Alanna hated most winters but the first winter she was at Corus Academy was worst one of her life. It started when the leaves began to fall off the trees.
"It's too cold," Alanna complained. It was a crisp November morning and she was finishing up her morning run.
"Just wait till January," Gary said with a smile. "The cold will freeze your bones."
"That's something to look forward to," Alanna muttered.
"So how're you celebrating your birthday Francis?" Raoul asked, throwing an arm around the blushing boy. "We should take you out and celebrate."
"Don't traumatize him." Alanna said laughing. "Francis is sensitive."
"I am not," Francis said indignantly. "It's a Thursday anyway. There's no way we'll get permission to leave campus."
"We have our ways," Gary said mysteriously.
"Nepotism," Alanna coughed.
"Sneakiness," Jon said, cuffing her on the back of the head. "Unlike you we don't all think throwing ourselves at things headlong is a good idea."
"Excuse me?" Alanna said outraged. "Are you accusing me of being unsubtle?"
"Yup," Jon said, grinning.
Alanna mumbled insults at him under her breath. But she had to admit he had a point. Alanna enjoyed being straightforward. And meeting things head on usually paid off in the long run.
"So what are you planning then?" she asked. "I can't do anymore detentions Jon. This had better be above board."
"Relax," Jon soothed. "We're all going to be absolutely fine. We'll head out after dinner."
By 'head out' do you mean sneak out," Alanna asked suspiciously. But Jon just laughed.
"You worry too much Alan," he said. "You have to chill."
"I think you're chill enough for all of us," Alanna muttered, knowing full well that come nightfall she would be slipping out of Corus Academy with the rest of her friends.
"Come on Alan," Francis said pleadingly.
"Fine," Alanna sighed. "But I swear if we get caught I'm selling all of you out."
"Sure you will," Gary said, supremely confident nothing of that sort would ever happen.
"Oh Alan," Jon said. " I have that PSAT prep book if you still want it."
"Yes please," Alanna said. "God I don't even know why I'm doing it, I'm never going to the US. But Dad insisted we explore all our options."
"It's a rite of passage," Alex said with a laugh. "Everyone has to do useless tests. Just the way the world works Alan."
"Easy for you to say," Alanna said wryly. "You always manage to do painfully well."
"Yeah Mr. 2230," Gary said. "Just because we have normal brains."
"I never should've told you my score," Alex muttered.
"And I have first hand information that you've signed up for the March ones too," Raoul said. "If I got a 2230 I wouldn't look at an SAT book ever again."
"You have to stop borrowing my computer without my knowledge," Alex complained.
"No can do," Raoul said. "Though there's nothing interesting on it so I don't even know why you care."
"Can we just go get the book before Raoul and Alex decide to start hitting each other on the head and we have to break it up," Alanna said dryly.
Raoul scoffed. "Like you could break up any fight I was in, short stuff."
Alanna scowled at him.
"Come on," Jon said, knowing Alanna's touchiness about her height. "Let's get you your PSAT book."
The two of them made their way to Jon's room.
"Basically it's a totally useless test," Alanan complained, as they entered. "I mean at least you can put the SATs on your college apps. This is pointless."
But Jon wasn't listening to her. On his bed was a large brown package.
"Looks like someone sent you a present," Alanna said, as Jon ripped open the package.
"Oh woah," Jon said, pulling out a beautiful fencing blade.
"Are you sure it isn't your birthday," Alanna asked. "Because that's a nice present."
"Roger sent it," Jon said, gripping the hilt and testing the balance.
"There's something else in there," Alanna said, pointing at the bottom.
Jon, with a smile on his face, pulled out a packet filled with brightly coloured gummy-like candy. It looked like it had a liquid centre and Alanna, instinctively mistrusting anything that was that colourful, looked at the bag with suspicion.
"These were my favourite when I was younger," he said fondly. "Just bite into one and you get this sour blast. I could eat a whole packet in one go. Could probably still do it now actually."
"They look slightly toxic," Alanna said with a laugh.
"Probably are," Jon replied. "Think Francis would like it? I mean it's a tragedy giving away my Sourz but I think I'm a big enough person to-"
"You forgot to get him a present didn't you?" Alanna said, cutting him off.
"Possibly," Jon replied. "Not going to confirm anything."
