Draven

“I came here to talk to you,” Jenny said as she stood there outside my apartment. She was close to the door, almost throwing herself inside, like she was frightened. Her eyes were wide as she stared all around me, never meeting my gaze. 

Of all the people that I would expect to be knocking on my door at eight o’clock at night, she wasn’t one of them. I wasn’t expecting her and I certainly didn’t want to see her. 

“I don’t feel like talking.” My voice was blunt. Those few simple words were hard get out. My head was aching so bad that I didn’t even want to be standing there. I just wanted to get back on my couch and under my blankets.

As I started to shut the door she reached out her hand. “Please,” she pleaded. “You don’t look so good. Let me come in.”

“Do whatever you want,” I replied as I turned to walk back to the couch. It was more like dragging myself to the couch, since it hurt so badly to move. I didn’t even have the strength to fight her. I walked away leaving her standing there by the door with it still open. She could either follow me in or leave. I couldn’t care less. 

My muscles ached as I lowered myself back onto the couch, stomach first. I rested my head on my pillow facing outward toward the T.V. It was the only position I could find that was even close to being comfortable, and it was far from it. 

Jenny’s footsteps sounded loud in my quiet apartment, so I knew she was still there. I just didn’t have the energy to acknowledge it. It was the first time I’d been sick in years, and I felt like I was dying. My stomach was turning, my muscles ached, and I was sweating so much that my clothes were soaked through.

“Draven,” Jenny spoke softly.

All I could do was groan. Every ounce of my energy was gone. 

I felt her hand touch my forehead. “You’re burning up, Draven. We need to get you to the hospital.” Her voice was filled with panic.

“No,” I opened my eyes and found her inches from my face. She was kneeling down on the floor in front of me. There was a terrified look on her face. 

“You need to see a doctor,” she told me, as she ran her fingers softly through my hair. It was comforting seeing her face. I didn’t know why, but I wasn’t fighting it.

“I can’t.” 

“I’ll take you,” she responded.

“I don’t have insurance, or money. I’m seventeen with no parent. I can’t just go to the hospital.” I was a minor. There was no way they would treat me since it wasn’t life threatening. At least, I didn’t think so.

“Let me get you a wet rag,” she said, and I missed her soft touch as soon as her fingers moved away from my skin. I could hear her rummaging through things, and wondered if I even had a clean rag. It’d been weeks since I done laundry. When she kneeled down in front of me again, she spoke softly. “I couldn’t find one. Can you at least let me take you back to my place? My mom will know what to do, and we can get some medicine in you for the fever.”

I closed my eyes tightly. I didn’t want to move. The pain was awful, and the thought of moving made me feel sick. 

“Please.” She rubbed her hand through my hair again. “I won’t leave your side, I promise.”

After releasing a deep breath, I agreed. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t take help like this. But it was different this time. I wanted her beside me. Must’ve been the illness making me think such strange thoughts. 

“Do you need me to get anything? A shirt or your shoes?” 

All I could do was stare up at her. 

“Okay.” She nodded like she understood my thoughts. “I’ll help you, and I’ll call my mom on the way.”

She wrapped her arms around me and helped me maneuver myself off the couch. There was a slight stumble, but we didn’t fall. She stayed right by my side the entire time. I’m not ashamed to admit that I held her like my life depended on it as we made our way out of the apartment. 

“Should I lock the door?” Jenny asked. 

“Yeah,” I told her as she leaned me against the wall in the hallway. She moved quickly and was back in a flash. “Stairs,” I moaned. 

“We got this. It’s a lot easier going down,” she said, gripping my side. “Your body is so hot.” 

“Thanks,” I smirked, and it hurt like hell.

I knew she was rolling her eyes, and I didn’t even have to see her face. “Okay, Charmer, let’s move.”

It felt like it took us forever to get to the bottom, and I never wanted to go back up again. I was barely able to stand up once our feet hit the pavement. Sweat was running down my forehead, and I was shivering so hard that my teeth were chattering.

“Almost there,” she told me, as the lights to her car flashed when she unlocked it.

I slid into the passenger seat and hunched over, resting my head on the dash of her car. All I could do was close my eyes, and hope that we made it to her house fast. She hadn’t even started the car and I already felt sick. 

“We will be there soon.” Her voice faded. My body was shaking. My bones felt like they would rattle right out of my body. Oh, and did I mention her car smelled like cherries. I silently hoped she drove as fast as she could, otherwise I was going to hurl in her nice clean car. 

As she was driving I felt her tiny hand touch my back. She was whispering softly that everything would be okay, as her hand rubbed circles on the small of my back. There wasn’t a time that I could ever remember someone taking care of me. When someone cared enough to make sure that I was okay. It felt like a craving. Like something I never knew I needed until I had it. I wanted her to never stop touching me like that. 

Not ever.

She called her mom from the car and the voices came through the speakers like the radio. Weird, but cool. 

“Mom.”

“Yeah,” her mother replied.

“I’ve got Draven in the car and I’m heading home. He’s really sick.”

“Oh gosh.”

“I wasn’t sure what to do, and I’ll explain when I get there. We are about to pull in.”

“Okay, honey.”

The call ended and Jenny’s car rolled to a stop. A little groan escaped me, as my stomach turned over. I quickly opened the door and threw my head over the side so I could be sick. There was no more holding it in. There wasn’t much in my stomach, but everything that was, came up.

Somehow in the process, Jenny had managed to make her way around the car and to my side. She yelled something towards her mother I think, but I was too busy heaving my guts up to hear what she was saying. My head was pounding, and I was inches away from death. 

Not really, but it sure felt like it.

If ever there were a time when I felt vulnerable, this was it. I was vomiting on Jenny’s driveway and she was standing just feet away. 

A cold rag touched my face, and I leaned into it rubbing my cheek against the soft material. The cold felt good, but it made me shiver again. When I felt the rag starting to move, I put my hand on top of the hand holding it. I glanced up and through the light of the car I saw Jenny standing there next to me. I was pleading with her, though I didn’t say a word. 

“Let me help you inside. Can you stand?” She asked. 

I nodded. Mrs. Pearson grabbed my other side and the three of us made our way into the house. They led me to the living room and laid me down on the couch. I didn’t have the strength to say a word to either of them. I let them do whatever, since I didn’t have the power to do anything myself. 

Jenny explained what was going on to her mom, as I lay there with my eyes shut. I didn’t want to move another muscle for a very long time. All I wanted to do was sleep.

I tried to speak, but it was more of a mumble.

“What is it?” Jenny asked me and I felt her hand touch my head.

“Don’t leave me,” I told her, my eyes still closed. It scared me to think that she wouldn’t be there. I needed her.

“I won’t.”