Gravity - By Abigail Boyd Page 0,85
it was due to whatever was wreaking havoc with my sinuses.
"How about I walk you out?" she suggested softly. I nodded. She grabbed a patterned bag full of sketchbooks from the back of her chair and slung it on her hip, flipping off the classroom light.
"How is Theo doing?" I asked as we walked.
"She's alright. She has the flu, and her dad's taking care of her since he works from home," she explained, tucking her short brown hair behind her ears.
"Theo told me about him," I said. "How he lives right down the street, right? What does he do?"
"He makes wooden sculptures and sells them online," she said, shrugging. "It's a living. Anyway, I think you might want to head to the doctor yourself, honey. You look like you've got the flu, too."
I groaned and palmed my face. Of course, I was coming down with the flu. "I don't know why I didn't think about that. We spend so much time together now..."
"I've noticed that," she said. "I wanted to tell you I'm really grateful that you took her under your wing." It didn't seem that way to me, at all. As far as I was concerned, Theo helped save me.
"She was really depressed for a while, especially before we moved out here," she explained. "And in the meantime I thought I was moving here for her benefit. I'm just really glad she made such a good friend."
We continued walking through the hall silently. I just wanted to be at home and sleep, but I tried to keep up. It meant a lot to have a friend's parent actually like me, and not think I was either a bad influence or roadkill.
"I know it wasn't very fair of me to call you out for looking at your boyfriend," she said out of the blue. I had nearly forgotten the incident in the months since, but I looked at her, neglecting to correct the "boyfriend" part.
Her face was solemn. "It's just that you have vision, and if you only stop yourself from being distracted by silly school stuff, you'll go far. I know that's silly for me to say, that it all will pass, but it will, even though the easiest thing to do sometimes is to get caught up in it."
"My art isn't exactly good," I countered shyly. "Or really, even art."
"Maybe you won't win any awards any time soon," she conceded. "But you do have an eye for seeing things in a new perspective."
We had reached the front doors of the school, where the fire truck was still waiting outside. I was not in the mood to have to walk home, but I braced myself anyway.
"Do you need a ride?" she offered. I nodded, grateful. I was already sweating through my coat and I shifted uncomfortably.
I didn't remember much of the ride home, trying my best to stay alert. When we pulled into my driveway, I stepped out of Ms. Vore's car.
"Tell Theo I said feel better," I told her. "I've already said it a few times, but more won't hurt. And...thank you." She nodded, smiling, and pulled into her own driveway.
I walked in through the front door, not able to make myself go around the back, and chucked my backpack by the doorway. I rubbed my temples, which were throbbing in time to music on TV.
Hugh came out of the den with a stack of books in his hand. "What's up?" he asked. "No more sports incidents, I hope."
"I think I have the flu," I groaned. I swayed on my feet and headed for the couch, pulling the quilt on top of me and yanking it up to my chin. I still had my shoes on.
Hugh came back in with the thermometer. I started to tell him about the fire at school, but it came out like gibberish. He was even more concerned when he saw the 103.1 fever. Next I was aware, he was on the phone with the pediatrician. He told me if my fever didn't go down significantly tonight, we should head to urgent care, and gave me some Tylenol. Hugh always got very nervous when I was even the least bit sick, ever since I was a little girl. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, burrowing under the blankets, my mind a peaceful blank sheet.
Chapter 20
My fever dropped a little overnight, but it was still holding steady over 101. I felt very warm, instead of the chill a fever often brings, and alternated