CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
✧

I NEVER EXPECTED SOMETHING I did to ever be so impactful...but in a negative sense. I always wanted to do something impactful in a positive light and make people think twice and think for themselves, be happy, and follow their dreams with my inspirational quotes and messages. I never expected people to care about me who I never thought would anyway. I usually stayed in the narrow line and did everything that should be done like getting homework handed in before the due date, stayed out of people's way, and helped the teachers to pack away everything from the previous lesson. But ever since he turned up at school in all his glory, my life had turned around in both good and bad ways. I never knew a big would ever make me feel like this. Feel like shit.

"Keep this pressed to your head. It'll help cool the temperature you're currently rocking." Trixy the school nurse said with a slight chuckle. I managed to lift my jello-like hand to the cold cloth. I had to admit, it felt nice.

"I'm fine," I murmured, the surroundings becoming sincerely blurry and spiny. "Is it normal for the room to be spinning?" I questioned, finding some sort of piece as the world around me turned black.

"Considering that you threw up and passed out in the bathroom stall just a second ago, I'd say it's pretty predictable." Trixy retorted. I heard her shuffles of her trainers walking over to somewhere, pressing into something which almost sounded like a phone.

A phone..?

Wait- "Don't call my mom!" I said, pulling my eyes open. Trixy had the phone pressed to her ear, but it quivered before she sighed and put it back down.

"Willow, I think it would be best to call your mom. You do not look fit to be wandering around the school or walking home by yourself. As an adult, I need to make sure you are safe. That's my top priority right now." She said with a firm but gentle tone. It all confused me. I was confused.

I sighed, knowing she was right. But I didn't want my mom to know that I was ill and wasn't taking care of myself the way she thought I was.

"I'll call your mother, she can see what's best for you." She said, picking the phone back up and pressing it to her ear.

I sucked in a tight breath and leaned my head against the bed, shutting my eyes which seemed to be the best idea at this moment.

Distantly, through the haze of the headache and burning throat, I could hear Trixy talking to my mom over the phone. I kind of felt like I could throw up again and Trixy saw that, bidding my Mother goodbye and grabbing me a water bottle to drink just in case.

"Drink as much of this as you can, it'll help to cook your body heat and help hydrate you as much as possible." I had seen her lips move but had not quite heard her. I was there in the room whereas I also wasn't. I nodded to whatever came out of her mouth and drank the whole contents of the bottle in seconds. Damn, I must've been thirsty. "Feeling a bit hungry?" She asked and I nodded. I felt like I could fit in something light and small without feeling like I could throw it all up.

Trixy walked over to her desk and bent down to open a drawer. She leaned back up and passed me a packet of crackers. I stared down at it as if I hadn't ever seen it before. "Crackers help relieve nausea, so eat up." She ushered and I peeled open the packet.

In a matter of twenty minutes, the crackers had gone into my mouth and my belly and my Mom had arrived. She rushed into the nurse's office like there was an explosion happening and pulled me thrash into a hug. The lukewarm cloth from my forehead had slipped off but I wasn't exactly there in the room to care, I just hugged my mom back and closed my eyes.

Trixy informed my mom of everything and I realized how guilty my mom looked. I just didn't think I had done anything wrong. I had been trying to get on with my life, of course, I had those annoying little setbacks, but I didn't think anything that I did was serious. Yeah, I threw up occasionally out of nerves, but that wasn't serious. I was fine. "How are you feeling, sweet?" She whispered to me and I groaned.

"My head hurts and I feel very dizzy." My mom pulled her head away from my shoulder and looked over me, worry crossing her soft features. I hated seeing my mom worry. No one should worry about me.

"I'll take you to the doctor. Come on." My mom helped me up I waved Trixy goodbye. My mom helped me to the car and I groaned as the sound of the roaring engine caused more twinges in my head to start up. I had never had a headache like this before.

"Keep your eyes open." My mom said forcefully, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "We need you awake for the appointment."

I was dreading the hospital fee.

