8. Seth

As soon as I escape the school building, I am bombarded with questions from random people. I brush all of them off, ignoring them. I just need to get back home.

I can feel the effect of the pain killers slowly dying off as my temples and the gash above my eyebrow start throbbing again. This injury is going to fuck me up for the next couple weeks, I just know it.

As soon as I get into the house, I am tackled down by Poppy. I quickly pick her up and hug her to my chest as she cheers to welcome me. The pain in my head is so overpowering, that my vision blurs for a couple seconds and I have to set my little sister down. She argues with me but I just walk past her and up the stairs. Heat starts to rise up from my neck to my cheeks and ears and my stomach twists and turns uncomfortably. I feel like I'm about to pass out again... so before I do, I drag myself towards my room and into my bed. Conveniently, I fall face front into the pillows.

I must have passed out as soon as my body collided with my bed because when I next open my eyes, my room is lit up with sunlight and I'm sprawled across my bed.

"What the...?"

Completely disoriented, I start feeling around my bed, looking for my phone as usual but I can't seem to find it. Something is irritating me and I realize that my alarm clock is ringing off the hook. Before growling a curse at it, I slap my hand on the snooze button, shutting it off.

Suddenly I shoot up, immediately regretting it as a stinging pain sends me flying right back onto my back. I don't have time to waste! If my alarm clock is ringing, that means I need to get up to wake up Poppy. Get her ready for school! Get to school myself!

Ignoring the searing pain, that is almost cuffing me to my bed, I run for Poppy's room. I can usually hear her singing from a far but today is different. Maybe she's ill...

"Paulina," I call as I slide into her room. "Poppy? Are you awake?"

"Go away..." she fusses, tiredly.

"You need to get up for school, baby." I whisper, brushing my hand through her hair, all the while blinking over and over, trying to get a clear vision. 

"GO AWAY," she suddenly yells, making me flinch.

My stomach churns once more and I feel like I'm being kicked repeatedly. My hand flies to my mouth as I feel bile rise up my throat. I run from Poppy's room and into the bathroom, bending over the toilet bowl. Acids burn the back of my throat as my stomach empties itself. Tears prickle at my eyes and cold sweat forms on my forehead.

My knees shake under my weight when I prop myself up to rinse out my mouth and brush my teeth. A short glimpse into the mirror above the sink lets me know that I resemble a zombie more than a human being.

Lilly, our maid, bursts into the bathroom with a concerned shriek. She is cradling a crying Paulina in her arms.

"Get her out of here," I pant as the crying is too much for me right now and I feel like I'm about to throw up again. She doesn't need to see that.

But my comment just sets off another set of loud wails and cries from Poppy. She is blaming herself for what is happening to me, that's for sure. I would be trying to comfort her but right now, I just need to get myself together and I can't do that if there's a crying toddler right here in the room with me.

"LILLY," I call, trying to calm my anger for Paulina's sake. "Get her out of here!"

Lilly jumps a little at my loud voice but does as she's told. Not a minute later, she reappears in front of me, patting my clammy forehead with a wet cloth.

"We need to get you to a doctor, Seth. Something is very wrong." She stares at my pale face with pity.

"There is nothing wrong with me." I should get an award for being the worst liar in town. "You can stop that," I snap and she pulls back her arm. "I'm fine. Must just be something I ate."

"Are you sure? We should at least check your temperature. I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you going to school with a fever," Lilly argues but I brush her off, splashing some cold water into my face.

Honestly, I still feel terrible. No, terrible doesn't even describe it. Death warmed up is probably a better description. Yet I can't miss a day of school. Especially not after that mess I made yesterday. We lost the game, of course. Sam and I didn't play, which means that both teams were missing their key players. Although instead of just having to sit out a game like Sam did, I was actually injured... This in turn led to most of my team mates being distracted and not performing at their best. (That's what I remember from Brice's rant when he brought me home last night...)

On top of that, I really can't miss another day of school. My parents are already on my case for skipping and cutting class. If I don't go to school today, that might be the last straw. 

I quickly dress into a pair of dark jeans and a white t-shirt, being careful as to not move too much. Even the slightest movement has me feeling like I'm going to puke again. 

Telling myself to suck it up, I make my way over to Paulina's room. My knuckles wrap against the door to her room softly. When she doesn't answer, I let myself in. 

"Hey, Pops... you alright?"

She lays on her bed, face first in her pillows, her tiny body shaking with silent sobs.

