Ana

"Rick!" I scream. "Pull over!" He does so at once, and before the car has even fully stopped I am out in the rain, skidding to Cassie's side. She is sprawled in a puddle, her mouth half-open, her eyes half-shut. I hear Rick run over to us.

"What's going on?" he asks frantically.

"I don't know!" I reply. "She just... fell!" Rick leans close to her and feels her pulse, then wipes a strand of wet brown hair off of her face.

"Let's take her to my house, I'm closer than you are, and she lives all the way across town. We can wrap her in some blankets, and I have sweatpants and a hoodie that she can wear instead of this wet stuff." Rick stops and picks up Cassie's diminutive figure, then carries her to his car. I follow anxiously. He places Cassie in the backseat and I slide in, cradling Cassie's wet head in my lap.

"What do you think happened?" Rick asks me as he starts to drive.

"I dunno. I mean, obviously she passed out, but I have no idea why. I don't think she's been feeling well lately," I murmur. Rick drives quickly to his house, then carries Cassie inside. I follow them and hover around nervously, looking for a way to help. Rick places Cassie on his couch. Her eyes are all the way closed now, and her chest is rising and falling in shallow little breaths.

"Laura, there's a bunch of blankets in the hall closet. Will you run and grab some? I'm gonna go get dry clothes for her," Rick says as he starts to walk upstairs. I nod and get the blankets. A few minutes later, Rick comes back, holding a pile of his clothing.

"Here, um, I'll just... I'll make cocoa?" he says when he realizes that changing Cassie's clothes will require undressing her. He's a good guy. "Yeah, I'll go make cocoa." He leaves the living room and I peel Cassie's soaked shirt off of her. She's so gorgeous, her stomach flat as a board and her arms and legs slim. All that exercise must really be working. Maybe I should give what she's doing a try. I pull her sopping sports bra off of her and replace it with Rick's soft cotton t-shirt. Then I swap Cassie's dripping-wet shorts for a well-worn pair of maroon sweatpants. Lastly I slip Cassie into Rick's fuzzy navy blue hoodie. Her eyes flicker open.

"Hey, Cassie," I whisper. She grimaces.

"Laura? Where am I? Why aren't I... What's going on?"

"You were running," I tell her. "You passed out." Rick walks in, holding three cups of hot cocoa.

"Cassie! You're awake!" he exclaims. "Great!" She stares at him, then down at the clothing she is swimming in, then back up at him.

"Rick?" she says in a strangled voice. I shoot her a quizzical look. She twists her hands into the hoodie pocket and refuses to meet my eyes.

"I made cocoa," Rick announces. He sets the mugs down on the coffee table. I smile at him and take a sip of my hot chocolate. Cassie looks uncomfortably at the steamy drink in front of her.

"Um, thanks for the offer, but, um. I'm.. I'm fine. Can I just have water please? I need to... I need to re-hydrate after... after my run," she stammers. Rick nods affably and jumps up to get Cassie a glass of water.

"Are you okay, Cass?" I ask. She nods quickly, her thin hands pressing against her thighs.

"Yes. I'm fine."