It was so weird seeing Bennett in such a vulnerable state. Normally he had that same cat-like smile plastered on his face as he stood tall over everybody, acting as if he didn't have a care in the world. But now he was just a limp body sprawled out on a blanket the theater team found lying around in the prop closet. Sweat visually shone on his strained and pale face, his breathing slow and steady. It made Jays chest hurt just seeing him in so much pain.
"God this is my fault…" Cecilia quietly said under her breath as she stroked his hair. "It's because I just had to get sick…I can't be healthy for 2 days without catching something and ending up bedridden. Now he's sick because he was up late taking care of me…" Her usually cheery and loud voice reduced to nothing but a wavering murmur.
"H-hey Ceci I don't think that's necessarily your fault." Jay spoke up, his eyes fixating on her gloomy expression. "You know how he is, he never notices somethings wrong with him until it's too late."
It scared all of them earlier when Bennett suddenly got up from his chair and started hobbling off to where Cecilia put their bags. Jay had stopped reading mid sentence and asked what was wrong. All he got for a response was "Ok…I'm ok…I…just need water." But as he was reaching her bag, his knees buckled and he collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. Upon reaching his body they found that he was unconscious presumably before he hit the ground and was extremely hot to the touch. Jay wondered if he was suffering like this the entire day and it only ended up getting to this point at theater practice.
"Yeah Cecilia." A soft voice suddenly rang from behind the two. Jay turned around and saw Levi holding a water bottle and some soaking wet paper towels. "Apologies, this is all I could find." He sat on his knees to the right of Jay and started dabbing Bennett's forehead. "He's so warm."
Cecilia let out a long and strained sigh, her lips twitching into a forced smile. "He'll be ok. I know he will. I-I'll just take him home with me when he wakes up. You guys can keep practicing without me."
A lump caught in Jays throat. There it was again. That tone of voice. Cecilia and Bennett both used it when they mentioned anything about going home. It was so fake and forced, it sounded like it physically hurt them when they spoke with it. It was like instead of trying to convince Jay and Levi that they'll be ok, they were instead trying to convince themselves. And it pained Jay whenever he heard it. He knew no matter how much he hounded them about the topic, it would prove to be fruitless. Their mouths were sealed and they would never say what was wrong.
That wasn't enough to stop him though.
"Cecilia-"
"Jay. It's fine." She chuckled softly, her eyes trained on her brothers sickly face. He looked like he was getting worse. "We'll be fine. My mom has medicine at home she can help me take care of him."
Levi took the water bottle and pressed it to his forehead, throwing the wet napkins to the side. "You sure?" He cocked his head innocently. Levi may have been, for lack of a better word, slower than most teens his age, but Jay was certain even he could see through Cecilias honeyed lies.
"…" She went silent, her eyes appeared to be welling up with tears. The words she so desperately wanted to say just wouldn't come out.
"Yeah.
"We'll be fine."
Everybody knew that was a fucking lie.