"Stop it!" Lucy demanded. They were pointing. They were all pointing. They must know, but who told them? How did they find out? "Stop pointing!"
"Luce, calm down." Matt insisted, handing her a couple tissues, "No body knows, but they're going to suspect if you keep acting so paranoid."
"They do know" she insisted, accepting the tissue. "I threw up in the middle of my last two classes and wasn't sent home, they know."
"They suspect" he reassured her, "but by acting like this you're adding fuel to the fire."
The bell above them rang; they were both late to class. Scattered students ran in all directions, holding out hope not to be marked tardy. "Come on" he said, putting an arm around her, "let's wipe off your tears and I'm sure someone in the office will give you a pass, okay?"
"Okay" she sighed, heading to the nearby office. She wiped away her tears as Matt talked to the secretary.
"She thought they were teasing her" he tried to explain.
"But they weren't?"
"No, not really." This argument was getting nowhere, "look, she's had a rough time the past few weeks, and she's getting a bit paranoid. What's the harm of one pass for the minister's daughter when she's had a rough time, huh?"
"The harm is everyone else will say there "having a rough time" and try getting passes too." She insisted, turning back to her papers.
"Come on, please? I don't want one, just my sister."
"What part of "no" don't you understand?" she asked, not looking up. If she had she would have noticed that Matt wasn't focusing on her, he was watching his sister's face, which had gone quickly from blotchy red to very, very pale, maybe even a little green.
"I…" she croaked, and then took off, speeding towards the nurse's office bathroom, which was nearest.
"Hey, you can't go in there" the nurse called as Lucy bolted through. Matt followed, just in time to see her head bowed over the toilet, her face shielded by mounds of hair. He swooped it back and held it until she had finished.
When her head titled back he handed her some paper towels. As she wiped away the vomit, she started to cry. "I can't do this." She wailed for all the office to hear. "I can't keep down a single meal. Everyone thinks I'm anorexic or something. They're all gonna laugh at me, I know it."
Calmly listening to his sister, Matt helped her up, and out of the bathroom, but before they could leave the office an angry nurse stopped them. "I need a name" she said, "her name."
"Lucy Camden" he answered for her, hands protectively on her shoulders as he grabbed her bag from the chair behind him.
"And does she have a grade and reason for being here?"
"Ninth grade" he answered, a little annoyed, "and she was throwing up, you saw her."
"Which means she has to be picked up by her parents, and cannot return without a doctor's note."
"What?"
"You heard me Mr. Camden, a doctor's note."
"I have one" she squeaked, roaming around in her many pencil case pockets, "here"
The nurse's eyes scrolled quickly over the paper. "Congratulations Miss Camden." She said, handing it back, "you may go."
"Thanks" she blushed, bowing her head and replacing the note in her bag.
"She needs to be home" Matt argued that day after school. Lucy listened, hidden in the stairwell with Ruthie sitting on her knees as they shared milk and cookies. "She's causing scenes, getting paranoid. It's better for everyone's health if she's kept at home."
"It's not that simple" Annie sighed, handing him laundry to fold, "sure, I'd love to home school all of you, but they're so much work to do at home, and I have to watch Ruthie."
"Hey!" Ruthie screamed in protest, but Lucy was quick enough to cover her.
"That's why it would be perfect" he reasoned, "she could help you with laundry, cooking, and learn about what it takes for a family to run so smooth."
"Nice try Matt." She said, winking, "I'll talk to your father, but no promises, okay?"
"That's all I'm asking," he smiled, throwing his pile of folded laundry into the basket.
AN: okay, so I didn't realize that these two chapters start the same way….maybe I'll try to keep it that way….hhhmm….