anything for you

25 - stomach bug

I wake up with a rag on my forehead, I try to move but my head is pounding.

I groan and close my eyes again.

"You were sweating a lot and your mom came in and put a rag on your forehead." I can barely open my eyes.

I try to sit up but everything hurts so bad.

"What happened?" My voice sounds awful.

He sighs, "I really don't know, you were fine last night. Right?"

I try to think,

"I mean my stomach hurt a little but that's it." I wince as he sits down on the bed.

"Anna,"

"Yeah?" I open my eyes a little.

He just stares at me, I knit my eyebrows but he just keeps looking at me.

"Are you okay Benjamin?" I manage to let out a laugh.

"I just wanna know why you're sick." He leans his head down.

"What time is it?"

"2:47"

I try to sit up out of instinct but I cringe and fall back down.

Am I okay? What's wrong with me?

——————————

Benny stayed with me the whole day, I was mostly sleeping but whenever I woke up he was still right next to me, not even on his phone.

"Hey." My voice is raspy

He sits up immediately and looks at me, his expression softens.

"Are you feeling better?" He feels my forehead and makes a face.

I try to nod my head yes but he knows I'm lying. I really don't know why I'm so sick.

"What time is it?"

He walks over to the other side of my room.

"10:24" he says, casually.

"You can go home. We have school tomorrow." I say as I feel my own forehead.

"No, I have school tomorrow. YOU don't." He crosses his arms.

"We'll see about that one pal, Julien will bring you home. You need to sleep."

He sighs and slowly stands up, stretching.

My eyes are barely open but he presses his lips to my cheek.

"Goodbye beautiful."

I don't know why but that made my heart jump out of my chest. If I could I would jump out of bed and throw my arms around him.

I hold up my arm and grab his wrist as he's turning around. I pull his arm closer and hug him with my weak and tired body. It feels like everything is 1,000 pounds.

I hear my brothers car start, I take off my blankets and realize I'm not wearing pants.

Girl what-

A note was on the floor next to them.

"You woke up and said that your legs were super hot and tried to take these off. You gave up halfway and asked me to do the rest."

- Benjamin

Oh god, really? I roll my eyes in embarrassment and get up to use the bathroom.

I look at myself in the mirror and my face is pale, my hair is a mess and my forehead is beading with sweat.

Ew.

I turn on the shower water, I take off my clothes and I feel so gross.

In the shower I started to feel lightheaded a little so I sat down.

———————————

I get back into bed feeling a lot better, not for long though. I rush to the bathroom and gag until I throw up until my stomach is empty. I don't care, I've missed way too much school. This is nothing compared to being hit by a car I'm chillin.

———————————

The next morning I act like I'm okay so I can go to school. I check the weather, it's supposed to be 87° today. Great.

I put on black shorts and a purple shirt that has the Arizona flag on the back.

———————————

I decided on trying to hide as much as I can from the guys so they won't tell Benny I'm here. Didn't think that through, Squints is in my first block.

I ended up sleeping through most of the class. The bell rings, I stood up and my teacher walks up to me and she gently touches my shoulders with her hands.

"Oh dear, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired." I fake yawned.

She says okay but if I don't feel well come to her classroom and she'll walk me to the nurse.

We had a speaker in P.E. That day so we didn't have to do any running at all. Bertram ran up to me and asked the same thing my teacher did.

"No, I'm alright." I waved him away and sat against a wall.

Lunch.

"I still think you should go home."

"Benny, I'm fine. I took a shower and I felt a lot better."

He puts his hand on top of mine ,

"I just don't want you feeling sick, especially at school." He says quietly.

I nod my head and lay my head down on the table.

I think I fell asleep again, I'm not sure.

"C'mon, let's go." I stand up as Benny wraps my arm around his shoulder to make sure I don't fall.

"Hold on." We stop at his locker, I lean my head against it while he's getting his stuff I start to get super hot all of a sudden and my breathing pace quickens by the breath.

"Woah! Are you okay?" He stands up and I'm breaking out in sweat. He calls Bertram and he runs around the corner, they both walk me to the nurses office and I lay down on the "bed" 

The nurse takes one look at me and calls my mom.

"Drink this," my eyes are closed but a water bottle is being pressed against my lips.

Why am I always the sick one?

I'm in and out of sleep when I hear Juliens voice come through the nurses hallway.

"Told you you shouldn't of come to school today stoopid."

"Shut up." My head is throbbing.

———————————

"Anna, we have got to take you to a doctor honey." My mom says as her hands are on the wheel. An ice cold water bottle is in my lap

"No, I hate them."

"Anna? What's going on?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just stay calm. Breathe."

What?