(12:36 PM)
Bexley regretted ever going to school. After lunch, she felt much worse than this morning. All of her muscles were aching, she couldn't stop shaking, her head was pounding, her chest had a tight pressure on it. She had a few more dizzy spells while in school. Most of them were during class.
It hurt so badly that she couldn't even walk to her next class, which was biology. She couldn't find the strength to walk anymore so she let herself slide onto the floor, leaning up against the wall.
Two-Bit and Ponyboy had found her sitting in front of her locker so they ran up to her. "Bexley, are you okay?" Ponyboy asked, kneeling down to her height. He held her flushed cheeks, which were burning hot.
Bexley's face twisted in pain and she whimpered in pain. She let her head lean back against the lockers. "I don't feel good... at all..." she moaned, holding her stomach.
Two-Bit reached up and felt her forehead, immediately retracting his hand as if he had burned it. "Jesus, little sister, you're burning up. We need to take you to the nurse and have her call Darry," Two-Bit said, his usual wise-cracking tone dropped.
"N-No... we can't afford it. I can... I can make it," she shook her head, trying to tough it out. "Nope, you're too sick to walk. Let's get you to the nurse's office," Ponyboy said. Two-Bit picked her up in his arms bridal style. She felt comforted by being carried even though she didn't want to admit it.
"You're gonna be okay," Ponyboy said, his voice filled with worry. He wanted to make sure that his sister would be okay.
They make it to the nurse's office and Pony knocks on the door. "Yes, come in," the nurse said. Ponyboy opened the door and the three teens walk in. "Can I help you, two boys?" the nurse, whose name was Ms. Smith, asked.
"His sister nearly passed out in the hallway. Mind checkin' her over?" Two-Bit asked. Ms. Smith saw the miserable state that Bexley was in. "Sure, hon. Set her down on the cot over by the closet," she said. Two-Bit listened and set Bexley down on the cot.
Both boys had to sit in the waiting chairs that were sitting by the door. The nurse brought over a disposable thermometer and stuck it in Bexley's mouth. It took a few minutes for it to beep. "Oh, dear. You have a fever of 101.5. We'll need to have your brother come pick you up. Try to get some sleep while you wait," Ms. Smith said.
Bexley was grateful for the nurse to let her sleep since she was feeling exhausted. "Shouldn't you boys go back to class?" Ms. Smith asked. "Bexley would want us to stay," Ponyboy answered.
He knew that Bexley was usually clingy whenever she wasn't feeling good. The whole gang knew this even though she didn't like to admit it; she didn't have to.
It was a little after 12:30 by the time Darry's boss had arrived at the house he was working on. He watched as the black truck approached the construction area, making his heart beat out of his chest. His boss rarely ever left his office, but when he did, it was usually for something serious.
The middle-aged man parks the truck a few feet away from the house and steps out of it. The man was large, mean-looking. "Curtis, come down here!" he called up to Darry, who was on the roof.
"There was a phone call asking for ya. And you know as well as me that I don't call my workers in the middle of their work, but it's important. Your kid sister is sick or something like that with a fever. They wanted to know if you'd go pick her up," Darry's boss said.
Darry could feel his heart speed up even faster. He should've known that Bexley wasn't well enough to go to school. Why didn't she say anything about her not feeling well? He climbed down the ladder and walked over to his boss.
"Sir... please let me go... pick her up, I can..." Darry stuttered, finding it hard to form a sentence. "Curtis, listen, I ain't payin' ya for the rest of today. You go do what you gotta do. You're one of my best workers and have always been. Don't make a habit of this," the middle-aged man said, putting a heavy hand on Darry's right shoulder.
Darry smiled and thanked his boss. He then ran to his truck and mentally cursed at himself for not checking Bexley more thoroughly. He should've done so. Luckily, he wasn't too far off from the school, so it took him less than 20 minutes to arrive.