A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! They are about to experience Thanksgiving at Slate's Acres! Yeah!
With Kendall at home sick, everything was different. They were going through the same motions, but nothing felt the same. Most people didn't seem to notice a big change in their actions but the bullies of the school certainly sensed a rare opportunity to mess with them.
"Heeey Jamie!"
James looked around from the door of his locker to see who the big mouth was. It was Biff, one of the biggest, most obnoxious boys in school yet... and was he actually talking to him?...calling him Jamie?
James slammed his locker door shut. Oh it was on! "Are you talking to me?" James asked, as an exaggerated question, his eyes wide.
"Yeah! I'm talking to you girly boy! Where's the fourth stooge?" Biff asked in a mocking tone.
"Why? Do you need his help with something?" asked James sarcastically.
James turned around, wondering where Logan and Carlos had gone. All he saw was a large cardboard cut-out of the school mascot, a cartoon mountain lion.
Biff got up into James' face. "Would you like me to rearrange that pretty face of yours?" he threatened through his clenched teeth.
James was pretty sure that he had heard nervous whispers coming from behind the cardboard cut-out. He walked over to it and peered behind it. He grabbed Carlos and Logan by their shirts and pulled them out.
"Well, you'll have to go through my two friends here first, before you can even get to me!" James announced smugly, showing him the two quivering boys.
"Oh...gee...I'm absolutely terrified," Biff said flatly.
Carlos put his helmet back on and patted it. "Okay...I'm ready now," he said, trying to be brave, as he looked all the way up to Biff's face.
"Good! You'll need that helmet when I put you through your locker," he said laughing. Carlos decided to follow Logan back behind James. James folded his arms across his chest.
"Well, as a team, we are unstoppable. So go ahead and try it, now." James looked pretty serious to Biff. He was actually a little impressed that James was even holding his own ground. The warning bell rang throughout the hallway.
"Later," said Biff nonchalantly. "You'd better just hope the fourth stooge isn't permanently outta' commission."
They looked at each other. That comment resonated with them. They were already worried about Kendall recovering from his bout of pneumonia, and this just made them feel worse. Most of the kids had sent their get well wishes and had treated them well since they came to the school, but there were still those who seemed jealous of their tight-knit group. Some just didn't like that they were newcomers to the school.
They had earned a lot of admiration from their peers, due to their athletic ability, but some of their team mates didn't seem to like all the attention they received from the girls. Either way, they were not at the top of the totem pole, so to speak, like they had been at the old school.
Eric and Jeb had even reappeared since Kendall had been absent, and they were still holding a grudge over the fall festival incident. They only kept their distance because they were being watched by hall monitors, and warned that a permanent suspension would be in their future if they caused any more trouble. The trouble makers felt like they had a sure-fire plan to have some fun with the boys, now that Kendall was gone.
Jeb watched the halls, while Eric stood a few feet from the boys' lockers after school. Eric grabbed his chance when he saw them open their lockers.
"I hear Ken-Ken has pneumonia," he taunted. They spun around to glare at him. "That can really mess a person up for a looong time. Heck, he may never be strong enough to play sports again...," he continued.
"Don't you dare say that! That's not true!" Logan cried.
"Awwww...is the baby bookworm upset now?" he said in a condescending babyish tone.
"You're just jealous, because he's smarter than you!" Carlos retorted.
"You're too dumb to know what smart, even is," Eric laughed, pointing to the helmet on Carlos' head. "Does that protect what's left of your brain?"
James stepped forward for the second time that day. "Why don't you just take your buddy over there, and find someone who wants you around? If you can, that is."
Logan stepped forward next to James. Jeb couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to jump into a fight. He lunged forward, but instead of grabbing James, he grabbed Logan, who he knew the others would go down to protect. He slammed him into the lockers, causing the surrounding students to gasp.
Logan tried to catch his breath while James and Carlos yanked Jeb off him. He slid down the lockers, seeing stars as he went.
Jeb put up his hands in mock defense, "Hey...it's cool," he said, while he ground his shoe into Logan's hand.
"Owww!' cried Logan, cradling his injured hand to his chest.
Carlos stomped on Jeb's foot with all of his might. "We saw you do that!" Carlos yelled.
Eric looked surprised, and glanced around shifty-eyed, for teachers or monitors. He leaned forward when he saw that the coast was clear. "You guys better be looking over your shoulders, at all times" he warned, clenching his jaw. "And keep an eye on the baby bookworm...because he's going down first."
xxx
Back at home, the boys couldn't wait to spend time with Kendall. They were missing his company, and they certainly needed him at school. James was a bit weary, having to protect the smaller two, and he had wondered to himself why they seemed so much braver standing up to bullying when Kendall was around. After all, wasn't he himself the biggest and the strongest of the group?
They ate their dinner in a rush, and ran upstairs, bringing their homework with them. They thought about how ironic it was that they had all been in trouble for doing just that, the night before Kendall fell ill. Now they were told to do the homework together in the room with Kendall. He was able to sit propped up against his headboard with a plethora of pillows around him for extra support.
"How has school been?" Kendall asked curiously, wondering why they had not mentioned it.
They hesitated. "Oh, okay," James answered casually, and quickly changed the subject. "What did Dr. Bell say today?"
"He said that I have a less dangerous strain of pneumonia than they thought, so I should be getting stronger soon."
"That is great news!" Logan said, happily relieved.
