Chapter 28

I walked to the school halls with my sweatshirt's hoodie almost covering my face so nobody can see me. I didn't have much sleep since Saturday because of the thoughts and stress and all the thinkable things. They kept me awake on the nights making me stay in my room the whole Sunday. I successfully dodged all the calls and texts from my friends and Carter so they can have a mini-break from me, even if they don't seem like they want it. I don't want to pull them into my head and make them overwhelmed, it is already held better by me. If any of them see the dark bags under my eyes and the slumpiness of my posture, they will not stop asking me what's wrong and offer their help.

"Hey, Kate." I hear Troy calling me. I thought of turning myself and running away from him, but he would follow me and create some form of drama about it, which will be so cliché and totally awkward.

"Troy, hi. How are you doing?" I greet him, not pulling my sweatshirt's hoodie from my face.

"Not bad, the weather is getting harsher, right? I almost couldn't get from my bed because my feet were freezing," he said chuckling.

"Oh, yeah? But it wasn't like that to me." I said and chuckled awkwardly.

"I assumed you were since you put your hoodie up, anyway, I came here to invite you," he said smiling nervously.

"Invite me? Uh... Where?"

"To my flat, some of my friends will be there too. It's kind of a party but much cooler and calmer. What do you say?" he offers.

"I will think about it, when is it?"

"Friday night."

"I'll check over my schedule and see if I can come, thank you for your thoughtful invitation," I said and walked away from him. It looks like I won't be having any rest from the invitations, which is good and bad. The reason it is good is that I am being mentally fed with the fact that all people don't think the same about me and I might have a chance to show my real self instead of locking myself up inside my head thinking everyone is trying to get to me or they hate on me. It really does feel good to know that at least one person thought to invite me to a party. But the bad thing is I am being distracted from my studies, speech writing, and my very own friends. It's been almost a week since I opened my Biology textbook or even my maths. The deadline for writing the speech and submitting it is coming nearer (as if three months is too short), and I didn't even write a proper opening to it. I should have a break from everything as soon as possible, I can't just have one problem after the other on a daily basis. Maybe going to Troy's place may ease my mind, not because I know him and trust him enough, which I both don't. He doesn't know me well as the others do, he would not cause any problem, neither won't I.

"Hello, Anderson." Mr. Richards greets me as I enter the chemistry lab, which I returned with a smile and a nod. I passed a couple of students' desks and sat at the very back of the class. This is the place where everybody despises because it is a see-through spot to the other class. After all, the opposite wall is made of glass and also the teacher himself because there is no table placed between this table I am currently sitting on and the teacher's desk, which is good for me. I need to start focusing on my studies.

"Before we start our lesson, I would like to mention Larry's great work on writing this collection of short notes handbook for his classmates. Now, it will be easier for all of you to catch up and understand the subject well. Can I hear an appreciation for Larry, everyone?" Mr. Richards announces, all the students clapped and even whooed for Larry, all except me. I do have met him a few times and had short conversations, but I don't have the energy to do anything other than listen. It is an odd thing, I don't think this is only because of the lack of sleep, but I just let it slip.

"Let's start our today's lesson which will be about Atoms and the classifications of Atoms. Has anyone of you known or heard about this topic? I may give a bonus for whoever speaks up." he said looking directly at me, cracking a small smile. Oh man, this guy knows me well when it comes to bonuses. I am too tired that I'm feeling unwell, but I couldn't resist raising my hand and answering, so I did.

"Yes, Kate Anderson." Mr. Richards calls me happily. I sometimes think he likes me because I am one of those rare students who participate actively. Even though I am an antisocial extrovert and don't like talking with people, participating and speaking in front of huge audiences has been my biggest and first favorite thing to do and will always do.

"Atom is the smallest unit of all living and non-living things and it has two parts, which are the nucleus and the orbits which are called valence. Inside the nucleus, there are two of the subunits of the atom from the three which are called Proton, a positively charged, and Neutron, a neutral charged. The last one is called Electron and it is a negatively charged located at the orbits, circling the atom like the planets." I explained then sat down. I am surprised at how he wasn't bothered by not taking off the hoodie while I was telling them a short summary I knew and studied a while ago.

"Wow, Anderson, that is phenomenal. I am rewarding you two points for the perfect explanation you just presented," he said making the students clap, who only very few of them did. I feel sorry for Mr. Richards than for me, unexpecting things are helpful sometimes.

