Always, Arlo [Published]

Chapter 17

My remedy.

As the introduction of AA disclaims, There is mentions of ED in this story. This chapter will mention ED (Eating Disorders.) Please proceed with caution.

- No, it's not about Val.

Arlo and I spent a while talking at the park last night. We enjoyed each other's company for a bit before we decided it was rather late. I ended up going home and as I crawl into bed I find myself thinking about everything and anything. Like I always do.

I lay in bed as my phone begins to ding beside me on my nightstand. My family have been trying to contact me nonstop since I left the house. I simply ignore them all, I have no desire to speak to any one of them. I have no desire to feel like shit time after time again.

I grab my cellphone from my nightstand and put it on do not disturb. I don't owe a single one of them anything, I'm a young adult and i'm still figuring out my life and having my family just put maximum pressure on me is driving me insane. I put my phone back down and I tangle myself in my sheets. Trying to think positively before I drift off to sleep.

~~~

It was midnight when I woke up with the worst sore throat. I test swallowed a few times just convinced it was just dehydration but as the pain increased I knew I was most definitely fucked. All the time I spent outside in this weather had made me catch a cold. I rub my eyes before I reach for my phone and check the time seeing that it was four-thirty AM. I only slept for a few solid hours. I didn't take it into note before but as I try to take a deep breath in my nose suddenly feels clogged. Very clogged I might say, I try to breath inwards but the air doesn't even breakthrough. I let out a frustrated sigh through my mouth.

I get up and make my way towards the kitchen. I reach in my medicine cabinet for some pain reliever pills. Taking water from the fridge, I quickly swallow the pills with a gulp of water. I also grab a nasal spray in the cabinet, spritzing some of the liquid twice in each nostril. I bring the water with me to my bedroom and set it on the nightstand and I plop myself back into bed, of course I get sick in the mist of all this commotion. I let the medication take place as I tuck myself in my blankets and let myself drift off to sleep again, hoping tomorrow i'll feel slightly more better.

...

I wake up as the sun begins to shine through my bedroom windows. My head pounding and my body feeling fragile. The medicine worked to keep me asleep but now as i'm waking up I can feel the arising pain. My phone begins to ring with a call and I turn on my side as my whole body aches with discomfort. I groan with displeasure at the mix of my clogged nose, body ache, and sore throat. I reach for my phone and see its a group call from Minji and Noor. I pick up the phone groggily to hear them excitingly chatting on the line. "Hello?" I say with a slightly raspy voice. "Hey Doll, You alright?" Noor asks as soon as she hears the faint sound of what sounds like death in my voice.