Chapter 7: Unwell

Leonel Grey Montero

"Good morning, class," our first subject teacher greeted us as he walked to his desk at the front of the classroom.

"Good morning, sir," we responded in unison, standing up to greet our teacher.

"You may sit down," he remarked as he settled at his desk, pulling out his laptop. "First, let’s take attendance."

Everyone in the class responded with a "present," raising their hands to signify their attendance. Except for one person.

"Is Miss Lourencia present here?" The teacher scanned the room, searching for a specific individual who was not likely to be present here.

"No, sir. She’s not here," a classmate replied.

"Ah, okay, absent," he noted.

Turning to Clara’s empty desk, I couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't present in our morning class today. Her absence seemed to pique the interest of others. After all, she was that popular kind of person.

The atmosphere in the classroom felt different without her. Without Clara, my school life seemed more peaceful, yet at the same time, it felt somewhat dull.

I had no idea why she wasn't at school today. She hadn't contacted me, but I had a hunch that she might be ill. After all, we did get caught in the rain yesterday while sharing my single jacket. Though it kept us from getting completely soaked, we still got a bit wet.

If that’s the case, I should visit her later.

The entire class was finally dismissed, and as I walked out of the classroom, I heard a voice calling my name from afar.

"Hey, Leon," I turned to see Clark, one of my basketball teammates, approaching me.

"Hey," I replied, curious. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm heading to the gym. We've got a practice match with the seniors from the other department," he explained.

"A practice match?" I echoed, surprised.

"Yeah, didn't you see the announcement in the group chat earlier?" Clark asked, a hint of confusion in his expression.

I realized that I hadn't checked my phone earlier, as I'd been caught up in class. And also, distracted from thinking about something.

"Um, no, I didn't check my phone," I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go," he said, gesturing for me to follow him. "And by the way, lots of people are watching for us. Especially the girls," he added with a smirk.

To all my teammates at basketball, he is the one who is most likely to be known as a 'playboy.' He really likes to be on the team because of the girls, and it was his goal to impress them. I don’t even know if people knew about that behavior of his, though. 

Aside from not being in a mood to play today, I have somewhere else to go that I promised myself to go to.

“I’m sorry, but I have important things to do at home right now.” I respectfully declined and that made his reaction a bit dismayed.

“I-is that so?”

“Yeah, so goodluck on your match later.” I lightly tapped his shoulder before leaving the scene. 

Being able to attend a practice match in a gymnasium is a big deal for every athlete here in the school as they not just train and practice, but also to showcase their talents and skills that gives inspiration to other students who want to try this type of team sports.

As Clark said, many people were expecting me to be there at the practice match but I can’t really attend because something is more important than this practice match. And it was to visit Clara in her house.

If my guess is true that she became absent because of what happened yesterday, I’ll feel a sense of guilt for letting her do that. That’s why I am here at the front of her house to visit her.

It wasn't my first time visiting, but it had been a while. Feeling nervous, I took a deep breath before knocking on the tall wooden door. As the door slowly creaked, Clara's mother greeted me.

"Oh, Leon, it's you," she exclaimed, surprising me with her recognition after so long.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Lourencia," I greeted in return.

"What brings you here? Is it Clara?" she asked. I mean, that was the only possible reason why I am here.

I nodded. "Yes, I've come to visit her. Is she home?"

"She's here, but I'm afraid she's not feeling well today. Is that okay?" Mrs. Lourencia replied, her concern evident from her voice.

I knew it, it was from the rain yesterday. Now I’m more eager to see her.

“Yeah, actually, I brought some porridge from the nearby store for her," I said, raising the paper bag I held.

"Oh, that's thoughtful. Please, come in," she graciously welcomed me.

"Thank you. Pardon my intrusion," I said as I entered their living room. My eyes immediately fell on Ion, Clara's little brother, sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"Take a seat. Would you like some water?" Mrs. Lourencia offered, her hospitality always making me feel like part of their family.

"Yes, thank you," I nodded, glancing at Ion, who suddenly turned to me.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Big bro!" he exclaimed, rushing towards me. I was surprised by the nickname. Where did that come from? 

“Hello,” I greeted him while patting his head; he really seems like a fine boy.

“What are you doing here?” he asked me.

“I came to visit your big sister,” I replied.

"Oh, is that so?” he said while looking at my paper bag. He seemed curious about what's inside.

“Do you want some porridge?” I thought he might want it, so I took out the porridge from the bag and handed it to him.

“It’s okay, thank you. I just finished eating. But the only person who hasn't eaten yet is my big sis,” he said in a worried tone. I guess it's normal for every sick person not to be in the mood to eat, but even so, she needs to.

“Is that so? Is she sleeping in her room right now?” I asked him.

“I think she’s sleeping right now,” Mrs. Lourencia came back from the kitchen, “Do you want me to wake her up for you?”

“No! It’s okay, really,” I immediately responded. It would be a bother for Clara if she wakes up while she’s feeling sick.

“Or do you want to check on her in her room instead?” she inquired. I was a bit surprised when she invited me to go there.

“If it’s okay with you.”

“I didn’t invite you if it’s not okay with me, you know,” she chuckled. She has a point, though.

I was just making sure, but since she said it, I didn’t hesitate and walked in front of her room. It was another tall door indeed, and I felt more nervous than before. I wonder what she’s doing in her room?

I lightly knocked before slowly opening the door. As I went in, the lights were off, giving me the idea that she’s sleeping in her bed.

It’s been a while since I went inside this room. I was here just to play with her with different kinds of games we had in mind, but this time it’s different.

I slowly walked and sat near her bed while I placed the porridge on her desk.

