Most of the Time

Chapter 9

I woke up to the feeling of someone hovering over me, casting a shadow. I scrape the boogers out of my eyes seeing Justin with a cup of water, a handful of pills, and a napkin.

"What are you doing?" I say whispering aggressively, trying not to wake up Lily.

"I saw a schedule on the fridge, and it said to take these at 10 am and it's five past, also your nose" Justin says drawing circles around his own nose.

"What?" I say even though my half-asleep brain put the pieces together right after asking the question. He takes the napkin and wipes the blood from under my nose. I let him do it even though I am convinced that if I had the energy, I would have done it myself.

"Here" he says handing me the pills out of his palm and the cup of water. "They're small enough for you right?" He says chuckling.

There are moments where Justin's so thoughtful that I can barely breath and also moments where his ignorance makes me want to strangle him. This moment is the former. Maybe he cares about me more then I think. Maybe his forwardness is a way of showing me this. Either way, I am scared for the outcome. In my effort to swallow the pills, Lily wakes up.

"Look at you taking your pills on time" Lily says. I roll my eyes and give a quick smirk to Justin

"I think we should go out for breakfast" Justin suggests

"I agree" says Lily

Not before long we are all in Justin's car. Lily takes shot gun unwillingly and I am in the back seat behind Justin.

"Em are you sure you don't want to sit up here? I know you are jealous of all this leg room. You're the one with the long legs." Lily says trying to give me reasons to switch seats with her.

"Nah, I'm good" I say laughing,

"The safest part of a car is behind the driver seat" Lily and I say in unison. "I know you so well" Lily says bursting into laughter. I roll my eyes in the comfort of my safe seat.

I look up at the rear-view mirror to see Justin's reaction to our whole exchange. He kept a grin on his face the whole car ride so it's hard for me to tell, but in his silence, I assume he is not judging me for my choice.

We pull into the parking lot of an old IHOP that my parents would currently not let me eat in because, the food might "clog my intestines", whatever that means. Lily turns around in her seat and gives me a nervous glare because she also knows about my IHOP ban.

We decide on a booth. Lily and I are on one side and Justin alone on the other.

"So, what does Emily get at IHOP?" Justin says

"On a normal day, blueberry pancakes, eggs, and harsh browns. Today I don't know."

I turn my head to see Lily over analyzing the menu as if she doesn't already know what she wants

"You can still eat the eggs, I think." Lily says to me

"Wait, was this not a good choice?" Justin says

"No, it's good, I just have to watch what I eat, or I might get an obstruction" I say

"Obstruction?" Justin questions

"She won't be able to poop" Lily says bluntly

"Ew stop" I say pushing Lily almost out of the booth

"You guys are crazy" Justin says

When the waiter comes Lily orders birthday cake flavored pancakes for herself and for me, she orders eggs and fruit before I even get the chance. I have come to love fruit during my recovery. There is something about cold fruit and the hospital food service never seemed to mess it up. And I could eat them during liquid diets. We sat eating for a while, mostly in silence. I took small bites to combat my off and on nauseous feeling. I wanted to ask Justin about his recent behavior and now, minus the presence of Lily, seemed like the perfect time. I quickly text Lily "go to the restroom" under the table.