My heart aches at the sight and I crouch down next to her bed. Gently I stroke her hair and back. "Don't cry, baby. I was just a bit grumpy this morning because I woke up late. I didn't want you to get scared."

"You i-ignored me yesterday... and you d-didn't bring any pop corn!" She cries, looking up at me with big teary doe eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Pops." My forehead creases up as another ache pulls through my head. "Give me a hug before I leave, please?"

Almost reluctantly she nods and wipes her face with her sleeve. Before I know it, she throws herself at me, almost tackling me to the ground. I wrap my arms around her tiny body and press her to my chest, affectionately.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Pops. I love you. You know that, right?"

After pulling myself away from Poppy, I drag myself out of the house and towards my car. Even the tiniest little noise makes me cringe but I start to get used to the pain inside my skull. It really isn't getting any better and on one hand I know, I should be going to the hospital or at least get some rest but on the other hand... I know that if I did just that, I would be the one cleaning all the messes. As per usual.

So once I'm in my car, I pop two pain killers into my mouth, swallowing them dry. I drive myself to school and surprisingly, I'm early. Barely anyone is there yet and I have enough time to get a water from the vending machine, get to my locker and grab my books. 

A yawn escapes my mouth and a shudder goes down my spine. I feel like I didn't get any sleep at all last night.

"Seth!" A high pitched, overly concerned voice calls from behind me and I groan out loud, not bothering to hide my distaste.

Maybe I can act like I didn't hear Leena's screech of a voice? Maybe just maybe she won't see me slipping into one of the classrooms to hide from her?

I turn away pretending to not have heard her and rush down the hallway. This proves a bit more difficult than I thought because now people are starting to crowd around us. All of them, without exception, staring at me shamelessly. Finally my destination gets closer and closer and I can seemingly smell victory but suddenly feel a hand clasp tightly around my wrist. Fingernails dig into my skin and I flinch at the contact. For a girl Leena sure has some strength as she pulls me back and I stumble to a halt. 

"Seth!" Leena screeches into my ear and an atomic bomb goes off in my head. "What the hell are you doing in school?! Brice told me everything and you should not be in school right now! Come on, let's skip and I'll nurse you back to health." The pretend care sounds so strange coming from her glossy lips that I almost scoff. She doesn't notice though as she relentlessly keeps nagging.

"I really don't understand you sometimes. You're so reckless!" She leans in closely, running her nails down my chest and suggestively biting her lip. "Then again... that is kinda hot. The whole bad boy thing is a real turn on. It's just so hot."

As my mind spins, I try to focus on what she's saying. Somewhere between 'reckless' and 'bad boy' I zone out. Only the bell ringing shrill pulls me back to the present. 

"Saved by the bell," I breathe and twist around, storming into the class room and taking my usual seat at the back of the room.

Fortunately, I don't have one single class with Leena... 

That's when I realize something that my mind has obviously been trying to block out, delete and never ever think about again. Arya will be in this class. Arya, who I vaguely remember telling to fuck off.

I wonder what she looks like this morning...

I mean... is she still going to be angry with me? Is she going to make a scene or will she just plain ignore me? After what happened yesterday, I really don't know what's going to happen. And I shouldn't care, right? Her fuck up of a cousin has put me through hell for fuck all and she's backing him up, that's for sure.

"God... Shut up... You're pathetic." I whisper to myself and put my face in my hands.

At that same exact moment Arya sits down next to me, staring straight ahead, her hair covering half of her face. She puts her books, notepad and pens on the desk without even acknowledging me. 

So, she's going for the ignoring tactic then. Got it. It's probably for the best.

I guess, I brought this one upon myself... Why is this even bugging me? It shouldn't! But it does... Her being only a couple inches away from me, drives me completely insane. I want to argue with her, annoy her, drive her mad.

"What are you staring at?" She snaps and I just now realize that I had in fact been staring at her, intensely. So intensely that I didn't even notice that class has started already. 

"Wow... you really look like shit..."

"Thanks." I snap sarcastically and glare at her turning my body towards her. "And thank your cousin, too. You're lucky, I'm not pressing charges. Otherwise you'd be in deep shit, huh?"

Her facial expression changes from annoyed to scared and I immediately regret saying anything. She turns away from me and hides her face again. I must have said something really bad? 