"That just sounds like an old demon freak and a boring teacher!" someone says from the other far corner of the lab. I can't settle a finger on who said it since they're a lot of students packed there, making it hard to spot who said that.

And here the useless weapon that I used for a teacher has made an Uno reverse and struck me right in my feelings, ouch.

"Quit the joking around and have respect for your classmate." Mr. Richards tried to warn them, but failed miserably.

"She looks like an ugly coal!" another one says insulting me. I stayed silent and didn't say anything back to them. It stings and hurts like hell, but I kept on swallowing it. Just say nothing sometimes, let Karma speak up for you. Even if her response takes longer.

"I said enough."

"I bet she thinks she is prettier than me, think again!"

"Oh no, did we hurt your feelings?"

"She must be living on the streets."

"Does she even has feelings?"

"Will she ever get someone to like her?"

"Shut it! Oh my goodness just shut up!" I abruptly stood up fuming, and glared at them all, "I can't stand you anymore! Talk as much as you like! I don't give a fuck and may you all burn in hell!" I screamed, and without waiting for any reaction from anyone I stormed out of the classroom passing the teacher, and slammed the door shut, hard.

I wiped the tear that escaped from my eyes after the door was closed, bunched my hands, then crouched beside the door, not wanting to go anywhere because I don't have the energy to walk or even speak. That piece of screaming I gave them was out of anger, it was not me. Anger spoke today, which is something very unusual since I always control it better than anyone. I brought my knees to my chest and laid my head on it exhaling shakily. I wish I was different, I wish I was beautiful, I wish I was confident enough to defend myself, I wish things would have been in a different way, I wish someone truly liked and loved m—

"Love bunny? What the hell are you doing here? Are you okay?" I hear my savior and knight in shining armor call out. I quickly snapped my head up and saw him with some of the football players.

"What did you just call her?" Drew asked shocked and confused.

"Nothing, just chilling," I said smiling weakly.

He looked at me suspiciously, then turned to his team, "You go, I will catch up with you later." Carter tells them. They nodded their head and said something to him, then left. Carter shifted his attention to me and comes to sit beside me, "You look sick, why did you come knowing you are sick?" he asks. Pure worry can be read from his eyes, and it brought a smile to my lips. This is a good feeling, to know that he worries about me.

"I don't know Carter, I didn't sleep well last night and it affected me, that's it."

"Do you think you can fool me by a silly excuse? I am your friend, right?" he said, putting his hand on top of my forehead and feeling it.

"Shit, your temperature is high as fuck, your eyes are turning red, and your face is lumpy and not like the usually bright and kissable cheeks. I will take you home, now. Make the nurse call your parents and I will take you there." he said and held my arms, "Come on, let us go to the nurse's office."

"You can't take me to my home... mom and dad are at work, but okay anyways. I think what I need is getting the rest I need and some junkies." I said and stand up with the support of Carter, "Thank you, for being here when I hadn't even called you." I suddenly said feeling I should thank him. If he didn't come here, I would have suffered and even thought of killing myself. My body is getting weaker with every minute passing by.

"I am as surprised as you are, love bunny. But glad I found you," he said guiding me to the nurse's room. The first and only time I visited this room was when I was in freshman year, and it was when I bled so bad because someone 'accidentally' tripped me from the top of the stairs leading to the other classrooms. But right now, I don't even know what happened to me. It is definitely not because I didn't sleep well, and I know that I won't be on my period anytime soon. My sinus is at a good phase and I don't feel my lungs like they want to get ripped out. Oh Lord, I am lowkey scared, if this is anything new then I don't know how much capable I would be.

"Hey Mrs. Nurse, my friend here is feeling unwell and needs to forward a call to her parents," Carter speaks for me, still holding me between his arms and my head put on his chest.

"Alright, but first let me check on her to see if there is anything I can do for her. You can lay her on the bed." the nurse tells Carter and he obliged. He looks over at me and softly brushes my cheek, "I will wait outside." he says and leaves.

"Hello, what is your name, dear? I don't see you around." she asks me as she is putting a thermometer under my armpit then hearing my heartbeat by the stethoscope, "Kate, my name is Kate." my reply almost a whisper, "I am feeling weaker, what is wrong with me?" I ask her. She met my eyes for a moment then smiled, "Don't worry dear, it may be flu."

"But I have only sinus, nothing else," I said, confused.

"Just as I suspected, the flu and your sinus made more pressure on you, and make you feel weak, your breathing is shallow, and have a high fever. So I suggest you go to a doctor before trying or taking anything," she explains.

