Chapter Ten
I have never been so relieved to hear the final bell. At the end of my last class, it was like the entire school, including the staff, let out a collective sigh. I walked to my locker and put my books away, zipped into my coat and then made my way to Kristy's locker. I was going to walk with her to Alan's house again.
"Ready?" I asked her as I approached her locker.
"Ready." Kristy said, slamming her locker closed.
"You sure?" I asked her. She seemed awfully confident and calm compared to the Kristy I had seen at lunch.
"No, but I have to do this."
"No, you don't. We could go to my house instead." I pointed out as we walked to the front doors. On the way, we passed Logan. He was about to call out to me but I met his eye and shook my head ever so slightly. He smiled, waved and then turned around and went back down the hallway. Kristy gave me a Look.
"Don't even tempt me, Mary Anne." She said.
"Sorry." I said, trying to keep a straight face. Obviously I wasn't successful.
"It's not funny!" Kristy exclaimed.
"Sorry, Kristy. This is just…so unlike you."
"Well, did I laugh at you when Logan was the one who was sick?" she asked.
"No, no you didn't. And I'm not laughing at you now. I'm here to support you."
"Hmph." Was all Kristy could come up with. We walked in silence all the way to Alan's house, where we stopped in front of the steps.
"Do you want me to come with you?" I offered. Kristy considered it for a moment but then shook her head.
"No. Thanks, but I have to do this by myself. I'll see you at Claud's in about an hour?" she asked and I nodded. I watched as Kristy walked up the walk and before she rang the bell, she turned and gave me a small wave. I gave her the thumbs-up sign and started to walk away. A few seconds later, I turned to see Kristy walking through the front door. I was about to turn back but something caught my eye. In an upstairs window, I sat the corner of a shade turned back and I could make out the faint trace of Alan's face. I smiled and then continued to my house.
After Kristy had turned away from me, she took a deep breath and rang the bell. A moment later the door opened and Mrs. Gray invited her in. As she closed the door she said,
"Alan is looking forward to seeing you. He's in his room."
She gestured towards the stairs.
"Thanks." Kristy said, shrugging off her overcoat. Mrs. Gray took the coat and went to hang it up. Kristy took a deep breath and walked up the stairs with determination. She knocked on Alan's door.
"Come in."
Kristy cautiously opened the door.
"Hi Kristy." Alan said from his bed. Kristy walked into the room.
"Hey, Alan. How're you feeling?" She felt uncomfortable.
"Not bad. I might go to school tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then defiantly on Wednesday."
"That's good." Kristy forced a smile.
"But, man, am I glad you're here. I'm so bored!" Alan exclaimed.
"I bet." Kristy said, slowly becoming more comfortable in her surroundings.
"I have your homework for you, if that helps."
Alan laughed.
"It'll give me something to do but I'm sure I'll still be bored."
"Well, you're not the only one who's been bored today." Kristy said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Alan asked.
Kristy took a seat at the desk chair.
"Well, there was practically no one at school today so the teachers, or substitute teachers, gave us questions to do on reading. That's what we did in every class besides gym."
"Thank goodness for gym."
Kristy laughed.
"My thoughts exactly. But that's all your homework. Just answering questions. You could probably get away with not even doing it."
Alan gasped in pretend shock.
"Did I hear you right? Kristy Thomas is saying that I shouldn't even bother doing my homework?"
Kristy had to smile. She knew Alan was feeling better again because he was starting to tease her again.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't, just that you could." She said with a smile.
"I'm glad you're feeling better. You worried me. You didn't even tease me when I was here on Friday."
Alan looked down sheepishly and Kristy was pretty sure she saw a flush creep up his cheeks.
"Well, I'm glad too." Alan said after a moment. "Just wait until I'm back in school. Then I'll have a whole week's worth of teasing to make up for."
"I can hardly wait." Kristy said with fake enthusiasm. Although the truth was, deep down, Kristy couldn't wait for that to happen again. Because that meant everything was back to normal.
"I'd better get going." Kristy said after an awkward pause.
"Yeah." Alan said, with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Kristy stood up.
"See you." She said, awkwardness filling the room by the second.
"See ya. And thanks for coming."
"No problem."
Kristy took the opportunity to make her escape. She closed Alan's door and began to go down the stairs and then remembered. She went back up the stairs and knocked on the door again.
"Come in." Alan called. Kristy opened the door.
"Uh, sorry. I forgot to give you your homework."
"Oh, right." Alan said.
Kristy reached into her backpack and pulled out a package of papers. She crossed the room and handed them to Alan.
"Thanks."
"Uh, no problem." Kristy said in a rush and she quickly left the room. After closing the door for a second time, she sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. She then walked down the stairs, said good-bye to Mrs. Gray and left. What she didn't see as she walked towards Claud's house was Alan watching from his window.
A/N: I'm so sorry it has taken this long for an update but today I got the inspiration to finish the story so the end should be coming up soon! Please R&R!