I realize that I really don't know anything about her... or Sam for that matter. Before now, I never paid any attention to people around me, especially not someone like Miller. Him I've always seen as an enemy. Someone who might stop me from reaching my goals. Someone to beat no matter how. That's most likely something I've got from my dad.

He's the kind of lawyer who will ruin some poor Joe's life to defend a clearly guilty but rich fucker. I'm not like that, though. I will never be like him!

"Where do you live?" The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Arya ignores me and I slouch back in my seat.

All of a sudden a sharp pain makes me cry out in agony. The pain being similar to the one this morning, I try to regulate my breathing to control it but this time, it doesn't work. My hands fly to my head and my vision goes blurry again. Involuntarily I slip out of my seat, plunging to the floor. 

Everyone around me starts panicking and I feel like an animal in a zoo. I'm literally on my knees, holding onto my head and before I can stop myself, I am heaving. My stomach is completely empty so I'm not puking but the noises that are coming from my mouth are scaring me. 

"Somebody help him!" A girl shrieks and I feel myself being picked up off the ground. 

"You! Go get the nurse!" The teacher yells and a group of kids run out of the class room but my vision is blocked by Arya.

"Do you need water?" Her voice is shaky and I can feel her hand on my forehead, probably trying to find out if I have a fever like Lilly did earlier.

"I'm fine." I try to turn my head away from her but once again even the slightest movement sends my whole body spinning. 

"You're obviously not." She snaps her fingers pressed to the skin of my forehead. "Damn... You're burning up, Seth."

"So you do think I'm hot?" I tease even though that's the last thing I feel like doing. "Fuck... I think I'm going to throw up."

"Don't you dare!" She threatens and steps away from me a little, her hands taking hold of my arm to hold me steady.

Suddenly I feel like someone has hit me over the head and everything goes black for a couple of seconds. My throat closes up and I can't breathe anymore. I'm falling and Arya can't hold me up on her own so I collide with the ground. Panic fills my every fiber and I can't seem to suck any air into my lungs. Finally my eyes close and I am engulfed by welcoming warmth and darkness.

When I next wake up, I'm definitely not in the school anymore and I'm not at home either. A bright light is shining down on me and I am hooked up to an IV. 

Hospital.

"Fuck." I curse and try to sit up but something heavy is holding me down. "What the..."

"You can't move." A soft voice mutters from across the room. I don't have to check to know who it is.

"What are you doing here?" I want to sound demanding but my throat aches, not allowing me to sound anything more than tired.

"I..." Arya gets off the chair she's been sitting on and starts walking towards me. "I should probably get someone and tell them that you're awake. They have been trying to reach your parents... I think they're on their way. So don't worry... I just didn't want to leave you alone."

"That's fine."

I'm always on my own anyway.

"I wanted to... Listen, if you really want to press charges, you can. You have every right to. There's no excuse for what Sam did and your parents are probably going to have you press charges anyway. I just wanted to say that I'm not going to hate you if you do..." She takes a deep breath and stares outside the window, clenching her jaw. "Hope you feel better soon."

She steps away from me as I stare at her intently.

"Bye, I guess."

She turns around to walk out but as soon as she reaches the door, my father comes storming in, almost running her over. Of course he doesn't even see her as he strides into the room full force.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Sir!" Arya apologizes, holding her hands out in front of her but he doesn't listen at all. Instead he comes storming towards me.

"Seth! What in the world is going on here?" His loud voice echoes from the walls.

I can see Arya flinching. She furrows her brow at me for a mere second before sighing, shaking her head and leaving the room.

"SETH!" The man in front of me demands. "Answer me right now!"

"Richard, calm down!" My mother enters the room and she rushes over to me as well. "Are you alright, Seth? Why didn't you tell us?"

I snort, faking a laugh.

My parents exchange a look and I do my best to hold my tongue.

Why didn't I tell you?! Because you would have judged me! You would have made it all worse and you would have taken the only thing I care about away from me. Because you don't care about your own son! You care about work and business but when it comes to family, you're both complete failures. I can't even begin to tell you, how much I've learned to hate the both of you over the years...

But of course, I can't say any of that.

"Seth, answer your mother." My father orders, stepping away from my bed.

"I'm tired right now..." I try but know he won't let it go. 

"Watch your tone, boy!"

"Richard, let the boy get some sleep. We can discuss all of this later and-" She is interrupted by her cell and answers it without hesitation, leaving the room with a solemn look on her face.

"We will talk about this, son. I'm not letting this one go."

That's what you always say, dad.