Chapter Six

|Arguments and Ailments|

David entered Arthur's room and gently awakened him. Arthur was covered in cold sweat, and as soon as he rose up, he had the urge to be sick. He made it to the upstairs bathroom just in time, his father following him and giving a distinct 'Help me' look to Jane as she ran to see what the problem was.

"You see what I mean, David? All of his girl troubles are making him sick, and Naomi isn't helping. I know she seems like a good fit, but maybe we should try someone else," Jane smiled weakly, watching as David shook his head firmly in defiance, "He's got a stomach bug just like plenty of other kids. Arthur, come downstairs when you can and we'll talk," David said, leading his wife downstairs, or trying to.

Jane pulled away, "No, I won't let you talk me out of this. We're done with her before we even attempt an investigation. I want my son to be healthy and safe, not sick and afraid of some questionable floozy."

"We don't know if she was being floozy. Mrs. Crabapple is always misunderstanding the kids' fashion. Francine came over in a turtleneck once and she complained. Naomi was probably just in some capris that went too far up her calf. It's fine," David sighed, sinking onto the couch.

"Well I trust Amanda. She's not as old as you're making her sound, David, and she was complaining about how rude Francine was because she entered the house through the garage without knocking. Don't you remember? Arthur was pumping his bike—"

"It doesn't matter," David groaned, leaning his head back in frustration. "Naomi is a good fit for our family. At least give her a chance to explain herself before you label her as something she's probably not. Carry out the investigation, see what happens. But even if they find something, we give her the benefit of the doubt. She's done well so far and the kids love her. Deal?" David asked. Jane hesitated, wanting to make the best decision for her oldest son. "Jane, come on, just give her a chance!" David exclaimed.

"You wanted to see me?" Arthur said weakly from the doorway. Jane nodded, escorting him to the couch, "Tell your father exactly what Naomi was wearing the other night. Mrs. Crabapple seemed very concerned, and I just want answers."

"Jane, don't make him do that. Go make him some soup first, get him looking more alive," David protested. Arthur let them argue. He hadn't decided if he should tell them exactly what Naomi was wearing. He'd heard what his father said, and he knew he was right. The kids loved Naomi, poor fashion choices or not.

"Arthur, I'll take care of your needs as soon as you tell him what Naomi was wearing. Are you okay with that?" Jane asked with a concerned tone. Arthur nodded weakly, "I can talk, but it was just a tank top and shorts, Dad. It wasn't that bad," Arthur lied, almost feeling sick again.

"See, she mistook the whole thing. Try to eat some soup, Arthur. I'm going to call the detective, Jane, see what he has to say about all of this," David smiled pompously before disappearing into the master bedroom. Arthur and his mother moved into the kitchen, where Kate was working on math homework.

"Arthur, I saw her last night. Mom, she looked—" Kate said, but Jane cut her off, "You shouldn't eavesdrop, Kate. Finish your homework then head upstairs for your bath. We're handling it."

Kate and Arthur exchanged glances before she obeyed their mother's orders. Kate closed her book without finishing and moved upstairs as quietly as she could. Arthur watched her leave before looking back to his mother, who was heating up a can of chicken noodle soup from her hiding spot.

"You need to tell us if things change, okay?" Jane whispered, looking around nervously. "I'll talk to Kate later about what she saw. I know you felt you needed to protect her if you lied in there," Jane smiled, kissing Arthur's forehead. "Wow, son, you feel really warm. I think you should stay home tomorrow just in case you are coming down with something. Thora and my work can wait when my baby is sick."

Arthur didn't like that idea, but judging by how he felt now, he had no choice but to go along with everything. He just hoped the day wouldn't involve Naomi. While he didn't want her to turn out to be some sort of crazy, now that he was both injured and sick, he wanted her gone, and if that meant some bad news, so be it. He ate his soup diligently before returning upstairs and curling up in his bed, hoping the blanket keeping his head covered could keep the world from reaching him even after he woke up.

|Change of Heart?|

Arthur woke up the next morning not realizing he'd slept as long as he did. He still felt awful, but as he moved downstairs and tried to hone in on the voices he heard, he almost felt worse. His parents were talking to the detective, trying to give enough information about Naomi in order to receive enough back.

"Don't worry, Mr. Read, I worked for Ed for a full year until he was satisfied. He was dealing with a thirty-something-year-old con woman, not a teen like Naomi. I'm sure I'll know everything within the next few days," the detective smiled, standing and eying Arthur carefully, "So, this is the chick magnet I've been hearing about. You're quite handsome, Artie. I think the girls are finally coming around now that you have a beacon to announce your arrival," he chuckled.

Jane laughed nervously, "No one calls him Artie, Mr. Sanders. Do they, Arthur?" Jane asked. Arthur shook his head nervously before sinking into a chair. "He's not feeling well right now, so I think it's time we wrap this up. David, I'll stay with Arthur during the day as planned. Naomi will come by tonight to keep things looking normal."

"Great idea, Mrs. Read, you firecracker, you!" Mr. Sanders laughed, leading the way out the door. David followed, kissing his wife gently. Jane nodded to him, turning back to Arthur, "Come on, we need to get some food in you. Do you feel any better?"

"Not much," Arthur admitted, slowly moving to the breakfast table. "I'm nervous about what he's going to find. If Naomi is being honest, Dad might let her stay around, but what if she's not being honest and she's good at hiding her secrets?" Arthur asked. Jane sighed, sitting across from him after passing him a plate of toast, "She might be good at hiding her secrets, but she's not that good. He stopped a foreign con woman, Arthur. I'm sure Mr. Sanders can handle a girl like Naomi. She seems honest, and she's young, and beautiful. Oh, I don't want her around anymore, Arthur! I don't trust her around you."

Arthur picked at his toast silently, looking up to his mom after a few moments, "I still don't know why this made me so popular all of the sudden. I hurt myself in a stupid accident, but somehow that made me seem so much more handsome."

"It's a strange world you live in, Arthur. Just enjoy your day off, okay? Try to forget about Naomi and the other girls," Jane smiled. Arthur shrugged, putting a little bit of jelly on his toast before moving upstairs to eat it slowly. As he sat down at his desk, he heard his phone buzzed. He looked at it, but he didn't recognize the number, at least until he read the message. Naomi was texting him.

Arthur sighed heavily, and after a few minutes, he replied back. All she'd written was 'How's ur morning?' What could be so dangerous about that? He shrugged, the conversation getting longer and longer. She was making him feel better with jokes and funny pictures, always knowing the right thing to say. And the more Arthur thought about her, he realized she'd done the same for his siblings.

Maybe the outfit and strange behavior was a coincidence. What if he was completely misreading her? What if he'd gotten her wrong all this time and that she really did have good intentions? Arthur wasn't sure, but he did know one thing: He was really going to miss Naomi if this didn't work out, probably more than he'd ever missed Sally McGill.