When we arrived at the hospital, Mom had urged for a check-up. I could see she was stressing but I told her that I was fine, this was going to pass by and this would all be forgotten about. I'd eat properly and drink properly after today.

I mentally- or physically gagged (I couldn't decipher what was what), at the prominent smell of cleaning products and hand sanitizer as it swept through the cool air of the hospital. Babies cried, and patients screamed. I hated everything to do with hospitals and wanted nothing more than to just go sleep in my bed instead of the hospital ones that had thousands of other people laid on once before. A doctor, wearing a long white lab coat guided me and my mom down a corridor to a room. He tried his best to explain everything that was going to happen and I felt sick at every word that came out of his mouth. He wanted to take some tests which meant the needle through the arm. Ouch!

The doctor stepped outside of the room, leaving me and my mom to think over everything. I wouldn't even say it was Stephanie and Theo's fault that I was here. It was just how my body automatically reacted to everything that's been going on in my life, things that were too overwhelming, and seeing Theo and Stephanie kissing "out of sight" tipped me over the edge.

Mom came to sit beside me, holding my hand. I had no idea what was going on, I felt high more than anything and they hadn't given me any drugs. Unless those crackers from Trixy had some sort of drug in them then that would explain it.

Just as I was paying mindless attention, the door swung open, making both me and my mom jolt upright. We were expecting to see the same doctor who was not long ago standing with a clipboard going through exactly what was going to happen with a serious-looking face, but it wasn't him. It was Callum. My confusion was masked with reluctance. I didn't expect to see my brother here.

"Got yourself ill, have you?" Cal teased and rolled his eyes. Mom threw herself into his arms and stayed there for a couple of seconds before pulling back.

"It's good to see you." She whispered, holding his side and cozying into it like it would be the last. Callum retrieved the light-heartedness and kissed her head, snapping his attention back to me with a raised brow. I still felt awkward around him since he had been avoiding me and all, "so what's the verdict?" He asked.

Mom sat back down on the bed beside me and stroked my hair, seeing if I was able to speak for myself - which of course I could, but just not right now. I just watched over Mom and Callum and watched them talk, my conscience making me drift in and out. I didn't know whether or not to be worried that my body was reacting like this. Every bone and muscle in my body felt weak and brittle; I felt ever so tired and wanted to just sleep.

"How are you feeling, sweet?" Mom asked, patting my head to check on my raging temperature I had calmed down extremely.

I yawned in response and my mom looked quite worried...so did Callum.

"Trying to steal the spotlight are you?" Cal teased again and flicked my side to which I couldn't even bother retaliating. "Wow, you must be ill then." He said, eyeing me up.

"Where is the doctor?" Mom fussed, standing straight with her arms wrapped around her body. I let my head rest against the plush white pillow and stared outside; I stared at many of the palm trees that looked amazing in contrast to the ocean-blue sea. Even though I hated hospitals, they always managed to get the best views.

I heard the door shut and I looked to find that it was Mom who went out, leaving me and Callum in the same room which had felt like an eternity since that had happened. I closed my eyes on the pillow and my eyes felt sore.

"Are you supposed to be closing your eyes?" Callum asked in the abyss of quietness that did once fill the room.

I shrugged my shoulders which was an effort, "Time will tell."

Ten minutes passed by and the door opened, revealing my mom and the same doctor. Callum walked around my side and my mom was nodding along to what the doctor was saying.

Over twenty minutes I had gotten the tests done and was curled up in my mom's arms as the doctor went back out of the room.

"This is a bit depressing," Callum commented and walked aimlessly around the room at a slow pace. Then his phone rang which drew his attention down to it, "gotta take this." He said then left the room.

"Is everything alright between you two?" Mom asked, kissing my head. I shrugged as I had no idea where we stood. We had spoken twice since he had been ignoring me so I didn't even know what that meant. I just hoped he was able to relax about everything.

