Down with a cold

"Hope you all had a great a weekend. This week we are going to be working on Scott Fitzgerald- The Great Gatsby," Mrs. Lydia the literature teacher announced earning groans from the class." Groan all you want. But at the end of the book I expect an essay. Get reading.," she adds as she sits down.

It is Monday morning, the girls are having their English lit class but barely paying attention to it.

"You should start reading don't forget you have an assessment test at the end of the week," Diana tells her as she gets her novel out.

"What assessment," Ayla chokes out barely half conscious of her surroundings.

"Your grading assessment, and why are you so tired you basically spent the whole of yesterday sleeping off the hangover?" Diana asks.

"Nothing," Ayla shrugs opening her novel and getting ready to read.

On the other side of school, the seniors were enjoying their free homeroom.

"Have you already known which university you are applying to," Oliver asks the people around the table.

"Why? We still have a few more months. Right now we should be thinking of things closer like the Christmas holiday,"Mason deflects his question.

And with that, Mason, kevin, Oliver and other people jump into details planning what will happen during the holiday while Jason drifts closer to Sam to talk to her.

"Have you decided?," he whispers.

Laughing" I was nursing a hangover yesterday, couldn't manage thoughts like those,"

"Of course," he chuckles at his own question.

"Being meaning to ask, are you free this Friday? There will be a science congress. Want to come?" He asks his eyes alight with hope.

"Sure," Sam smiles before diving into some robotics book.

******

"Where is Jason," Ayla asked Mason during their lunch break.

"Haven't seen him," he swallowed.

After the Stacey breakout he hadn't  seen Ayla since and he would be damned if he lied he hadn't been thinking of her. And seeing her right in front of him pulled him back to that night and made him yearn to have her in his arms again.

Seeing her about to leave he invited quickly possibly without thinking," you can sit with us".

"No," she replied quickly and dashed out. Leaving him to nurse a bruised ego and  sooth a pissed Stacey.

"Why would you even do that?" She questioned immediately Ayla left." Have you seen her? And you want her to sit here?"

"Yes I have seen her. She lives with me. She is like my sister," he defended.

"That doesn't mean she is one of us or can sit with us," She clicked getting up and left the cafeteria with her entourage right behind her.

"Am sorry about Saturday," Mason apologized after finding her on her own having lunch at the edge of the football field.

He had been meaning to apologize for Stacey's behavior and also asked her to keep the kiss to herself as he didn't want to have issues with anyone. It was a drunken mistake and didn't wish a replay of events.

"Stay away. Stacey will get mad," she pushed him away.

"Then let her get mad. I really am sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you, It was a mistake, i was drunk and neither should I have let her insult you," he apologized again.

"Stay away," Ayla pushed him away with enough force to knock him over before running away.

******

"Was I that much of a terrible kisser sparky?" He asked startling the girl focused on the canvas in front of her.

"You scared me. I didn't hear you come in," she said hold her heart.

"You never do," he replied sitting next to her.

"What is that supposed to mean?"Diana asked turning to face him.

"Nothing really. You are just always focused on your art that you never know of what is going on around you," Kevin explained.

She shrugged and turned back to her art.

"Are you going to enter the Christmas charity contest?" he asked after a beat of silence.

"Am helping out,"

"So am I. But you know that is not what am asking,"

Sighing" I don't know. I don't think am good enough,"

"Nonsense. You are amazing. If I were rich I would definitely buy your art," he added with a laugh.

"Yeah right so that you can throw them in water like I did you during the party," she commented with a laugh.

"That is no laughing matter. I almost caught a cold," he uttered assuming the most serious face he could master.

"Oh no. And here I thought you did drown," she snickered.

" Wouldn't you want to see that,"

They joked for a while longer until the   last bell of the day rang.

Packing up they walked together to Ayla's locker where Sam, Jason and Ayla were gathered.

"Since we are all here why not just go grab dinner together. Its been long since that happened," Oliver suggested approaching the group together with Mason and a brunette whom he had draped his arm over.

"No can't do. We have a swim meet this Friday can't miss practice. C'mon Jason," Kevin mattered slinging his back on his shoulder.

"Can't have to speak to the teacher," Diana added with sam agreeing with her.

"I have basketball practices," Mason muttered with a sore expression covering his face.

"Going tutoring" Ayla gave him a sad smile before they all turned and left.

"Do i smell or Something?" He asked louded enough for his friends to hear. Before adding to the bruntte as he led her out of school,"I guess its just you and I".

    *******

"Am coming," a voice rang from the inside informing the unannounced guest to stop ringing the door bell.

"Hello how - what are you doing here?" He asked shocked to see the un invited guest.

"Tutoring," she smiled.

"No I canceled, I am feeling under the weather. Thus we can not have it today, you were to have the day off. How did you even get my address?" He rumbled.

"Monica told me. Test Friday not prepared. Where you sick?" She asked reaching up to feel his temperature like Monica does.

"Don't do that," he ordered slapping her hand away.

"Sorry," she muttered her eyes downcast holding her slapped hand.

"Arrggh, fine come in. Am down with a cold but I am sure we can manage a few minutes of learning," he sighed stepping aside to let her in.

"Thank you," she whispered getting into the house.

"Sorry for the mess. I don't get visitors," he mumbled a bit embarrassed at the current state of his home.

"Okay," she uttered sitting down.

Sitting next to her," The test is nothing major. It is to just test which level you are to be placed. If you pass it well you will get placed in juniors class since the Seniors have covered a lot that you can't manage to catch up. The test is going to be of Maths, grammar and science. Nothing hard or to have you worried," he explained.

Thirty minutes into it, he was already tired and without meaning to just fell asleep.

On noticing this Ayla felt bad for draining his energy. She just didn't want to go home and have to face Mason. She was really hurt by what he did. Taking away her first kiss without consent, letting Stacey insult her and calling it a mistake. Even though She knew he was sick she still came here to spend time with him and try forgot what happened.

Feeling guilty Ayla decided to make him soup that she was taught with Monica before heading out.