Chapter 19

My pleasant slumber was cut short when a pushing on my side brought me awake. I found that the girls had piled on me at some point in the night and we had worked ourselves into a jumbled mass. Zoe was trying to get my leg off her, and she looked a little frantic.

"Cas, get off."

"Are you ok Zoe?"

"No, I feel really queasy. I need to get to the bathroom. NOW!"

That last was said in a yell when I didn't move fast enough. As soon as a path was cleared, she bolted for the door. By this time Vicki was awake and looking at me concerned.

"I don't know. Let's go check on her."

We both threw on clothes and hurried after her. When we got to the bathroom we could hear Zoe letting lose through the closed door. Mrs. Bell came up in her robe just as we got there.

"Zoe darling, what's wrong?"

She was speaking to Zoe but looked at us. Only retching sounds came back to her from the bathroom.

"I don't know Mrs. B. She woke up and said she felt sick. Then she just ran to the bathroom."

Just then we hear the toilet flush and water running in the sink. Another minute and she came out. Mrs. B put her hand on Zoe's head.

"You aren't running a fever."

"I know. I just feel ... bad. My stomach was really upset, but it feels better now. I still feel kind of sore and just ... tired."

"Do you want to stay home today?"

"No. We have a big English test that I am ready for. If I have to do a makeup they will change a lot of stuff and I will have to study again. I will be ok."

"It's still early. You go sleep another hour and I will get some breakfast made. I will make you some warm honey tea. It can help with an upset stomach."

"Thanks mom."

Zoe held onto Vicki's arm and the two went back to her room. I followed her mother down to the kitchen.

"I don't know how to say this without embarrassing either of us, but I hope it wasn't what happened last night that made her sick."

"Unlikely Cas. People don't just get sick overnight. Infections, whether viral or bacterial require at least some incubation time. This was probably something she picked up over the last couple of days."

"Good. Umm ... I know Zoe talked to you about ... uhhh."

"Yes she did. And I can see you're worried. Honestly, I would prefer if you kids waited, but I know how teenagers are. I would prefer you two are safe and responsible, rather than sneaking around behind my back."

"Thank you Mrs. B."

She stopped cooking and turned to look at me, gesturing with a wooden spoon as she spoke.

"Don't think you are getting a free pass around here. This house isn't going to become some latter day Gomorrah. I expect you two to act responsibly. If your other responsibilities are affected, I will put a stop to this. Also, I expect you to respect my daughter. What happens between her and you stays between her and you ... and Vicki I guess because of your little arrangement. Anything happens behind closed doors. I am holding you to a high standard Caspian Grey."

"I understand and will respect your wishes. I promise I will make you proud of me Mrs. B."

She patted me on the cheek, "I already am Cas."

After a little while, the girls came downstairs. Zoe still looked like death warmed over, but she was soldiering through and insisting she could go to school. Since she wasn't running a fever, Mrs. B finally gave in.

During the morning, I made it a point to meet her as quickly as I could between each class and check on her. Thankfully, as the day progressed she seemed to feel better. By lunch Zoe seemed almost normal and we decided to go ahead and sit with Vicki's group after a quick hello to the people at our normal table.

Vicki made the introductions. In my previous interactions with this group that step had been missed.

"Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been around much. I know some of you remember Cas from when he came and asked me out, and this is my girlfriend Zoe."

I guess word of the three of us was well out as no one looked surprised by that announcement. One of the girls I didn't know spoke up.

"It's so weird the three of you dating."

I broke in before Vicki could say anything and possibly get angry at her friend.

"Yea it's different. But who cares. Who at this table hasn't had to deal with being different? Maybe a little weird, maybe a little shy. Too fat. Too gawky. Too nerdy. Whatever. Are you sure you feel comfortable labeling someone else as different."

That hit them where they lived. The 'smart kids' were regularly picked on by some of the other groups around school and had been for years. The ones that had contemptuous looks on their faces dropped those in a hurry and the kid who spoke looked away guiltily. Thankfully this topic was derailed by Alison, one of the few people I knew from this group. I had spent some time talking to her at Zoe's party and felt pretty comfortable with her.

"How did you guys do on the English test?"

Zoe put her head on the table, talking into her lap, "It should have been easy. I wish I was feeling better. As it is it took me way too long to do and I had to really focus on every question."

There wasn't much we could say to that so I just rubbed her back while Vicki held her hand.

"I did pretty good. Zoe's right, it wasn't a hard test."

Alison then leaned in conspiratorially, "My sister is in one of the regular classes with Josh, and did you know he was the first one in his class to turn his test in?"

"Really."

"Yea. She thought it was strange."

The rest of lunch was good. I had classes in common with most of the kids at the table and we talked about various assignments and projects we were working on. I convinced several of them to come help tutor at the study sessions. It would help the kids who were struggling, mostly jocks, and help the kids doing the tutoring by building bridges with some of the people who would pick on them. For a shy, smart kid, having a jock as a friend in high school could be a lifesaver.

They were really interested in what I was doing at work, even if I didn't get to work on the really interesting stuff. I also learned that Alison's sister was in fact her fraternal twin sister, which I didn't know she had.

On the way out of the lunchroom Amanda ran up and grabbed Zoe and me.

"Cas ... Josh got pulled into the principal's office along with a couple of kids from varsity. Something's going on. Mrs. Polaski and Coach Andrews seemed really, really mad."