(7:30 AM)

The next morning, Bexley didn't feel any better than the previous night. Her head was aching and her throat was dry. She dismissed it from her throwing up last night. She sat up and groaned, her whole body aching something awful.

Her brothers were still asleep, but she knew she had to wake them up. "C'mon, sch-school days..." she groaned, her throat aching. She got out of bed and started making her way out of the bedroom. However, she was struck by a wave of dizziness. She stumbled but caught herself on the wall, groaning quietly.

'God... my head... I don't feel so good... but I can't let my brothers know... Just get through today and it'll be over with,' she thought. For a moment, she believed she could get away with this. That was until she heard Soda's voice from behind her. "Bexley, you okay?" he asked her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the troubled look in her brother's eyes.

"I'm fine, Soda. Didn't get enough sleep is all," she lied. Soda walked over to her and placed the back of his hand on her forehead. "Bexley, you feel a little warm. Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked soberly. "I'll be fine, Soda. I'll take some Aspirin before heading to school," she said, trying to stand up straight.

Soda bit his bottom lip, not sure if he believed that Bexley was really alright. He knew when his younger siblings were getting sick, they couldn't fool him. But he didn't want to smother Bexley either but he decided to leave it for now.

"Alright. If you really are, then hurry it up. I gotta wake Pony up so you two can get ready for school," Soda said. Bexley nodded, leaving the bedroom to go to the bathroom.

After shutting the bathroom door, Bexley felt herself become lightheaded again, causing her to lose her balance for a moment. She sat down on the toilet, putting her head between her knees for a moment, closing her eyes, and taking deep breaths.

When it was finally over, she waited a minute before standing back up. She took a look at herself in the mirror. She did look a little pale but nothing that was off-putting. 'I'm gonna be fine... Last night was a one-time thing... I don't know why I threw up last night. Hopefully, Soda doesn't tell Darry or Ponyboy. They don't need to worry about me,' she thought to herself, staring at her reflection.

"Breakfast is ready! You guys better come get it before it gets cold!" Darry called from the kitchen. Bexley walked into the kitchen, head pounding from Darry's shouting. "Dar, please don't shout," She grumbled, rubbing her head. Darry turned and saw his sister walk in, instantly noticing her pale complexion. "Sorry, Bex. Didn't see you there," he apologized, sitting down at the head of the table, as he's always done.

A few months ago, he would've called her and Ponyboy out for having an attitude with him, but things between them became quieter. The twins got along with their eldest brother a lot better since then.

Bexley sat down at the table, a plate of eggs and gravy with some bacon. It was usually her favorite in the morning, but she hardly ate it. "You feeling okay, Bexley?" Darry asked, swallowing a bite. Bexley glanced up at him and stiffly nodded. She felt horrible like she'd been hit by a log truck at 1000 mph. She looked at Soda and Ponyboy, they looked just as worried.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired," she said, remembering how she vomited up last night's dinner. She didn't want Soda to tell him that's what happened.

Then, the four siblings hear the sound of the screen door slamming shut along with Two-Bit's loud voice, making Bexley feel even sicker. "'Ello, Curtises!" he obnoxiously shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You're gonna have to learn to stop doin' that one of these days, Two-Bit!" Soda scolded, getting up from his chair and going to put his empty plate in the sink. Two-Bit laughed at that comment. "C'mon, you two. You gotta get to school," Darry informed, getting his work boots from beside the front door, where he always kept them, unlike Soda.

Bexley gave up on her food and took it to the sink. She only ate a few bites, but that was all she could eat.

As they headed out the front door, Soda stopped Bexley. "You sure you're gonna be okay, Bexley?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet. "Yeah, I'll make it," she nodded. "Okay, if anything happens, call me or Darry. I went ahead and told Pony to keep an eye on you," Soda added.

"Okay. I will," she nodded. Two-Bit just had to butt into their conversation. "Let's go ladies! Daylights wastin'!" he shouted, making Bexley feel more nauseous.

The weather was freezing, the sky was heavy with grey clouds. There was a frigid chill in the air. It would most likely snow again today.