"Ughh." I groaned and closed my eyes, how in the world could I be sick this quick? I wasn't feeling good starting from the morning, but not this bad as I am feeling right now.

"I will call your parents right now. Kate Anderson, right?" she asks and I answered by nodding my head, "Okay, got it. Do you want me to call your friend?" she asks, and again, I answered by nodding my head. She smiled and touched my cheek, longing the moment to look down at me then left.

"What did she say? She told me you wanted me in again." Carter starts as he brings a chair and sits beside the small bed.

"I feel so sick comparing it to the morning dizziness I felt. She said the sinus and flu combined and made me like this, but she isn't sure." I said.

"I am sure it is nothing. I hope you will get better soon," he said with an assuring smile.

"Thank you, me too. It already sucks to have a sinus infection, and now this? Sometimes, the things that happen to us can be more than a test, to be honest." I said sighing.

"And behind every hard test, there is something called accomplishment and satisfaction." he said, "You are sick. Do not let those thoughts invade your fragile mind, you should give it a rest."

"Meh, I don't care," I whispered again, losing the strength that I had. I should shut up if I really do want myself alive today.

"We should go then. I already brought your backpack from the lab. Those fuckers were snickering and whispering something to each other, but do not worry, a little hurtful shit to them does not hurt, right?" he said messing his perfectly laid soft curls on his forehead by pushing it back.

"You are being too thoughtful today, anything new?" I asked smirking weakly.

"No, I want to help you as you are my friend, that is it," he said simply.

"Kate? Here you are, your parents said that they can't come and told me to let your friend take you," the nurse said. I thanked her then quickly slipped out of the office with Carter. There is something off with her, but it doesn't look any negative so I let it go.

"Do you want us to stop by the grocery store and buy anything you want?" Carter asks me as he slowed down near the entrance of the store, "I don't have the energy to speak let alone shopping, Carter."

"What do you usually eat or drink when you are sick? What makes you invigorated and ready to even run?" he asked me.

"I just want some peace, junkies with mango juice, and a buddy to watch any series with me," I answered, smiling cheekily at him.

"We will surely get peace and the buddy, but the rest are not valid," he says starting to drive us to my house.

"Why? I love them both so much." I whine.

"I will make you something better. But the concerning thing, is your dad there?" he asks, fear heard from the very edge of his voice.

"No, both of them are out for work from seven in the morning to four in the evening. So we have pretty much time to watch some series." I replied. He hummed as a reply, continuing the drive with silence.

I leaned the seat further to the back and turned to my side, pulling my hoodie lower to cover my face more. This thing is getting worse, especially around my head. This fever is making my head feel heavier and feels like it will never let me go.

"Do you want to listen to the radio?" Carter asks. I put my hand up and gave him the thumbs up. He can do whatever he wants, just let it not be...

"One, BBC, radio one!" the radio's audio blasts from the speakers that are at the bottom of the car door, and a song started to play,

'We got a ride, we got the night

I got the bottle, you got the light

We got the stars, we got audio.

We're gonna fly, we're getting high

You got the moon dust, I got the sky,

We got the stars, we got audio,' I smiled at myself when I hear this memorable song from last year when Harris, Jenny, and I tried to make our own party and dance the whole night at Jenny's house.

"I like this song, it's Sia and Labrinth, yeah?" Carter asks, making me raise my hands again, thumbing up.

'You got the heart, we got the soul,

Just when the world saying they got no hold,

Here comes the love, we got audio.

We're flying high superhero,

S on my chest, with Marilyn Monroe

Feel like a star, cause we got audio....' I started to mumble the lyrics but got cut off with the shutdown of the engine.

"And here we are, love bunny," Carter says turning off the radio. This was the fastest ride from there to here I ever had.

"I am too tired, can you carry me and take me into my house?" I ask Carter as politely as I can be because I need it, not just want.

"Anything for you, wait for me." he said and quickly got out of the car then immediately to the door side of mine, "Woah there, Mr. Flash," I said as he tucked one of his arms around my knee and the other securely tightened around my waist. He lifted me up and pulled me closer to his body, slamming the door shut and walking up the porch to my home, "The keys?" he asked. I put my hands inside my pocket and pass them to him.

"Do you want to lay on your bed?"

"What a great question to ask, Carter." I deadpanned, rolling my eyes.

"I just want to lay you down," he said smirking. Okay, so I have to deal with the cocky Carter the whole evening, lovely.