"Yeah I'm sure Francis will like the terrifying candy," Alanna said long-sufferingly.
"And here's your book," Jon said, pulling out a dog-eared green coloured book. "It's very unhelpful but do whatever you want with it."
"Thank you," Alanna said, gratefully. "Now can we go to breakfast? I'm starving."
"Here you go Francis," Jon said, unceremoniously dumping the bag of candy on his lap. "It's the best candy in the world."
"I know," Francis said, excitedly. "It's been years since I've had Sourz."
"Am I the only one who hasn't had that stuff before?" Alanna asked, wrinkling up her nose.
"Well you're basically from Hicksville," Gary said jokingly. "Don't get the finer things there."
"So you like that stuff?" Alanna asked sceptically.
"God no," Gary said with a shudder. "Once when we were younger, Jon ate four packets and threw up all over the floor. The smell of Sourz is in my top four worst smells."
"It wasn't that bad," Jon said defensively.
"You rank smells?" Alex asked curiously.
"I rank everything," Gary said with a shrug. "You know that."
"I thought it was just girls and football players," Raoul said with a laugh.
Gary ignored Raoul and proceeded to stuff his mouth with as much food as possible.
The rest of the day passed quite pleasantly. Gary and Alex gave Francis a joint present and smiled at the younger boy's bewildered gratefulness.
"Why would they give me all this stuff though," Francis asked Alanna when they were alone.
"Because they're your friends," Alanna said with a smile. "They like you."
"No they like you," Francis said. "I thought they were only friends with me because y'know…"
"Don't be silly," Alanna said. "And I'm sorry that my present didn't quite match up."
"Are you kidding," Francis said. "I always need socks. I'm pretty sure Douglass is stealing all of mine."
After lunch Raoul handed Francis a square yellow package.
"Thought you might like this," he said, his kind brown eyes making Francis feel rather overwhelmed.
With hastily muttered thanks Francis tore open the package to find a stack of West Wing DVDs.
"Thank you," Francis said, unaccountably touched.
"Happy birthday Francis," Raoul said with a smile. He headed on his way to class and Francis couldn't help but grin rather broadly. He opened the packet of Sourz that Jon had given him and popped a few in his mouth.
"You look happy," Alanna noted, when Francis slid into the seat next to her. They had Father Gregory's math class and it was something Alanna could've done without.
"It's been a good day," Francis said dreamily.
Alanna, suspecting the reason for Francis' good mood hid a smile. Classes seemed to fly by that day and Alanna, almost against her will, began to look forward to the night's celebrations. Francis on the other hand seemed totally out of it. If Alanna didn't know better she would've thought he was drunk. He threw up a few times and seemed very dizzy. After much convincing he went to nurse who said he must have a stomach bug.
"I suppose tonight's off then?" Alanna asked, hiding how worried she felt.
"Not a chance," Francis said, shooting her a wan smile. "I'll be fine in a bit. You'll see. I'm looking forward to this evening."
"Well we just have to get through dinner if you can control your excitement till then," Alanna joked.
"I'll try," Francis said dryly.
And throughout the dinner Francis actually seemed to get better. Only about forty-five minutes into the meal, he looked far more alert and was enthusiastically quizzing Gary and Raoul about the plans for the evening.
Halfway through Gary's detailed description of the debauchery he had so carefully planned, there was a loud retching noise.
"Gross," someone shouted from the back of the hall as Alanna and her friends turned around to see the contents of Sacherell's stomach splashed on the floor of the dining hall. Father Gregory quickly dropped his fork and knife and ran over to the boy.
"Maybe he has what I had," Francis said.
"Hate stomach bugs," Alanna muttered, convinced she was going to be spending most of the next week near a toilet.
There were suddenly more retching noises and a senior threw up as well.
"Is there something wrong with the food?" Jon asked worriedly.
Now that he mentioned it Alanna wasn't feeling too great either. She cursed and tried to get away from her friends but only managed to move a couple of feet before throwing up.
"Okay we're taking you to the infirmary," Gary said firmly, steadying Alanna with a hand on her shoulder.
"Guys," Francis said. He was standing very still, pain written across his face. "I can't breathe."
He collapsed and the staff not standing around Sacherell and the senior boy came rushing over to him.
"Alex go tell the infirmary to expect patients," Mr. Olau ordered.
