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Brooke looked at the clock on the cable box. 11:53 on Friday night. Her parents and brother had left earlier that day for a weekend soccer tournament out of town, leaving Brooke to herself. Not that she minded though. She enjoyed being home alone. She would put music on and dance around the house, singing along. She liked to put on this one dress, a yellow sundress, and just twirl around the house. She would experiment with hairstyles and makeup looks, just for the fun of it. She was fully looking forward to the next two days to herself, especially after a week of school.
She was sitting on the couch, her hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing a pair of soft fleece pants and an old college sweatshirt her dad gave her. Upon noticing the time, she turned off the TV, made sure the doors were locked, and headed upstairs, her cat, Socks, at her heels. She was starting to feel a headache, so she took some ibuprofen and headed to her room. She flicked the lightswitch, turning off the light on the ceiling, leaving just her bedside lamp and a strand of christmas lights on. She climbed into bed, and pulled her laptop onto her lap. Brooke looked around her room and smiled. The soft light coming from the strand of lights perfectly lit up the polaroids of her and Chloe scattered on the wall. There were even a few authentic black and white prints. Her grandfather had taught her how to use, and develop film, and how to make prints. She gently scratched Socks' upturned belly and opened spotify on her laptop and put on a gentle playlist. She plugged her phone into her charger and spent the next hour or so scrolling through her tumblr. Around 1 A.M. she decided she needed to go to bed. The ibuprofen she'd taken hadn't helped her headache, and she was exhausted. She put her laptop on the floor and turned off her lamp, pulling the covers up over her shoulders and cuddling into the warmth.
***
Brooke woke herself up with a sneeze, scaring Socks off her bed. She looked at the clock on her nightstand that read almost 10:30. Brooke was typically an early riser and waking up after 8:30 was really unusual for her. But one second of being awake had told her why she'd slept so late. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and her throat felt like it'd been shredded to bits. He head still pounded from the night before, and her chest felt heavy and full. She flopped backwards onto her bed, with an aggravated sigh. She felt awful, and just wanted to enjoy her weekend. Between being upset about the situation, and being already overwhelmed by symptoms, she was nearly on the verge of tears. She swiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand and pulled the covers back up over herself. Maybe she could sleep it off and feel better later.
Just as Brooke was dozing off, her phone went off. she sighed and sat up, looking at the phone. An incoming FaceTime call from Chloe. She reluctantly picked up the call and was greeted by a view of Chloe’s bedroom ceiling.
“Hi, Brookie!” Came Chloe’s distant call. “Gimme one second, I’m just finishing my makeup!” After another minute, Chloe picked up her phone, and Brooke saw her face. Brooke flashed a quick smile at Chloe, but Chloe didn’t reciprocate it. Instead, she had a scrutinizing look on her face. “What the hell happened to you?” Chloe asked, taking in Brooke’s messy hair and slightly flushed cheeks. Brooke blushed a little at the sudden accusation.
“I-uh... I just woke up,” Brooke said, not necessarily trying to lie to Chloe, but just not saying everything.
“Seriously. You look like you got hit by a bus.”
“Thanks,” Brooke said with an exasperated sigh.
“Fix your hair. I’m coming by to pick you up soon so-“ Chloe was saying, but Brooke interrupted her.
“Ugh! Lay off, Chlo! I don’t feel good.”
“Wait, what? Brookie, baby, are you sick?” Chloe asked, voice laced with a sudden concern. Brooke reluctantly nodded her head yes. “Baby, why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have picked on you like that if I knew! I’m coming over.”
“Chloe, you don’t have t-“
“Nope. I’ve already made up my mind.”
“Chlo, please, I’m really not in a good mood right-“ but she didn’t get to finish her sentence. Chloe had already hung up. Brooke sighed and slid off her bed. She might as well go downstairs now, since she’ll have to unlock the door for Chloe anyway. She trudged into the kitchen and filled the kettle with water. Maybe tea will help her throat. A few moments later, Brooke had steeped a tea bag in the water and added some sugar. She barely took two sips before there was an urgent knock at the door. Brooke walked down the hall and opened the door for her girlfriend.
"Hey, Brooke," Chloe said, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to Brooke's forehead. Brooke only hummed in response. Chloe frowned. She knew Brooke would be tired, but it was just so unlike her not to give some sort of sweet response. Not knowing for sure what to do, she took a hold of Brooke's hand and pulled her into the living room. "Sit here, I'll be back." Chloe left and came back with an armful of blankets and put them on the couch next to Brooke. "Do you need anything?" Chloe asked.
"I made tea, but I left it in the kitchen. Can you grab it for me?"
"Of course," Chloe replied, walking off and coming back with the mug. Brooke took the drink, nodding in thanks.
Brooke sat and drank her tea without saying anything. Chloe was getting antsy on the couch next to her, and it was starting to bother Brooke. She loved Chloe and appreciated everything Chloe was trying to do for her, but it was too much. Brooke really just wanted some quiet, and it was hard with Chloe around.
"Do you want to do something?" Chloe asked.
"I already told you. I don't feel good," Brooke answered, pouting. Chloe nodded, but the pit of concern in her stomach grew. Brooke was such an enthusiastic, sweet girl, that the quiet, somewhat coldness of her demeanor worried her. Chloe suddenly stood, coming back a few minutes later.
"I think you should take some medicine," Chloe said. Brooke shook her head. "Babe, it'll help you feel better." Brooke only declined again.
"That stuff is gross. Besides, it's just a cold. I'm fine," Brooke said, tone a little sharp.
"Come on, Brooke."
"I'm. Fine." Brooke barked out. By now, both were getting frustrated. Chloe stood up abruptly and put her hands on her hips.
"If you don't take this medicine right now, I'm leaving," Chloe said harsher than she'd meant to, and she immediately regretted her tone.
"I didn't invite you over anyway!" Brooke snapped, frustrated tears pricking at her eyes. "You know where the door is."
"Wait, Brooke, please," Chloe pleaded.
"I'll see you in school on Monday, Chloe."
"Brookie, please. I'm sorry." Chloe blinked a tear out of her eye. "Brooke, I didn't mean to yell at you, I know you aren't feeling well." Brooke took a deep breath.
"It's more than that," Brooke started, looking at the confusion on Chloe's face. "It's just. Too much. I know you're trying to help, and I appreciate that, and I love you, but it's too much. I already had a quiet weekend planned, and now I want quiet more than I already did."
"I'm so sorry. I should've thought about that." Chloe sat on the couch next to Brooke, getting as close to her as possible. She began combing through Brooke's soft blonde hair with her fingers. "Is this okay?" Chloe asked. A soft nod from Brooke. Chloe held Brooke close and continued to gently stroke her hair, even long after Chloe was sure she'd fallen asleep. She pressed a small kiss to the tip of Brooke's nose, and giggled as it twitched in her sleep. Chloe made sure to note that Brooke loved cuddles when she was sick, and to be gentle around her. Chloe could admit that she had a bit of an abrasive personality, but she'd do anything to make her Brookie happy.