"Yeah," I said and sat up against the bed. "Can u have some water please?" I asked, and Mom nodded. She poured me a glass of water from the jug and passed it to me. Over time I had slurped on it and my gaze snapped to the door as it opened, Callum walking back inside with the dog trailing behind.

I grew nervous as I had no idea what was going on in my body and wanted to know straight away, but I was also super nervous because I had never been in the hospital for something this serious.

The doctor cleared his throat and adjusted the black-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose, his eyes glazing over at the test results on his clipboard. I could sense the eerie tension in the room and wanted to get this over and done with.

Callum sat down at the end of the bed.

"Your test results have come back and it was as I expected. With the symptoms that you have said you have been feeling, it has matched here that you do have a low iron deficiency. Now, it is common for young kids to get it, not so much for your age. But that doesn't mean we can't do anything to stop it." He clarified and my eyes widened in shock; I had a low iron deficiency. "Usually what I'd suggest to my patients who have this low iron deficiency, is to eat more vitamin C, but your case here shows that you need something stronger to work." He paused, allowing questions to come through.

"Which is..?" Callum asked curiously.

"Tablets." He said answering Callum, then he turned to me and my mom. "Taking these tablets which we can prescribe will allow your body to get the right amount of iron over a week which can help boost your energy and get rid of the symptoms you've been having. To take this tablet, due to your age and the risk, you'd have to take a tablet a day for the next six months." I sunk into my seat.

I hated swallowing tablets, full stop!

Every time I tried to swallow a small pill, my body would just refuse it. I was practically scared of everything.

Mom subconsciously stroked my arm and I felt my heartbeat rack up. I could feel my stomach growing in discomfort and I felt quite panicky. I slammed my eyes shut and clenched my fists together. Mom carried on stroking my arm to calm me down and over time I felt better.

Once the doctor left the room, Mom sat up, wiping her eyes dry of the clear tears that had rolled down her face. "I should've taken more care of you." She whispered, though her words were more to herself.

"No, mom. Don't do that to yourself." I ushered her, pulling her into a hug. She sniffled and kissed my cheek in a calming manner. "You couldn't have known. I didn't even know."

"It's only for six months and even before then she might be better," Callum said, patting Mom's arm affectionately.

"Exactly," I said.

Piece overtook the room as it all sunk in. Luckily I wasn't dying as I guessed, and it was only a low iron deficiency that tablets could solve.

"When can we go home?" I asked, watching her check her watch.

"I'll go pay for the tablets and once that's done why don't I treat you guys to a Starbucks drink?" She winked with a smile and I nodded eagerly.

But Callum just scratched his neck, "I have to get going. I only wanted to check to see how Will is."

Mom nodded and kissed his cheek, "are you back later?"

"I'll have to see. I have some football training and the guys want to go and grab some food." I was in a daze up until Mom left the room, questions floating around my head.

I pulled myself upright and down onto the ground, stabilizing my weight. "How did you know I was here?" I asked and Callum shoved his phone into his pocket, coming round to my side to help me walk over to the couch and take a breather.

"It's circulated school a bit. I heard from one of my teammates and came straight here when I found out." He explained and rubbed his brow. He looked guilty. "I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you, Will. I regret so much and realized how much of a dickhead I have been to you." He said and I wasn't expecting him to apologise. It felt kind of unreal.

My mouth opened and closed, but he cut me off.

"I'm so sorry Will. I'm never going to be a dickhead again." I chortled and pulled him into a hug he slowly but surely wrapped his arms around me.

"I don't think you can ever stop being a dickhead."

—🌷—

Once Mom came back after paying for my tablets which I insisted on paying the amount into her bank account (which she refused to), mom drove us both to Starbucks. Even just seeing the building in general made me feel loads better. No matter what new drink there was, I'd always go for the same one: A Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino with biscotti and chocolate sprinkles.

"Thank you." My mom said, grabbing our drinks from the lady and passing me my one along with a straw. As the lady bid us goodbye and shut the window, Mom drove over into a parking space, giving us the view of a little park where kids were playing and jumping about.

