." Kodi decides.

"What about Bianca?"

"I'll tell her."

"No please don't."

"What, why?"

"I just don't want to worry her, please?"

"No, that'll just hurt her more."

"No, it won't, she's gone through so much, I can't put more weight on her shoulders."

Bianca feels like someone else had just died in front of her eyes. Heather doesn't want Bianca worrying, as if she doesn't already. Bianca struggles to not burst through the door and say she heard everything. Her hand was resting on the door handle. Instead, she pulls away and trudges to her room, just across from Heather's room.

"I'm telling Bianca." Heather's door opens and Kodi stands in the doorway. "Bianca? Were you listening?"

"No," Bianca lies.

"Well, Heather has something to tell you." She says as she gestures toward Heather's room. Bianca hears Heather gasp. Bianca takes one last glance at her room and forces herself into Heather's room. The room just had that disgusting odor of sickness. Even if Bianca wasn't listening through the door, she could've just inferred that something wasn't right.

"Bianca..." Heather wheezes. She sits up in her bed.

"Save your strength." Bianca advises as she lays Heather back down.

"I'm sorry." she coughs again.

"I said save your strength." Bianca repeats, tears swelling in her eyes. "You'll be fine. I'll be here night and day."

"No, you won't." Heather whimpers, "You need to do missions, I'll just distract-." She was cut off by a fitful of coughing.

Bianca sighs, "You need rest."

"No, I don't!" She snaps.

"What if I sing to you?"

Heather pauses. "I'd like to see you try."

"You're right, I can't sing." Bianca smiles. Heather laughs quietly, cautious to not start coughing. "But I am an excellent story teller."

"Tell me about your early days in this team."

"Only if you agree to sleep when I'm done."

"Deal."