Sweater Guy and Cubicle Girl

Icky Sicky

I woke up feeling absolutely awful. My head hurt, my body ached, I was dizzy, and I had a runny nose. Kathy had came over a few days before all sicky icky and she spread it to me. I felt so bad I could barely stand, but I was still determined to get on with my day. I went to the kitchen to get some breakfast. I grabbed some cereal and was about to pour but I sneezed and spilled it. The sound had caught Corey's attention and he looked over to see me struggling to sweep up my cereal but keep my balance. He marched over not saying a word and just stood in front of me, staring thoughtfully. A few seconds later he said, "You're sick."

"No I'm fine."

"You even sound sick."

"Corey I'm fine."

"Go to bed."

"I'm fine."

"Ella. I'm gonna count to three."

"Corey I told you, I'm not—"

"One...."

"Corey stop"

"Two..."

"Corey!"

"Three!" When he got to three he picked me up over his shoulder fireman style and put me to bed himself. I was too sick to protest and agreed to stay. Corey was pretty good at taking care of me. When I shivered he got me more blankets, when I ran out of tissues, he brought me more. I appreciated Corey a lot. After a while of tending to me, he got up and told me, "I have to go pick up some things for you, I called Conrad to come here while I'm gone in case anything happens, and I want you to nap while I'm gone, okay?"

I agreed knowing even if I said no I couldn't do anything about it. Corey waited until Conrad arrived to leave. When he came to the door Corey left the room and came back with him. "Go ahead Conrad, show her." He said.

Conrad timidly reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a tiny little purple vintage stuffed bear with a spiral sun embroidered onto its belly. "It's a good luck charm...for health" He said with a shy smile.

"Awwe thank you Conrad." I said, hugging it.

"Okay I'm gonna go now, remember, try to nap please." Corey said, walking out the door.

While Corey was gone, Conrad was very awkward and shy just like usual. We kind of just sat there for a while until he said "Sooo... do— do you need anything?"

"I'm okay Conrad, I think I'm going to nap now, you can go ahead to the living room and watch something if you'd like, I'll yell if I need anything."

"Okay."

About an hour later I woke up to screaming. Somebody I didn't know was yelling in the living room something about disinfectant.

"CALM DOWN SHE'S SLEEPING YOU ASSHOLE." I heard Corey whisper-yell. I decided to get up and go see what was happening. When I came out of my room I saw Corey and some tall guy in a polo shirt and shorts (classic rich white boi look) holding a can of lysol.

"What's going on?" I asked Corey.

"OMAGOD— I mean omagod, get back in bed please." He said, frustrated.

"Well you were yelling, I want to know what's going on."

"HE brought me to a germy home." The rich looking man said.

"I told you she was sick and you came anyway and started spraying lysol because you're a scaredy bitch." Said Corey.

"Well sorry I don't want to get sick!" He yelled.

"I'm sorry, who exactly are you?" I asked.

"Dana Brooks Vosilyev" He said in a 'how dare you?' kinda way.

"Isn't Dana a girls name?" I asked, giggling.

"WHA—YOU LITTLE—" He said almost swinging at me.

"Calm down, she's sick"

"OH EW. I forgot." He said and then sprayed lysol at me.

Dana was Corey's rich cousin, the one that gave him the car, but they call him Brooks. "Ugh Brooks just go over there please." Corey said, pointing to the kitchen. "Since you're up Ella I'll give you what I went to pick up." I went and sat on the couch, I was feeling a bit better from my nap. "I have cough syrup, raspberry tea, and shchi from my mom."

"What—chi?"

"Soup."

"Ah."

"Eat the soup now." He said rather seriously.

"What's in it?"

"Doesn't matter. Eat it."

"I'm not eating something I don't know!"

"Fine. Cabbage."

"Coreyyyyy I HATE cabbage."

"You want to get better don't you? You eat it all and you will get better. My mother used to give it to us too and even make us drink the broth. So be good and eat. [Frustrated Russian words]" He said with a huff.

"Corey you're acting like you're my mother." I said crossing my arms. "I'm not eating anyyythinggg I don't want" Corey didn't reply, he just looked at me with the same evil look he has when he gets woken up. I was sick so I wasn't risking anything this time. "Okay okay... I'll eat it"  The whole time Brooks was in the kitchen giggling at our conversation.

As much I hated cabbage, I had to admit the soup was good and I felt much better after. I wasn't going to be stubborn anymore. Later in the afternoon Conrad had came out of Corey's bedroom. I was surprised, I thought he left.

"Your wifi is wack." He said.

"Stop playing Fortnite in my bed, its weird." Said Corey.

"What?" I asked.

Corey sighed. "Nothing."

The whole rest of the day I listened to Corey, he seemed to always know what was best. By the time I went to bed I practically felt well again. I have to admit, he'd make a good mom.