"What a nice day it is." Mom enthused, sliding her pink straw into her drink and crossing her leg over the other. I hummed in response and took several sips of my Frappuccino. It was like I had entered heaven. "Why don't you have your first tablet? The doctor said you should have it right away when I was speaking to him outside."

I hummed in response again and wanted to crumble. Did I mention I hated tablets?

The pill bottle was dropped into my hand and I unscrewed the top, taking out a single tablet. As instructed, I closed my eyes and dropped it into my mouth, taking a massive sip of my drink. I almost cried out in victory as I successfully swallowed it down.

"Well done!" My mom said, pinching my cheeks which made me groan.

I took out my phone from my bag and turned it on to find a dozen messages from my friends. Fudge, I forgot to let them know where I was.

Cadence, 5:29 pm
Hey Will, where did you go? We couldn't find you.

Angel, 5:29 pm
I hope you're alright.

Cadence, 5:29 pm
We went to check if you were

I let out a puff of air and drew the attention of my mom who looked ever so intrigued. She gulped the mouthful of coffee she had in her mouth and turned to me, "What's the matter?"

It was that usual soft tone of hers that she did when I was poorly or she was being careful around me. I hated it. I cleared my throat and sat up in my seat, keeping my gaze locked on my phone screen as I scrolled through even more messages from my friends.

"Just my friends," I said to her and she nodded.

"How are they? How's Cadence?" She liked Cadence but that was only because that was the only friend she had met of mine.

"They're fine, they were just wondering where I was. Cadence's fine too." I said and took another sip from my drink before placing it into the cup holder and wiping my slightly wet hands dry on my legs.

Me, 5:32 pm
Sorry guys. I wasn't feeling too well.

I stared waiting at the new messages that would come rolling through but none came until a couple of minutes.

Angel, 5:33 pm
We were worried because you weren't answering any of our messages but we're glad
you're safe.

Cadence, 5:33 pm
We hope you're okay, too.

Me; 5:34 pm
Thanks, and I'm absolutely fine.

I turned my phone off and shoved it down the side between my leg and the seat, picking my drink back up. Mom was on her phone and looked as if something was bothering her.

"What is it?" I asked, pulling my legs to my chest and leaning my chin on my knees.

She cleared her throat and turned her phone off with a sign, then she batted her eyelids and gave me a wan smile. "Nothing. Everything's fine."

I knew when something wasn't fine, and it was whatever my mom was just looking at.

"It's money, isn't it?" I already knew the answer to that and knew that there wasn't any need to ask. She started the car and cleared her throat again, smiling down at her lap, opening the window.

"Mom."

She didn't answer, instead, she turned on the music and drove out of the Starbucks parking lot.

"Mom! Stop the car!" I said with force. From the jolt of my sudden booming voice, the car jerked forward abruptly at its sudden break. Mom cradled her face with her hands and a loud, heartbreaking sob erupted from her. I felt my heart break and reached forward to take her in my arms which she needed.

"I got you, Mom, I'm here don't worry," I whispered into her shoulder and she cried even more at that. Her hands curled around the top half of my body and squeezed me tight. "It's money, isn't it?" I dreaded to ask and felt my voice fade off as a tear rolled down my face.

She sniffed, "Money hasn't been right for a while now. I just kept it hidden from you and Callum. I didn't want to worry you guys, sweetie." She said with a shaky voice and I felt my face scrunch up as it did as I was about to cry. But I couldn't do that, I had to be strong not only for myself but for her.

"I-I've always known money hasn't been right. I've known all this time but I've never judged you for it. It's completely understandable that money's an issue, alright?" I said, trying to sound strong for her. She nodded in my embrace. "Is- is it serious..?" I felt my heart bang inside my chest, my mouth soaking up dry as I tried to swallow.

She sniffed again and waited a little bit until she spoke, and I knew then and there that it was serious. "I have several debts to pay off. T-that was the paperwork I was going through yesterday." She clarified. "But work doesn't seem to be enough and I'm nowhere near close to paying