Rhythm of Love

Nora’s Point of View

“I’m shitting him!” I chokingly laughed in my most menacing tone. “I’m the one shitting him! Hah! Yeah, to hell with that idea! I’m shitting him… Hah! Stupid Alex!”

On my lap was my computer blasting Faint by Linkin Park and to my right were a little table and a paper I had been writing on. I was supposed to be researching topics for my final, but somehow I’ve exceeded in stabbing holes through each sheet of cardstock out of frustration. That, and also sneezing disgustingness all over my things. It would appear that the events from this morning had made me so angry I was making myself sick. As I clicked away through different articles, I heard myself muttering, “I’m not shitting anyone; I know exactly what I’m talking about and yet everyone else seems to think they know what’s ‘right’ or ‘ethical’ or ‘rational’ or whatever for me. Well guess what? They don’t because they aren’t me! Damn it, damn it all!” Footsteps echoed up the stairs and arrived at my door but I was too angry and partially focused on an article about cancer to see who it was. Though, I already had a pretty good idea.

Damien took a seat at the other end of my bed, a beer bottle in his hands. After taking a sip of the bitter, nasty drink, he asked, “What are you up to?”

“Leave me alone!” I pursed my lips and glared at the screen, which now showed something along the lines of tips to lose weight in a week. Hah, another lie. “But, if you must know, I’m working on my final for this term. Why?” Damien cleared his throat while I coughed again and rubbed my swollen, tired eyes.

He watched me for a moment before answering, “We were all going to go out to eat to celebrating Welcome to Paradise’s return from Paris. Remember, we’re the ones who came up with the idea.” I didn’t remember at all this idea but I didn’t voice this. Damien continued, “We’ll be leaving in a few minutes so you should shut down your laptop and change. And, no offense Nor, but you look like crap. Take a break will you?” I snorted at this and turned away irritably.

“Only when you get out of my personal business.” I grumbled, and deep in the pit of my stomach I felt bile rising. “Why’d you have to putt Alex into this and make him talk to me? Now it’s just more awkward then before and it’s been pissing me off! I mean really, I can take care of myself you know! I’m not a little girl anymore, I’m an adult! I –” And then, I could taste the rancid bile at my lips and I found myself dart for my bathroom in record time. Before I knew it, out came my breakfast and last night dinner, all liquidated together in a pool that reeked in the toilet. Behind me, I felt Damien lift up my hair as I puked and tears streamed down my cheeks at the awful feeling it was. When I was finally done, I sank to my knees in front of the toilet and almost puked again at the scent flying out of it.

Above me, Damien lifted me up and placed me on rim of my bathtub before turning it on and retrieving a cloth. When he returned, I felt my cheeks flare red as my sickness heightened. Steam warmed me as Damien dipped the cloth into the burning water and washed my face. In a low mutter, he commented, “Not a child, huh?” I was too dazed to retort anything back, besides managing a grimace.

Minutes later, I’d stripped off my clothing and put on an old T-shirt of Damien’s and a pair of underwear. Standing at the top of the stair, cheeks red, hair in a bun, and eyes half clothed, I felt nothing less than a flu victim. Damien and Nicolette stood with their arms crossed at the bottom of the stair. Nicolette was the first to speak, “Now don’t do anything stupid while you’re gone! We know how you are when you’re like this!”

“I’m…” I murmured, resting my head on the wall. “Completely!...and totally! …Fine…” They shook their heads, and Damien massaged his temples.

“You wouldn’t leave Noah’s side,” Damien retorted, “Not to mention you sucked on Dylan’s thumb at the same time. So, Nora, don’t you dare tell me you don’t do weird things when your sick.” I waved him off.

“Because you totally do normal things when you’re drunk,” I murmured, rubbing my nose. Damien’s face heated up in anger and I felt myself giggle. Before they could escape from my sickened stupor, I seriously added, “I want to go to Disney with everyone when this semester ends.” Nicolette’s eyes sparkled at this statement and she bounced around the tight quarters.

She squealed, “Oh, I do agree! We can have us three go and Mitchell and Noah and Dylan and Troy and Cynthia and Beech and Xavier and Conner and Ivan and Eli and Alex, and we can get hotel rooms and go see princesses and King Mickey and Minney and Donald and Goofy!”

“Don’t forget Peter Pan,” I giggled, my temperature still rising. “Damn, he’s hot.” There was a long pause and I wasn’t sure if they knew if I was serious or not. After a moment of silence, we said our goodbyes to each other. I didn’t dare move until I heard the front door close and lock. Then, I spun around, cheeks still red and mind completely dazed. It was almost like a feeling of flying, being this sick.

I quickly jumped into my bed and laid in fetal position, resting my cheek on my pillow and sighed at the coldness of it. Time passed slowly as I laid motionlessly in my bed, heat being emitted from my body. Just as I was about to fall asleep though, I heard the doorbell ring from downstairs. My half-opened eyes found the door and I felt myself slide out of my bed with my blanket in tow. I rubbed my eyes as I continued down the stairs, through the living room and into the kitchen. Without even acknowledging the idea that I could potentially be letting in a mass murder, I grasped the cool door knob and inched it open, using it as a crutch as I slowly sank to my feet in tiredness.