Far

five

I wake up to myself gagging and I jolt out of bed to the trash can in our dorm, vomiting all of last nights food. The smell overtakes my stomach and I vomit more. Lettuce coming back up hurts so bad, my throat feels raw.

"What the fu.. are you okay?" Lili asks as she plugs her nose.

I don't blame her, if I had the energy, I would be plugging my nose too.

I shake my head, "What time is it?"

She glances at the clock on the nightstand, "Quarter after four."

I sigh and lean my head against the wall. This was not how I planned my second day to go. If I don't vomit in the next hour, I will try and go to class.

"We don't have any medicine here, but that drugstore down the street is open twenty-four-seven, I can run and get you some," she says, throwing on a hoodie.

I shake my head, "That is probably not a good a idea."

"It will be fine, I'll be quick."

"No, it's fine, it's not safe for you to go there so early by yourself." I sigh.

She looks at me after slipping on some slides, "Cole's up, I'll make him come with me."

"Lili, I'm fine. You don't need to," I begin but I start vomiting all over again.

"I think I do. Do not move. I am going to run to the showers and then I will be right back. I'm going to leave the door open so some of the smell can leave," she says before rushing out the door.

I put a hand on my stomach, hoping that some magical healing powers would help settle it. I am so mentally exhausted, seeing as though I woke up out of a deep sleep, that I feel like I could get sick again just from being awake, I feel so weak.

I poke my head out the door, looking for any sign of Lili, and when I see her rushing back with a towel, I lean back and sigh. This was the part where I wish that sometimes I took care of myself when I was sick, and not my mother. I feel like a baby, a powerless baby that can't even stand.

"I know this is going to be weird, but I'm going to take your shirt off," she says breathless.

"What?" I ask.

"You have vomit all over it, so you aren't going to be laying down anywhere until it comes off."

I raise my arms as she slowly pulls it off, trying not to let the vomit touch either of us. The cold air feels good against my hot skin. She takes the clean towel and wipes my chin and mouth for me, it makes me feel like a baby.

"I'm gonna go dump this in one of the main trash cans, can you text Cole for me?" she hands me her phone.

I text as Lili leaves the door open for the second time.

Lili: Are you up?

I feel so exposed. I'm sitting in kitten pajama shorts and a sports bra as I lay on the floor of the dorm, anyone could walk by and see me and smell the contents of my stomach.

Cole: Am I ever asleep?

Lili: I couldn't really tell you that much because it's Ariana, but this is a twenty-three nineteen, a code blue and I am going to need you to come to our dorm asap.

Cole: Is everything alright?

Lili: It's a code blue, what do you think?

He doesn't respond after that so I set the phone down as I wait for Lili to come back. I check the time, four fifty. I don't think I ate anything bad yesterday, I didn't drink, I'm not pregnant, and I can't think of any other possible explanation as to why I am throwing up.

Was there someone sick in one of my classes? Possibly music, we got to touch the instruments, maybe they weren't cleaned properly. My thoughts are interrupted when Lili comes in.

"Here's a clean trash can," she says as she sets it next to me.

"This is going to be cold, but it will feel good," she lays a clean white towel on my face.

She stands up and begins to rummage through one of the baskets underneath her bed.

"Is she okay?" A thick accent asks.

I look up and see Harry leaning against the doorframe, he's wearing basketball shorts and a black crewneck. Next to him is a worried Cole, he's wearing sweatpants and a WSU t-shirt.

"I thought one of you were being killed or something!" He whisper shouts.

"She just randomly threw up, I don't know why. I told her to text you for me as I emptied the trash can," she tells him before lifting up a thermometer.

"Why do you need me?" Cole asks.

"I have to go to that drugstore to get medicine, but she doesn't feel like it's a good idea if I go by myself. I didn't expect Harry to be here, but I guess it's good because he can watch her while we are gone," she says as she hands the thermometer to me.

I sigh as I put it underneath my tongue, impatiently waiting for it to beep.

"I was expecting to kick some ass tonight, not babysit," Harry says.

Thanks, Harry, means a lot.

"Will you watch her, please? I don't want anyone coming in here and getting her, she can't get up, and she can barely talk," she says.

He nods and Lili sends him the biggest smile. She grabs her keys as she grabs Coles hand and runs out the door.

The thermometer beeps and I pull it out. I don't look at it as I put it on the floor. Harry picks it up and frowns.

"One hundred and one," he says.

I don't respond, I am afraid if I talk I will vomit again and I don't want to. I shiver as I realise how cold I am beginning to get, I wrap my arms around me as I curl into a ball.

"Cold?" he asks.

I nod.

He thinks for a moment before he takes off his crewneck and hands it to me.

"I can't sit up," I say quietly.

He gets up from the chair and sits down next me, before lifting me up, holding me with one hand and grabbing the crewneck with the other.

He carefully puts it on me, his scent becoming all that I smell. He smells good, there's a hint of mint mixed in with his cologne and it smells heavenly.

His chest is littered in black ink. His body looks heavenly.

What? Am I okay?

Without warning he picks me up bridal style and carries me to my bed, something about this seems familiar but I dismiss the thought as he lays me down on the soft bed. Softer than the floor.

I cough and point to the trash can, which Harry quickly gets before holding it by my mouth. I don't vomit, I just cough. Harry lets one of his hands rub my back for me, trying to soothe me. You can tell he has no idea what to do in this moment. He looks so out of place.

"This sucks," I say when I lay my head back.

"How'd you fall ill?" he asks, sitting the trash can next to my bed.

"I don't know," I answer.

He stands awkwardly in between the two beds, before I tell him to sit.

He sits at the very end of my bed, before whispering, "Rest kitten, you need it."

I fell asleep with his scent and presence comforting me.