Life Happens

Chapter 6

After two days in a row of staying home sick, I'm finally well enough to go back to school. Both days Wes and Macy stopped by to check on me and keep me company, which I was grateful for. I absolutely hate staying home sick, just because I get so bored and lonely at home all day. 

My morning classes are boring and I collect all of my misses homework; thankfully there's not very much of it. By the time I get to lunch Wes has to practically hold me up so I don't fall asleep from exhaustion. I don't buy any food, scared that if I eat my stomach might decide it's not actually better and I'll have a repeat of Monday. 

"So, tomorrow is my first hockey game with the school, and I was hoping you guys would come and cheer me on?" Wes asks the group nervously. For unknown reasons, Wes is still scared that all of our friends don't actually like him, although I know for a fact they do. 

"Yeah, totally! I love hockey." Chris gets excited, starting to talk to a few other guys about going to the game. 

"Ainsley, Amber requests that you come and sit with her and my mom. You don't have to sit with them, but I really want you there." Wes leans back in his chair and rests his arm on the back of mine. 

"I'd love to sit with her. What time does the game start?" I ask, happy to see Amber again. 

"I was thinking you could come home with me and just come with me and my family. We'll get there early so I can warm up and stuff but then you can get good seats." He explains.

"I'm cool with that. I'll talk to my mom after school. I'm sure she'll be cool with it, though." I smile at hanging out with Wes again. We haven't had the opportunity to in the past few days, obviously, and I was looking forward to finally seeing Wes play. "Is your dad not coming?" I ask, realizing he hadn't mentioned him. 

"Nah, he has a late night patient on Friday nights, and he's not a big hockey fan. Football, yes, hockey, no." He shakes his head, a slightly pained look on his face. I reach up and rub his arm, not knowing exactly how to comfort him. He offers me a smile, though, so I assume what I've done is enough. "It just matters to me that you and my friends are there." 

"Why am I not included in the friend category?" I ask stupidely. 

"Ains, I think you should have realized by now I have no intentions of staying just friends with you." Wes laughs, and turns back to his food, leaving us both red in the face. 

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The rest of my classes pass slowly, my exhaustion only increasing as the day progresses. When I get home I'm thankful to see my warm bed waiting for me, and practically collapse on it for a nap. 

Two hours later, it's getting dark outside and I wake up just in time to hear the front door open, signalling either Olivia or my mom is home. I yawn, sitting up, and decide I should start on my homework that I missed the past two days. As I start on a chapter of the book we're reading for Englsih, my bedroom door opens. 

"Hey sweetie, I just wanted to let you know Olivia is at a church gathering tonight with her friends and I'm going out to dinner with Sam. Can you get something for yourself?" My mom's voice makes me lift my head from my book. 

"Yeah, that's fine. Oh, and Wes wants me to come to his first hockey game with the school, so can I go over there tomorrow and go to the game? I'll probably be back by ten, he wants to take me to dinner afterwards." 

"You know I'm fine with you going out as long as you get your homework done and don't do stupid things." She smiles, and I laugh a bit. In my family, academics are a big deal and it's kind of necessary to have a GPA of 3.8 or higher, so I'm expected to do my homework every night and study often. I don't have a problem with it, though. It makes me happy to have a 4.0 and I have plans for my life, that I know I'll never get to do if I don't do well in high school.