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Cherry medicine. The throbbing in the head. Lying down with nothing to do. It felt as if Ellie Gains had spent one-third of her lifetime cooped up in this room.
The blanket was too hot and stuffy but her body was too warm. It was as if she was burning alive, slowly melting into the mattress. And the throbbing in her head was driving her mad.
She missed Chrys. She missed Grace. She even missed Rel and his stupid antics that always seemed to make a laugh bubble out of her lips.
And she definitely needed to be studying in the library, reviewing lectures and the material, not cooped up in a room like a farm animal.
Maybe God answered her prayers, or heard of the suffering she was in. Maybe he could take her out of her misery.
The door opened, and soft pattering entered the room. A sweet aroma seemed to also appear, and Ellie slowly opened her eyes. God must've seen what was occurring and sent an angel in the form of Chrys Willet to keep her company in her last moments.
"Hi."
She sighed, coming closer to the sick girl. Chrys' hair was tied up in a small ponytail, her bangs falling in front of her eyes. She brushed them out of the way as she came closer to the bed.
"You're wearing my shirt," the girl smiled. "It looks good on you."
Concrete Blonde's 1992 Tour T-Shirt. The text on the shirt was fading, due to the amount of times worn. Chrys had originally got the oversized shirt from the dad but now it seemed to be in the possession of Ellie.
"How are you feeling?" She glanced at Ellie. Cool, feather-light fingers came to brush her auburn hair out of her face and she nearly shivered from the touch.
"Horrible. I have a thousand things I need to do. I need to go to the library and study, and I need to figure out w..." She trailed off, growing more agitated by the second.
It all seemed fo vanish when Chrys leaned down to place a light kiss on her forehead. Smiling down at her like a real-life goddess. Maybe she already was one.
"You can deal with that later. Now, you can just rest and chill out. Lord knows you need the break anyway. Just try to relax and you'll feel better in no time."
"I've been relaxing! And I've been resting! And now, the one thing I would like to do is to work! Or do something productive! I would literally take hanging out and hearing from a patient that hates me drone on and on instead of this!" She said, her eyebrows knitting together in a tight furrow.
"Hey," the black-haired girl murmured. "Just forget about it all, okay? Here." She handed a cup of apple cider. "Drink up." She said with a light smile.
Ellie could never stay too mad at anything, let alone Chrys. Rel teased her about the overflowing affection she had for his cousin and could you really blame him? Cupid's arrow must've struck her the second she laid eyes on the girl, the way she acted lovesick the minute she knew her. People described her as "kind," "sweet,' and "easy to talk to," but all that love was poured into academics and friends. And maybe that was all she really needed. But it was nice to find a companion in Chrys that seemed to open the deepest treasures of her heart. She'd never known anyone like her. Grace's striking popularity and beautiful nature of her soul, Dean's natural athleticism and cool manner, and Rel's ability to light up any room with his jokes and antics were all lovely and she would've trade them for anyone. But Chrys? She was like a puzzle piece and Ellie was willing to have all the pieces be scrambled up to solve the mystery of who the girl really was.
She must've succeeded.
The drink burned her tongue, forcing her back into reality and she grimaced. Chrys took both of their cups and placed them back on the desk. She took the sick girl's face in her hands and leaned down, capturing her lips in a light kiss.
Pulling away, Chrys lied down on the bed and reached her arm out for Ellie. As she shuffled closer to the girl, she laid her head on her chest. Her burning forehead came in contact with her beating heart. Chrys pulled the blanket over them, and darkness enveloped both of them. They were in their own bubble, away from whatever was occurring in the world around them.
As Chrys stroke her hair, Ellie's eyelids fluttered shut. She slowly drifted off into a slumber, her left hand wrapped around her body. Soon after, Chrys followed her into the dream world.