How to Say Goodbye - Why Don't We AU

Chapter 18: Migraines

Dawson peeked out her window at the driveway, hearing Harley pull into the garage. He was home, and that meant it was time for Dawson to "get sick." It was naturally pretty warm in the house, so the girl's cheeks were already a bit flushed. It was a lot warmer here in L.A. than it was in Wisconsin.

She pulled on a pair of loose black joggers and left on her pale yellow v-neck. Pulling a few stray curls from her bun, she looked just right. With her flushed cheeks, lazy clothing, and disheveled hair, she looked just like she had been laying down not feeling well.

The girl slowly made her way down the stairs, one hand rubbing her forehead. Leslie looked up, putting on a concerned expression as she played along.

"Feeling any better Dawson?" 

She shook her head, wincing convincingly.

"No," she sighed, "and the headache has only gotten worse."

Harley looked over at the women as he entered the kitchen as well.

"What happened?" He asked. "Are you sick?"

"I don't know," Dawson said, making her voice sound small and meak. "I'm really warm and I have a bad headache. It won't go away."

Harley walked over and it took every bit of strength Dawson had not to flinch as he placed a hand to her forehead. Leslie kept a watchful eye on Harley as he did so, feeling a rush of protectiveness for the girl.

"You do feel a bit warm," the man said at last. Dawson smiled on the inside. It was working.

"Why don't you go lie down, and I'll call you when dinner is done," Leslie told Dawson gently, still eyeing Harley.

"Is it alright if I just skip dinner for tonight?" the girl asked. "I'm not really all that hungry." Her voice was still soft as she continued to play up a potential illness.

Harley and Leslie nodded. "We'll save some for you," Leslie said, and Dawson nodded, turning to go back upstairs.

-

Jack and Zach finished making dinner in silence, and the curly-haired boy couldn't help but notice how often the rosy-cheeked boy was yawning. Keeping an eye out for that, he made a mental note to convince Zach to go to bed early.

When everything was ready, Zach went to get everyone for dinner while Jack set the tables.

In another part of the home, Jonah check the time. He began making his way across the building to the dining hall. The young man rubbed his forehead, attempting to rid himself of the dull ache that had begun to form. Putting on a smile and dropping his arm, he strode into the dining hall, just behind a large group of children.

"Hey Jonah!" Corbyn called with a wave, already seated at their usual table. Izzy sat on his lap, mirroring the blond boy's wave with a giggle. Jonah smiled and walked over, poking the little girl lightly on the nose.

"Hiya Isabelle," He said in a cheery tone. She grinned and flapped her hand in another wave. 

Jonah sat in an empty chair and leaned back with a yawn, causing Izzy to yawn as well. Corbyn began to laugh, and that quickly turned into a yawn of his own.

"It really is contagious," He continued to laugh. Jonah laughed with him, stifling another yawn. 

He continued to lean back in his chair as all of the children and the other guys got their food. He was almost dozing off by the time the boys returned to the table.

"Dude, you look exhausted," Jack said, taking notice.

"Nah man," Jonah refuted through a yawn. "I'm all good."

That earned him a look from the other guys, including Zach.

"Yeah... No you're not." Jack continued, "you're going to bed early tonight." He looked to Zach as well. "You too Zachy."

Zach didn't fight it, and gave a nod right away. Jonah opened his mouth to protest, but a second look from his friends caused him to close it and nod as well before he stood to get some food for himself.

The boys turned to each other as he walked away.

"Do we really think he's okay?" Corbyn asked quietly.

"He seems a bit more tired than usual, but otherwise the same." Daniel answered.

"Yeah, but he practically adopted Dawson as a younger sister from the very start," Jack brought up.

"She's even told me that she looks up to him as a father figure," Zach remarked.

"We should agree to keep an eye on him," Corbyn suggested. "He may be covering things up."

"Which really isn't healthy," Jack contributed, glancing  swiftly at Zach.

Zach nodded. "Nope," he said in a tiny voice.

Jonah returned to the table and the boys switched the topic quickly to what they would be doing with the kids the next day.

-

Dawson laid down in bed, staring at the ceiling as she felt tears well up in her eyes. 

She missed home. 

She missed the children. 

She missed her boys.

She missed talking with Jonah, getting advice on how to run the Home.

She missed hanging out with Daniel, usually watching movies or binge watching a tv show,

She missed playing harmless pranks with Corbyn and Jack.

She missed her best friend in the whole world, Zach Herron. She had always been with him, and it felt strange to be so far away.

She missed Brendan as well. She hadn't always taken notice of how often he had been around, providing silent support in his own special way.

She missed everything, and she couldn't help but wonder; did they miss her too?

With that terrible thought taking over, Dawson allowed the tears to flow, crying until her migraine became real, and she fell asleep.

-

After dinner, Jack, Corbyn, and Daniel told Zach and Jonah to head to their rooms and try to sleep. Jonah was about to protest again, but his exhaustion won out and he was the first to head up the staircase to his room. Laying down, he thought back to the day he had found Dawson on the doorstep. 

He had only been three, and was running around with the other little kids inside the home, when his parents told them to play outside.

Jonah ran to the door and flung it open, nearly running into a basket that was nearly as big as he was. He cocked his head to the side and stood on his tippy toes to peer in. It was a baby girl with dark brown curls and wide amber eyes. Unlike most of the babies at Weeping Willows, she was completely silent, not screaming or crying, just observing and taking everything in. He gripped the side of the basket with his little hands and continued just looking at the little baby.

"Jonah, when are you going to learn to close the door behind you?" A flustered voice came from behind the small boy. He turned to see his mother standing behind him.

"Momma lookit!" He cried out happily. "Pretty baby!"

With this happy memory in mind, Jonah drifted of to sleep quickly, his headache fading, and a smile remaining on his face throughout the night.

It took Zach a bit longer to fall asleep himself. He was overcome with worries that slammed into him one by one.

What if she can't get away?

What if the police can't find them?

What if Harley snaps? 

Will he kill her? 

What if we never see her again?

And the worst one yet:

What if she doesn't want to come back here anymore?

A migraine building rapidly in the young man's head, he buried himself under his covers and cried himself to sleep.