"Hey! Pie!" Carlos exclaimed, seeing one on Kendall's nightstand. "And comic books!"
"Yeah...my mom and Katie have been here a lot lately," Kendall explained.
"Good!" Carlos said, through a mouthful of pie. He picked up the comic books, and got comfortable on his bed with them.
"On no...not again," said Logan, slapping his forehead.
After completing the homework assignments, Kendall was beginning to tire. "Does Coach know about my condition?" he asked Logan, thinking about the missed practices in rugby.
"Yeah...and we're a wreck without you," he grinned.
"I know better than that," Kendall grinned back. "Hockey is really more my thing."
"You're great at both," Carlos said, with honesty.
"So, when are you guys going to join us in choir, like old times?" asked James.
"I guess when I can stop coughing," Kendall said, while coughing.
They decided to play a quick game of cards before bed, using Kendall's outstretched body as a convenient table-top.
The next morning, they learned that Kendall would still be out for another week. James looked at himself in the mirror suspiciously, looking for any signs of illness.
"Hey...Logan," he began, "you don't think that we'll be catching this pneumonia, do you?" He had noticed how much weight Kendall had lost, and how pale he was with dark bluish-gray circles beneath his eyes. He did not want to look like that.
"Well...it's possible," Logan answered honestly. "It is contagious."
"Ughh," groaned James.
When they went downstairs for breakfast, James stopped Anna in the hallway. "Anna!" James said fervently, "Do you know of any way we can prevent catching pneumonia?"
"Well," she said, "there's no guaranteed way to prevent it, but I do know of a little concoction that will help boost your immune systems."
"We'll do it!" exclaimed James, without even hearing what it was. He turned to look directly into Logan's unconvinced, and none too happy, deep brown eyes.
"Just stay at the table after breakfast, and Helga and I will mix it up," she said.
The three of them waited at the table. Logan sighed, and sat back down, resting his chin in his hands. Carlos was excited to see what it was going to taste like. Logan was not. He only hoped that James' vanity was not going to lead to the evil red-headed nurse hearing that they needed preventive measures against pneumonia. He was ready for her to leave the premises. She had been floating in and out of their room all hours of the night like a ghost, and quite frankly, Logan was not getting much sleep.
Anna and Helga returned with three large glasses, filled with a strange-looking liquid. It was yellowish-orange in hue, and had a murky haze to it.
"Now we recommend that you drink these down rather quickly to keep them mixed," Anna explained, as she stirred the first one rapidly with a long spoon.
She handed the first one to James, and began to stir the next one. When each boy had a glass, James smiled broadly, and clinked his glass against Carlos' glass. He waited eagerly for Logan to lift his to theirs. Logan did not. They looked at him. Instead he held the drink up to the light with suspicion.
"Come on!" Carlos coaxed. "Let's drink up!"
Logan half-heartedly raised his glass to theirs, and clinked.
"One...two...three!" James counted down before they began to chug the liquid.
"BLAAA!...BLUCKK!...EWWWW!" they gagged and grimaced.
"W-W-What is it?" Carlos asked in horror.
Anna and Helga couldn't help but laugh at their reactions when they watched them. James ran toward the bathroom.
"Get back here James!" Logan called. "You have to finish yours!" he finished scolding. He wiped his mouth on a napkin to erase all residue of the mystery concoction.
"Actually, you all need to finish them," Helga said.
"W-W-What? But what's in this?" asked Logan. "It smells fishy," he said, noticing that James was back from the bathroom looking a little peaked.
"Oh, that's just the cod liver oil, dear," Anna said.
"EWWW!" We're drinking fish?" Carlos asked, making faces.
"In a way, I suppose you are," Anna said with a smile. "You boys do need to finish them, unless you would rather ask Nurse Roderick about a vitamin injection."
"We're drinking! We're drinking!" they cried, lifting the glasses up again. They scrunched up their faces, and agonizingly forced them down. Their eyes watered in protest, and they held their stomachs.
"What's else is in here?" asked James warily.
"Apple cider vinegar, bee pollen, brewer's yeast, vitamins and minerals...and well...a few more things that you boys probably don't need to know," Helga listed off, until noticing that the boys were swooning. They groaned.
When they finally managed to finish the drinks, they walked out to await the bus. Logan smacked James on the arm.
"Thanks a lot James! Now my stomach will be gurgling all day."
"Well, for your information...I am not feeling so hot myself," he said, holding his stomach again.
"Now, why is it that preventing pneumonia with a drink that gives you a horrible stomach ache, is a good idea?" asked Carlos.
"Good point," said Logan.
xxx
Within a couple of days, Kendall had some color back. He was getting stronger each day. At school however, the boys were missing him more than ever, and were tired of sneaking around to avoid certain doorways. Most of all, they hated forcing down the health drinks, that Anna and Helga concocted each morning.
"How many days do we have to drink these?" asked James, on the fourth day.
"Just until Kendall is well," said Anna.
Finally, after two weeks, Kendall was declared healthy, once more. He was unable to return to sports, but was able to go back to school. He seemed to tire easily, but Dr. Bell assured him that it would pass in time, as long as he took it easy.
Dr. Bell also agreed he could join the choir, stating that it could only help him to increase his lung capacity through singing. Kendall returning to school was a relief to the boys, especially when they learned that Jeb, Eric and Biff, were all now members of the hockey team.
Have a great Halloween!