The Bad Boy and the Girl with Superpowers

Chapter 25: Beef and Veggie Stew

Sunday mornings are always pleasant and worrisome, a true antithesis. One one side, it can be a day of rest and reset before a week of work begins. On the other side, it is a day for cramming all the homework that was procrastinated over the weekend. Today was going to be a healthy mix of both. I didn't have much to do and I have my study before any major classes that gave me homework. 

I woke up at a reasonable time, eight a.m., and decided to go grocery shopping first thing. Putting on some sweatpants from a dance competition years ago and a college sweatshirt from my brother, I leave the house with a list in hand. 

With the winter beginning to settle in, I decided to make a warm and cozy soup with chunks of stew beef and various cheap vegetables. I also grab missing food, snacks, dinners for the week, and my breakfast for the day. 

At home, I started the soup right away, so the meat can cook down for hours. Everything is set about an hour later, so I start my homework. 

It was a very good day for me. I was focused and productive, something rare in high school seniors. This year seems like a breeze compared to junior year, where I packed my schedule with difficult AP's and honor classes. Senior year, I took the smart route and choose easy classes and mostly electives. So far, my lowest grade as an A. With barely any work to do, I finished a little after noon. 

I checked on my stew a few times during my work, but eventually left it alone when I went upstairs to relax. I scroll on my phone for a while, switching between Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. I initially was going to investigate further into the Department of New Research Opportunities, but I decided to put that aside after my rewarding work yesterday.  

Then I get a text from Jayden:

Hey, I am super sick. Can you come over?

I become a little concerned. It must be pretty serious if he can't handle it himself. 

 The three dots appear, so I wait to text back.

My mom isn't home at the time, she is at work until really late. I told her and she thinks that I have the flu. She told me to text you to see if you can come over. 

Also bring a thermometer because we don't own one yet. 

I can't help put chuckle a little... who doesn't have a thermometer when the mom is a doctor?

Yeah, I will be there soon. Do you want me to bring some Beef and Veggie Stew?

Yes please

I grab the thermometer and  some medication (just in case) from my bathroom. Then, turning the stove off, my stew is finished, so I put some in a container and drive to his house. I knock at his door, for a text to come in that says its open, come to my room. I push the door open, and lock it. We can't have intruders when the only person in the house is sick. I would probably scold him, but once I see him in his room, I decide against it. He, to say it in a nice way, looked like a mess. 

His room was covered in used tissues, the shades were drawn, the bed has about five blankets on top, and Jayden was decked out in a thick sweatshirt. His glasses rest on his nose, his hair falls in his face. Big purple bags and a red nose where obvious against his paler than usual skin tone. 

"Thanks for coming" Jayden croaks out, like a frog, then proceeds to cough a lung out. 

"Holy shit, don't talk anymore you sound like death," I respond, putting my stuff at his desk and taking out my thermometer. 

He silently laughs at my comment and pulls out his phone: 

No problem :)

"Let my check your temperature," he turns to the side to expose one ear for me. "101.9, looks like you got a fever."

I am so cold right now. He texts in return, so I feel his wrist. It felt like he was on fire, much like me. "How?" I exclaim. "You are burning up"

He shrugs in return. Give me my soup

"Well aren't you eager. I made it this morning so it is still hot. Sit up for me," I smile at him and get the soup out. I actually brought two containers because I needed to eat too. 

He managed to sit up fully, and his point I got to smell him. I almost threw-up. I visibly gag and question, "Why do you smell so bad?"

I haven't showered since yesterday and I have no deodorant on. I was sweating like crazy yesterday. Sorry for my B.O. :)

"I'll try to forget the fact that you smell disgusting. Hopefully the smell of the soup will mask it," I hand him  a soup spoon, the container, and some napkins. A pull his desk chair towards the bed. Right as a sit down, he moans very loudly. 

"This is the best soup I have ever had!" He manages to croak out

I smile and mutter a thanks. I began talking his ear off about how I made it. By the time I finished with my instructions, he was done with his soup. I barely touched mine. 

"Have you taken any medication? If, not I brought some," I say, getting up once more to grab my medicine case. 

"No," the warm soup seemed to soothe his voice to a point where he can talk without pain. "I got up an hour before I texted you. I haven't even gone to the bathroom yet," I tells me. I look at him in horror. I grab three pills for inflammation and he swallows all three with the water beside his bed. I give him a satisfied look.

"Now, go to the bathroom and take a shower. I will stay right here," I point to the bathroom. He grabs a bunch of clothes from a wardrobe and disappears into the bathroom. I go on my phone to scroll through social media while he is in the shower, while eating at my own soup. 

This was a nice break from my usual weekend. I don't really have a social life. I am consumed by school work, dance, superpowers, and exhaustion. Now that I have taken up my great grandmother's case, I barely have time to sleep. It feels as those the only reason I have to leave my room is for school, dance, or a break in the investigation. Even before the investigation, my life felt like a repetitive loop. Wake up, go to school, use my powers for something useless, do homework, go to dance, go to sleep. Over and over, again and again. I felt like I was wasting these amazing powers because I had no life. I would just sit and watch Netflix or read, using my powers if I wanted a snack without moving. My grandmother's case gave these powers a purpose, but my life still feels empty. 

I wanted to be a normal teenager, and I'm not talking about having superpowers. The powers did hold be back from many things, but I could still pretend that my life was normal. I wanted to be more like my best friend, Brianna. She went out to parties, had boys crush on her, she crushed on boys herself. I guess I am just complaining that I want to be in a relationship, like her. There is something holding me back. I haven't had a crush since the eighth grade (if you can even call that real), and I haven't found anyone attractive after I discovered high school arrogance my first day of freshman year. The other part of me has a hard time trusting someone. How could I trust some teenager if I get close to them, or attached, only for them to cheat on me, for them to hurt me? The other, other part of me is trying to convince myself that I can't get into a relationship now when I am about to go to college, never to see anyone from high school again. I couldn't put myself through a long distance relationship, or really any relationship, when I have so many things weighing down on my shoulders. 

But...