Justin was sick. He didn’t go to school the next day. He slept almost the whole day. He barely got out of bed. And the only reason he did was to go to the bathroom. Lynn walked into his room.
“Justin, are you gonna be ok here while I take Jonathon over to Matthew’s?” Lynn asked.
“No.” Justin whined.
“Stephen’s feeling better so he’s coming with me, and I won’t be gone long.”
“He lives like an hour away.”
“I’m just going there and back and it’s only about a half-hour.”
“Why does he have to go and play at his friend’s house?”
“He’s not going to play, Matthew was supposed to come over here after school but because you’re sick I’m gonna take Jon over there. They need to work on a project for school.”
“Fine, but hurry up.”
“I will sweetie.” Lynn walked over and kissed Justin’s forehead. “Do you want me to pick you up anything?”
“No.”
“Ok. I’ll be back in a little while.” Lynn said and walked out of Justin’s room.
*****
Justin tried to sit up in his bed, but it wasn’t working very well. The room began to spin and he moved slowly back down onto his pillow. He looked over at the clock. It was only 5:20. His mom only left at about 5:10. He reached behind him blindly for his phone. When he felt it, he pulled it over his head and put it on his stomach. He picked up the receiver and dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Can you put Josh on?” Justin barely got out. His voice was low and hoarse, and it cracked as he spoke.
“Justin honey, are you ok?”
“No, can you just put Josh on?”
“Sure hold on.” Karen told him. “Josh!” She yelled up the stairs.
“What?” JC yelled back.
“Justin’s on the phone. He sounds really upset.”
“Oh, ok.” JC said and ran and grabbed the phone out of his parent’s room. “Hello?” He walked back into his room and sat back down at his computer.
“Josh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Can you come over?”
“Why? I have to type Costa’s Morality paper.”
“Oh.” Justin said sadly.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“I need you.”
“What’s wrong?” JC asked again.
“My mom left and I need someone here.”
“You’re that sick?”
“Josh, I can’t even sit up by myself.”
“I...I have...” JC sighed. “I’ll be right there.” JC said.
“Thanks Jace.”
“I’ll be there in 10.”
*****
When Justin heard the doorbell it dawned on him that the door was locked. What did he expect? His mother to leave the door opened or something. That was highly unlikely. He heard the doorbell again. He tried to sit up again and this time he did. His head was still pounding. He was just about to try to stand up when he heard someone running up the stairs. JC peaked his head in Justin’s door and Justin smiled weakly at him. JC walked all the way into the room and sat down on the bed.
“How’d you get in?” Justin asked.
“Sliding glass in the back.” JC laughed. “You guys never lock that.” Justin shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on the bed.
“Lay down with me.”
“Jus, you’re gonna get me sick. And I have to start rehearsing for the show in a week.”
“Please.”
“Fine.” JC lay down. “If I get sick will you take care of me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Good.” JC smiled at him. “Your face is so red.” JC rubbed his hand over Justin’s cheek and felt the heat on his hand. “You have a fever?” Justin closed his eyes.
“Yeah.”
“You’re really hot.” Justin nodded. “Why don’t you turn around so you don’t breathe on me?”
“Ok.” Justin turned on his side and faced the wall and JC wrapped his arms around Justin.
“When’s your mom gonna be home?”
“Gonna be home in a few hours.”
“Ok.” JC replied. “You okay now?”
“Yeah.” Justin grabbed a hold of one of JC’s hands and held it as he closed his eyes. JC’s other hand was running his fingers through Justin’s curls. “Josh?”
“Yeah babe?”
“I have to pee.”
“Now you tell me?” JC laughed.
“Sorry.” JC let go of Justin.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry. I was just joking with you.” Justin smiled, he knew he was joking.
“I need help.”
“I’m not helping you pee.”
“I need help getting up.”
“Cause that’s where I’d draw the line.” Justin laughed a little. JC helped him off the bed like his mother had been the whole day.
As he walked his whole body hurt. His high fever made every bone in his body ache.
“It hurts to walk.” Justin said as he just about wobbled to the door.
“Well you haven’t been out of bed all day. Of course you’re gonna be sore.” JC followed him to the bathroom door and waited for him out in the hallway. JC helped him back into the bed. This time Justin laid his head on JC’s chest and one of JC’s hands still ran through Justin’s hair and Justin grabbed the other one and held it again. JC rubbed his thumb over Justin’s cheek and then kissed is forehead. “Try and sleep, ok? It’ll make you feel better.” JC reassured him and he closed his eyes.
*****
After about a half hour JC and Justin had moved downstairs to the couch in the family room. Justin hadn’t felt well and didn’t exactly make it to the bathroom and it got all over his blankets, and Justin didn’t have the strength to change the blankets and JC didn’t know where anything was and Justin didn’t want him to do it.
So JC helped Justin downstairs.
They were both laying on the couch. JC was laying in back of Justin with his arms around him. At first the were both watching TV, but Justin had turned to be face to face with JC because his high fever was making his eyes tear as he was watching it.
“Josh, I’m sorry.” Justin whispered looking up at JC.
“What are you sorry about?” JC asked. He rubbed Justin’s cheek again and kissed his forhead. He was still very warm.
“I don’t know. For all this.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. Honey, if I didn’t want to be here with you I wouldn’t.” Justin snuggled closer to JC and sighed happily.
“I love you.” He whispered and closed his eyes.
JC swallowed hard and kissed his forehead and rubbed his back.
“Try to get to sleep babe.” Justin nodded.
*****
JC had fallen asleep too and neither one of them noticed that the front door was now opening and people were in the house.
JC still had his arms around Justin’s back and on of Justin’s arms were around his neck. Justin was wrapped in a blanket.
Lynn was carrying Stephen who had fallen asleep in the car on the way home from Matthews. His mother had wanted her to stay while they did it so she did. She called over to make sure that was okay with Justin but the phone was busy so she figured he was feeling better and was online.
Lynn walked over to the couch and was gonna lay Stephen down and noticed JC and Justin there. She threw her keys on the coffee table causing a loud noise that made JC jump a little and open his eyes. He looked down at Justin, he was still sleeping.
“Get out!” Lynn yelled causing Stephen to pick his head up and whimper. JC tried to squeeze out from behind Justin’s body but Justin just held on tighter to him. “Justin!” Lynn yelled again and his eyes popped open.
He looked at JC and JC used his head to motion to Lynn. Justin turned his head and saw his mother standing there with a not so happy look on her face.
“I’m leaving now Justin.” JC said moving Justin’s arm from around his neck.
“No.” Justin protested.
“He’s leaving.” Lynn said and put Stephen down who was now awake. Justin watched as JC practically jumped over him to run upstairs to get his shoes and coat.
“Bye Jus.” JC said as Lynn was just about pushing him out the door. After she slammed the door behind him she walked over to the couch to Justin.
“Why’d you do that?” Justin asked.
“Why was he here?”
“Cause you left.”
“And what were you doing here? I thought you were sick.”
“I am!” Justin let out a frustrated sigh. “That’s why he was here.”
“Justin.”
“That’s why!” Justin pulled the blanket.
“You know what I’m gonna tell you, which I have been telling you but you have not listened to me at all.“
“Whatever.”
“Don’t start.”
“Don’t you start. He‘s my best friend and I needed him so he came over.”
“That’s not the reason.”
“I hate you! You don’t understand anything. I hate you, go upstairs or something. I’m going back to sleep.” He pulled the covers up to his neck and turned onto his side and buried his face into the cushion.
It smelled like JC.
He closed his eyes and tried to drain out his annoying mother.
