Even though I had my blinds drawn and my room completely dark a few streams of light made their way into the room. It was hitting me in the face so I turned over and groaned. My head was pounding and I could barely breathe through my nose. I was going to kill Derrick for making me go out into the woods because now I was sick with the flu or the cold or whatever illness this was. All I knew was that I felt like crap.
Oh sure I hadn't busted my head open or anything. Derrick had made good on his word and had prevented me from getting hurt but now here I was stuck in bed during summer being sick. I was gonna get him for this. I coughed and hacked until my throat burned and my chest ached. I moaned and rolled over on my side not caring if that little line of light was still hitting me in the face.
There was a knock on my door but I was too weak to answer so I groaned in response. Derrick came into the room and turned on the light.
"Ahhh!" I croaked out. "Too bright!"
Derrick chuckled. "Sorry but you need to be able to see to eat."
I looked out from under my covers to see that Derrick had brought me chicken noodle soup, in a cup not a bowl, with Sunny D and saltine crackers. My favorite meal when I was sick. Awl he remembered. I smiled at him and was no longer angry. I couldn't believe that he remembered.
He set the tray of food over me and helped me as I tried to sit up. I picked up the cup and began slurping the soup. Derrick sat next to me watching me.
"How are you feeling?" he asked tucking in some blankets around me.
"Like crap," I answered but it came out as a hoarse whisper. Great now I'm losing my voice.
"You sound like it," he joked. I shot him a glare and made a motion that I would throw the soup at him if he didn't behave but he still chuckled.
"You know you're funny when you're sick," he told me.
I grimaced at him and was seriously thinking of pouring that soup over his head. But I figured that would be a little bit dramatic and I really didn't want to waste the soup.
"Hope you don't mind the grungy look," I told him and gestured toward my sweats and ratty old t-shirt. I currently had no makeup on, no product in my hair which was in a pony tail, and absolutely no perfume on. I was completely au natural. Though I didn't really care if Derrick saw me this way. In fact I felt more comfortable this way.
Derrick shook his head. "I don't mind. I kinda like you better this way."
I smiled at him. "Really?"
Derrick smiled back and he started singing Drake. "Sweat pants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on. That's when you're the prettiest I hope that you don't take it wrong."
I started laughing which led to coughing then to hacking until once again my throat was on fire and my chest ached. Derrick's smile had disappeared and now looked at me with some concern.
"Don't worry I'm fine. Just let me sleep in off," I said but my words broke at the end of my sentence. I really was losing my voice.
"It's my fault," he said. "I shouldn't have taken you out to the woods."
I tried to reply but my voice wouldn't come so I gestured at him to get me a pen and paper.
You didn't know we would get stuck in the rain and I would end up sick, I wrote.
"I know but still," he replied looking guilty.
Well shouldn't I be the guilty one? I mean I was upset over seeing Alicia but that didn't mean that we had to go out to the woods. It was partly my fault too. Sure I had wanted to hurt Derrick earlier for making me sick but I didn't mean it. It was the illness talking.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked.
I don't want you to get sick, I wrote.
He shrugged. "I don't care. I deserve it anyway."
I rolled my eyes and nodded. Derrick took away my half eaten food and turned the lights back off. I rolled around till I got comfortable on my side. Derrick climbed in on his side but remained upright. I layed there for over an hour trying to fall asleep but couldn't. I felt Derrick get up and check on me so I pretended to be asleep. He left the room and started back down the hall. I frowned. I thought he was going to stay with me.
I was about to get up when I heard his footsteps coming back toward the room. I closed my eyes again and slowed my breathing. Derrick came over to my side lifted up my arms and placed something underneath it. He returned to his side and layed down and soon I heard his soft snoring. I opened my eyes to see what he had put there and saw that it was my teddy bear from when I was about seven. I had named him Aladdin because I had been obsessed with the movie at the time. I smiled. I couldn't believe that Derrick had remembered these details about me.
I also wondered where the heck he had found Aladdin. I hadn't seen him in years. As I snuggled with Aladdin against my face and listened to Derrick's snores I finally fell into a peaceful sleep dreaming about Aladdin the movie where I was Jasmine and Derrick was Aladdin himself. It was the best dream I ever had.