Alex ran to do his bidding, with only one worried glance at Francis' inert form.
"I'm alight," Alanna gasped, feeling dizzy. "Go help Mr. Olau with Francis, Gary."
Gary did as he was told but Alanna could see beads of sweat forming on his face as well.
"What is happening?" she muttered to herself.
She let herself be led to the infirmary but soon there were too many sick people, both students and teachers, for it to be a viable option anymore. The whole school to a man had violent vomiting and diarrhoea and it was decided that perhaps it would be better if the less serious cases went back to their rooms. The doctor was utterly perplexed. But they rushed the food through testing and it was discovered that the whole school had been eating food with ethylene glycol in it.
"Antifreeze?" Alanna asked one of the serious nurses who had been shipped in to help the overwhelmed school nurse and doctor.
"Ethylene glycol is a component of antifreeze," the grim faced nurse said.
"And someone put it in our food?" Alanna asked. "Why?"
The nurse pursed her lips and didn't answer.
"You were lucky," she said. "It seems as though almost everyone only got a relatively mild dose and we caught it remarkably early. Usually the vomiting doesn't start so soon. Could be the work of someone with a very poor sense of humour."
"What do you mean almost everyone?" Alanna asked, immediately catching the slip up.
"I am not at liberty to discuss anything with the students," the nurse said, glaring at Alanna. "We have done our very-"
"Who is it?" Alanna asked, her stomach sinking. She had a strong hunch she that she knew exactly who it was and desperately wanted to be wrong.
"Young man-"
"Just tell me it isn't Francis Nond," Alanna pleaded.
The nurse said nothing, but her expression, which had softened into a mixture of compassion and sadness, said it all.
"No," Alanna half-whispered to herself. "It was his birthday. He can't-"
"I'm so sorry duck," the nurse said, her business-like veneer disappearing in a second. "Was he a friend of yours?"
"I want to go see him," Alanna said, attempting to hoist herself out of bed.
"I'm afraid you can't, " the nurse said almost apologetically. "You have to stay hooked up to that drip. We don't want anything terrible happening to anyone else."
"Is he dead?" Alanna asked, her voice cracking a little.
"Not yet," the nurse said. "But it doesn't look good."
"When can I see him?" Alanna asked. "Please I have to go-"
"Alright," the nurse said relenting. "But you can't overexert yourself. If your airway closes up it's not going to be pretty."
She helped Alanna into a wheelchair and hung the drip up next to her. "Just for a little while alright?" she said. "His family hasn't even come in yet."
But we're his family too, Alanna thought, as the nurse wheeled her to the infirmary.
Gathered around his bed, all looking terribly pale and wan were Gary, Alex, Jon and Raoul. Evidently they had also strong-armed the nurses into letting them come and visit Francis. Alanna had to choke back a gasp at the sight of his pale, lifeless body. It looked as though he was dead already.
"It's my fault," Raoul said, looking at Alanna with haunted eyes. "He would've gotten himself properly checked out if I hadn't been so focused on getting him to his birthday party."
"Don't be ridiculous," Alanna said trying to sound strong but failing miserably. "There was nothing we could do. And it was in our dinner, the antifreeze. The nurse told me. It must've just hit him harder because he was already sick."
"I am going to kill whoever did this," Jon said almost venomously. Alanna would be frightened of the expression of anger, hurt and pain that Jon wore on his face, if it she didn't feel exactly as he did.
"Why would anyone-?" Gary started. "I just-"
Alanna tried to hold back her tears but found herself unable to. It was just so unfair that kind, gentle Francis, who never hurt a soul in his life, would be lying like a broken ragdoll on a gurney in the infirmary.
"Shouldn't he be at a hospital?" Alanna asked her nurse who was hovering around the boys, making sure none of them were overexerting themselves. She angrily wiped away a tear.
"The healthcare he gets here is as good as any hospital," the nurse said gently. "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do."
"So we're just waiting for him to die then," Alanna said dully.
The nurse grimaced but didn't disagree with her. And Alanna felt like someone had sucker punched her in the gut.
a/n: Ugh I'm sorry it's been so long. And I'm also sorry that I chose to come back with such a depressing chapter. But it's all a part of the story. I have no clue if this is how antifreeze works. But anyway I couldn't exactly say the sweating sickness had gotten to them so I hope it's alright. Please tell me what you think!