A side story of Alice

A continuation to my other side story. Except this one is quite bad...

                                                              Alice side story

“Am I really that uncool?” Rein asked.      

Fufu, I chuckled.

“Nope, I think there are times you can be quite dazzling.”

“wwwhat?”Rein said blushing.

It was cute in a way to see how he turns beet red from a single compliment.

“Like when?” Rein asked with his face facing the floor.

“Like...” I mumbled softly.                             

“Sorry I couldn`t hear what you said, could you repeat, please” Rein says, now looking 

up, with curious eyes…

“hmm… nope, it’s a secret” I said with a sheepish smile.

“I knew it your just playing with me!” Rein said half angrily, in response to my teasing.

Well obviously, I couldn’t tell him when I thought he was cool. After all, that would be way too embarrassing.

There was many times that I thought Rein was cool, but the very first time when I  thought Rein was cool, was when he looked after me when we were still kids. It was when I had a fever… 

That day I woke up with a burning sensation at my temple.

But, seeing how my parents were busy, I lied to them that I was fine. Well, I lied to my mother to be exact. My father was a bit of an air head so he didn’t even notice I was behaving differently.  Anyways ignoring him, my mother saw that I was acting a bit light headed. So she said “darling are you okay?”…

Since I did not want her to worry, I put on a big smile and said “Don`t worry mummy. I will be fine after a bit of rest. I just have a small headache.”

I guess my mother had some important meeting that day so she didn`t check my forehead. Instead, she just said “okay, but call me immediately if anything is wrong” and rushed off.

 Minutes after my parents left for work, I greatly regretted pretending to be okay.

It hurt so much. I felt like I was being roasted alive…

 “I hate being sick” I screamed with a coarse voice. Naturally no one is there to listen to my rant…  

Realising that I was alone made me start to feel gloomy.

“No no, think positive,” I told myself as I slap my cheeks and put on a smile. Let`s do what I need to do and get some rest.

I take the medication, the one that mother always give me when I have a fever. After that I stumble to my bed and immediately throw myself on it… I try to sleep but I can’t. No matter how much I twist and turn, I just can’t sleep… How much time have gone by since I tried to sleep? I look at the clock. Its 10 a.m. An hour has passed since I tried sleeping.

 Feeling helpless I start to cry. It`s so hard to sleep when I have a fever. And it`s so painful to be sick alone.

Should I call mummy?

No she is too busy and I don`t want to worry her.

Who else can I depend on?

Still stuck in my previous thought, I hear the doorbell ring.

Did mommy come back? I start to feel a bit of hope. I use my remaining ounce of energy to go to the front door. I open the door and immediately my heart sank. Standing in front of me was just my neighbor, Rein.

Cough* Cough* Cough*

I try to speak but was too exhausted. And with exhausting the last bit of my energy, I collapsed on the floor. I wake up feeling a moist damp cloth on my forehead. My forehead still feels hot, but definitely much lesser than before.

 “Don’t exert yourself too much” says a voice.

Right, it belongs to Rein…      

 

Wait, what was he doing in my room?

Let`s see there is a cloth on my head. I see, Rein was nursing me.

“Try to get some rest, it seems you still have a bit of fever.” Rein says gently.”

“I know it painful to be sick and alone…

“yeah right what do you know?” I say weakly.

He pauses for a while, look up at the ceiling and then continues.

Well spending so much time with an idiot, I Know that you probably lied to your parents about being fine. After all, you’re the type of person who hates worrying her loved ones. But don`t worry, I am not your parent, I am your idiot friend that will stay by your side until you recover” Rein said with a really warm smile.

Snifle. Snifle.

For some reason I start to cry.  And my chest feels warm. Why? I see, I am crying cause I don`t have to suffer alone anymore.

“Hey, don’t cry. I apologise if I said something mean.” Rein says.

“Thanks” I said with a smiling face.

I cast my eyes on the floor, hiding my blushing face.

 “I have a favour, can you hold my hand until I fall asleep?”

“Sure”, Rein says as he grips my hands.

As he holds my hand, a sense of peacefulness and tranquility surge through me.  I guess it`s nice to have someone care for you once in a while.

And with that thought, I soon fall asleep…

Looking back now, I think that one of the reason that made me consider Rein as someone who I can trust and someone that is precious to me.