It seems that this happy and outgoing girl had her break for a day. Just by observing her defenseless face while she's sleeping provides evidence of it.

Out of curiosity, I unintentionally checked her forehead with my hand, and it was hot. The effect of the rain yesterday really hit her.

“Why did you need to do that?” I whispered while rubbing her soft cheeks with my fingers.

For me, she’s like a kid who is really energetic when she is in condition and extremely feeble when she’s not. That’s how big the shift of her behavior is depending on her condition.

Few minutes passed, and all I’ve done is observe her. I might be saying this to myself over and over again. She might be annoying to me, but she’s still my best friend, and I can’t stand watching her like this, getting ill because of me. I feel guilty and sad at the same time.

“Better to recover as soon as possible, huh?” I took my final words, patting her head before finally standing to go outside.

But as I walked away, a voice came out. “D-don't go away.”

I froze as I heard that and slowly turned to her. Is she awake all along?

Her eyes were a bit dull, as well as her expression given by her illness. She was about to get up, but she had no energy to do it.

“Hey, don’t force yourself,” I said while walking again towards her.

“S-sorry.”

“I heard that you hadn’t eaten something yet. I have porridge here for you,” I handed her the plastic bowl with the porridge inside, but she didn’t respond.

“...”

“Just 3 spoons,” I insisted, just to make her eat, but still she hasn’t responded. What does she want?

“...”, still no reply. So I left with no choice.

“Here, say ahh,” this is my last card and good thing it works. She immediately opened her mouth as soon as I said it.

She likes to be fed huh? I am starting to believe that she is a kid trapped in a teenager's body.

But I can’t keep complaining to her right now because this is not the time yet for her to argue about some stuff.

She surprisingly raised her eyebrow after she took a spoonful of the porridge “Mmm..”

"How was it?"

"Delish."

“Glad you liked it.”

“By the way, how did you know that I am ill?” she asked.

“You got caught up by the rain yesterday, and that gives me the idea why you’re absent earlier.” I replied to her. It was the most obvious reason I could think of at the moment that she’s nowhere to be found in the classroom earlier in the morning.

"You’re really observing me, huh?" she lightly smirked, attempting to tease me a bit.

"Not really," I replied.

"Hmm, okay," she shrugged her shoulders. "Say, Leon, am I a good friend to you?" Her words shocked me, they came out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?" I asked, wanting to clarify what she said.

She fixed her posture leaning on the wall and let out a light sigh. "I've been thinking about this for a while. You're aware that I've always bothered and annoyed you ever since we were young. But sometimes, I realize that I think maybe I'm not being considerate of your feelings. I keep pushing you to do the things I want, yet you're still by my side,"

I couldn't quite figure out where she was getting this idea from, and it made me wonder if her sickness was affecting her thoughts.

"Why are you saying this to me?" I curiously replied, wanting to understand what was on her mind.

"Well, umm… I just thought that if you're tired of being with me, you can tell me. After all, I'm the one who bothered your whole school life since elementary.” her concerned tone indicated a sense of guilt for bothering me all the time. It seemed like she might also be saying this because of what happened yesterday. Her actions had put her in this situation, and she was afraid that she might unintentionally harm me if she continued to do things her way.

"You seem really down today, huh?" I said, giving her cheeks a playful pinch to try to cheer her up. "Let me tell you something."

As she looked at me expectantly, I continued, "Imagine you have a pair of well-branded sneakers that you've worn for a long time. It seems that the left pair starts to show more wear and tear than the right. It's always tripping you up and getting dirtier faster. Meanwhile, the right pair remains in good condition. One day, while walking down the street, you notice that the left shoe is critically damaged. It's still holding together, but barely. Despite its age and damage, you still love those sneakers. You have the choice to either fix them or buy a new pair. What would you do?"

She rubbed her chin, deep in thought, before replying, "I'd fix it."

"Why?" I asked.

"As you said, those sneakers hold sentimental value for me. Even though the left shoe causes problems, I wouldn't abandon them. I'll keep wearing them until they're both completely worn out," she explained, her decision driven by her attachment to the shoes.

"I figure you’d say that," I grinned at her, she really is a keeper.

"W-why do you tell me this kind of stuff?" she asked, clearly confused by my sudden declaration about those sneakers.

I shrugged, unable to give her a clear answer. "No idea, but if I were asked, we'd probably have the same answer."

"Really?" she questioned, looking at me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

"Yeah, it's just like, even though you always bother me, I'd never consider leaving you," I reassured her, emphasizing my commitment to our friendship.

Her eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "So, does that mean I can still tease you?" she asked, seemingly she focused on that part.

"I guess you could put it that way," I replied hesitantly, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

Suddenly, her lips curved into a smile, and she lunged at me, wrapping her arms around me in a clumsy hug.

I was taken aback by her sudden display of affection, trying to push her away. "H-hey, what are you doing?"

"You're the best, Leon! You're the best person I've ever met. I'm so grateful to have you!" she exclaimed cheerfully, still holding me tightly.

I didn't know how to react to her sudden action, feeling her warmth and her pushy personality preventing me from pushing her away.

"H-hey! Somebody might have seen us," I whispered, feeling embarrassed by the public display of affection.

"Don't worry, honey, I already did," came a voice from behind the door. It was her mother, smirking at us.

"M-ma'am, this isn't what you think," I tried to explain, but she didn't seem convinced.

"It's okay. Just enjoy yourselves, okay?" she teased, closing the door behind her.

As I stood there, flustered and embarrassed, I just sighed and accepted my defeat in a way.

Hah, you really are mother and daughter.