Misc RH OC Scraps

[TANYESSA] She Still Hasn't Replied

Vanessa glanced down at her phone screen. Two minutes had passed, and still no notification.

"Nessa, that's like, the fiftieth time you've checked your phone today," Carmen said, exasperated. "What are you waiting for?"

Vanessa sighed, putting her phone back in her pocket and fiddling with her drumsticks. "I texted Tanya to invite her to watch practice this morning. She still hasn't replied..."

"She saw the text?"

"Mhm. Hours ago."

"What!" Lyric looked annoyed as she chimed in, "That's so rude! She could at least let you know she wasn't interested!"

"I'm sure she didn't mean to be rude," Vanessa said, defending Tanya even if she was confused and a little hurt, "maybe something happened or she's really busy or she's handling raw eggs and can't reach her phone..."

"Really? Handling raw eggs? Tanya? For hours?? Face it Nessa, she ghosted you. Sucks, but it happens to the best of us." Carmen patted her shoulder. That didn't make her feel better.

"But it shouldn't!"

"Oh, great, here we go," Carmen rolled her eyes at Lyric's indignant exclamation.

"Vanessa, you are THE BEST. And you don't deserve to be ignored! The nerve of her! Come on guys, let's find her and confront her, she's not gonna get away with this." Lyric looked expectantly between her two best friends.

Vanessa sighed. "Well, I guess I do want to check on her... It's not like her at all."

Carmen helped Vanessa up. "Fine, it's not like either of you are gonna focus on practice right now anyway."

The trio of girls checked the culinary kitchens first, then went up to Tanya's dorm room. Lyric knocked on the door. Kelly, Tanya's roommate, opened the door.

"Heyyy," Lyric greeted her with finger guns. Kelly almost closed the door again, but Vanessa called out "wait! Is Tanya here?"

"Ohh, Vanessa. So glad you're here," Kelly said, not sounding very enthused. "Come in." Rainbow dream exchanged confused looks but followed Kelly as she led the way to Tanya's individual room. Kelly complained on their way. "Of course Ayumu pulled the germs card and has been staying out of the dorm all day, Tanya's lucky I'm such a caring friend or I would have done the same, I have a test tomorrow and I swear if I catch anything I'm making her pay for it. I'm bound to with her bossing me around nonstop like she's been."

They found Tanya laying in bed with a cold compress on her forehead and most of her hidden beneath a quilt. She turned her head to see everyone with tired eyes. "Asking you kindly to bring me tissues is not 'bossing you around,' Kells," she grumbled.

"It was in your tone." Kelly retreated, leaving the band with the girl who they could now obviously tell was sick. Vanessa kneeled by her bedside. She felt pretty foolish for inviting Tanya to come to band practice now that she knew she was unwell. Still--

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"Hm? Didn't I?" Tanya felt on her bedside table for her flip phone, groggily checking it. She blushed and hid her face under the blanket, handing the device to Vanessa. She could see the issue now. Most likely delirious from fever, she had typed the reply-- which was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors-- into her notes rather than her messages. Vanessa had to laugh. Tanya mumbled something about "newfangled technology" and "more trouble than it's worth".

A strange feeling of relief relaxed Vanessa, but then she tensed up again just as quickly. She shouldn't have been relieved that Tanya was sick. That was awful. Tanya's health was so much more important than Vanessa's feelings. She brushed the silky brown hair out of Tanya's face and gently kissed her forehead. She could feel how high Tanya's temperature was through her lips. She pulled away and frowned, looking into Tanya's watery eyes. "What have you eaten today?"