Chapter 22

Jean sighed as the doctor patted her head, she felt weird with aunt Etta in her uniform at her workplace, she looked as calm as ever with her hands together.

Dr Jones met with Scott and Scott was flustered, he stopped by now and then to give talks at school. "What's her prognosis, sir?" He asked and swallowed trying to sound clearer.

Scarlett stepped in with a harried look holding her hand.

"I'm her friend"

"As a doctor, I must tell you to quit starving yourself and stop binge eating. You're lucky the walls of your stomach are still strong"

"You mean she almost developed an ulcer?"

"Yes"

Jean paled, she was sure she ate from time to time, somewhere in between studying and snoozing, she wouldn't know.

Scarlett patted her hand.

"Her small intestines were in critical condition, now I understand your final exams have you in knots right now but_" He chuckled at his own joke then turned serious.

"We'll make sure she eats properly," Etta said with her hand behind Jean's back worried for her.

"Yes, avoid spicy foods and sorts, short stuff, I'll have your medicine at the ready and you'll make sure she takes them. Scott...I'll see you in school."

He pointed at Etta with a pen and hurried off to meet the next patient.

Scott's phone buzzed and he stood up preoccupied arranging his hoodie. "I'm going to the cafeteria" He mumbled at them, Scarlett scoffed at him.

"You okay?" She asked and Jean leaned back at her.

"Yes, thanks to him," She said with her eyes following him past the window and wearing down on fibre-rich bars. He had stayed longer than she had anticipated and he didn't even ask about the shirt.

"I'll be getting back to work now," Etta told her and blew her an air kiss.

She sighed folding her arms "how are you feeling?"

Jean curled up on her bed, her stomach didn't feel bloated anymore but empty and relieved, she hoped it wouldn't be happening again, it was not a good time to be having that.

"Better"

"What'd you have last night?"

"Milk and a biscuit, only a nibble"

"Darn" She kicked at the rug and slung up her purse. It was quiet although Jean was grateful for the extra company.

"You had me worried, you know?" Scarlett broke the silence.

"Mmm"

"I'm just happy you're not in pain right now or I might lose it, my two best friends are a bit off these days, you're too into your studying and he's out of it and I'm in the middle"

"I don't mean to make you feel that way"

She scoffed "It's hard to believe I'm not a third wheel right now..." She chuckled brushing her fingers over her hands then a question brewed up.

"I called his phone, he's not picking up. Didn't you say he was at your place the other time?"

"I don't know what's going on with him but he needed my support"

"I'm confused, he needed your support and you sent him off? Why? And what did you say to him?" She asked with emphasis, more curious even though she was drawing this controversy in circles.

"I told him Dylan liked me"

"No way, are you serious?" Her eyes rounded. "I mean, that was clear from the start, I don't need a recap"

She glanced at the window and swallowed, she wanted to tell Scarlett that she lied about it, he never really did confess and she was only saying that to get to him.

The anger she felt was unbearable, how could he come to her home to tell her that Dylan wasn't good enough for her? It was wrong in every way, just because he could didn't mean he had the right to.

"I don't think any of it had anything to do with you, I think it's something else, the fact that he came to your house that late, it must be big, too heavy to keep in"

She bit her lip and her mood shifted, full of questions. She should have listened more.

***

Scott walked down the street to his apartment when the treatment was over, he raked his hair and puffed at the emails. The faculty had ejected his application to withdraw from the after school program. He came up with another reason and hoped to get their approval soon because he was tired of these set ups.

Maybe if it got rejected then he would ask the doctor to write another letter on his behalf.

The house was clean and decent in his mind's eye even if there was a shirt hanging on the chair, he reconsidered and pulled it aside folding it up to toss away.

Soon, he was turning into a clean freak, he shaved off his beard and sprayed on deodorant, wore a clean shirt then groaned at the snacks on the table cleaning up and watched a movie with piqued interest.

"Hey"

"Scott" Gigi said as she hurried out with bags just returning from work, the boss withheld her from leaving early.

"I'm just getting some rest, Jean's okay now"

"Where are the keys?"

He raised them and she kissed his head before taking them, happy that he was looking after his sister for a change...even if it was for a bit of time.

His phone buzzed again and he saw a message from Petunia then gave it a second look that she was in town and she seemed to have lost her way. He drank tea and set off for the location she was at or where she thought she was.

"I'm coming to get you"

He rushed to the park and he swallowed when he saw her there standing alone with her purse on her lap, she had short black hair and a pretty round face, her eyes were the colour of autumn and she wore a black top and a plaid skirt.

He walked through the meadow with a few people walking their dogs far off to a tree where she stood.

She looked half relieved, half sad that he showed up, Petunia Gibbons was his classmate.

"When did you get into town?"

"An hour ago"

"You took that long to call?" Her eyes watered and he winced at her reaction.

"I wasn't prepared, I_I should've said something sooner"

"What's your problem?"