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Penny watched droplets trail down the glass of the window she peered out from. Rain hammered down in sheets outside, darkening the sky and cooling the air significantly. It had been storming for a few days now, and leaving the school to do anything had been utterly miserable. She sighed, looking up at the clock on the wall for what felt like the millionth time since she’d walked into art class. It read 9:05. Three minutes since the last time she’d checked.
Across the table, Giacomo appeared to be entirely focused on working a piece of clay into a lopsided, pokemon-esque lump. Penny picked up her pencil to get back to sketching, her paper blank except for an equally lopsided eevee. She grimaced. Hassel had given the class free time to create whatever they liked, but neither her nor Giacomo were very artistically inclined. While Mela had improved since joining the school’s art club, nobody in Team Star could compete with Atticus in terms of creativity. The “ninja” was practically an endless well of talent. Speaking of..
“ Hey, Momo? Have you umm.. seen Atticus around today?”
He glanced up at her, furrowing his brow. “ Nah, I haven’t heard from him since last night. What’s up?”
Penny bit her lip and thought back to the night before, when Atticus had sent a polite message to the Team Star group chat informing them that he wouldn’t be at dinner. Not only that, but he hadn’t shown up for breakfast either. She tapped the pencil between her fingers, a gnawing worry making itself at home in the back of her mind.
“ Do you think something might be wrong? Like.. what if he’s upset..?”
Giacomo frowned. “ No.. I don’t think it’s anything like that. He’s probably wrapped up in a new project. You know Atticus.” A beat. “ Why don’tcha go by his dorm, see if he’s in there? I doubt he’d mind a visit.” He shrugged.
Penny nodded slowly, considering the idea. While she’d known her friends for almost two years, the past few months had been an adjustment as she got to know them with no screens or voice changers in between. It was the happiest she’d ever been, but social anxiety was a tricky hurdle to clear. Her stomach turned at the idea of possibly intruding on Atticus and disturbing him. Why her face felt warm, she wasn’t sure.
“ You don’t wanna come with me?” Penny raised an eyebrow at Giacomo, who shook his head and smiled. There was something unreadable in his expression.
“ Can’t, sorry. I promised Ortega I’d help him with his.. Math homework. Yep.” The bell rang at that moment, and he slung his backpack over one shoulder. “ Hasta la vi-star, Penny. Good luck!”
Penny watched him go, squinting. That was.. Weird. After a moment of thought, she tidied up her spot at the table and left with a small wave goodbye to Hassel. She figured it’d be a good idea to stop by the cafeteria and grab something sweet for Atticus, in case he hadn’t eaten yet.
As she walked, she thought about the conversation they might have.
What’s up? Oh, yeah, love the weather we’ve been having.
Done any backflips today?
How’s the.. Um…
She frowned at herself. Probably best to hurry up and get it over with.
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Atticus awoke when what he thought must’ve been knocking rang out through the dark, difficult to discern with the deluge raging just beyond his window. He rubbed his eyes, groggy and just as feverish as when he’d gone to sleep the previous night. His whole body ached, and he shivered despite the fact that his dorm wasn’t cold. When the knocking started back up after a few seconds, Atticus decided there must certainly be someone waiting for an answer.
Sitting up made his head spin, but if one of his comrades was in need he couldn’t neglect the opportunity to help. The floor tilted dangerously, though he managed to stagger out of bed and to the door in one piece. He wore his comforter wrapped over his head and around his shoulders like a makeshift cloak, freezing cold and burning hot at the same time. Upon swinging the door open as gently as he could manage, Atticus was surprised to see Penny, a concerned look on her face and a brown paper bag in her hand.
“ .. My Lady? What brings- “ He cut himself off with a raspy cough. “ What brings you by at such an early hour?”
Penny’s brows knitted together, and she looked him up and down. His usual getup lay folded on the desk by his bed, and he donned a set of pink pajamas complete with a matching nightcap. Atticus, typically immune to trivial embarrassments, found himself feeling rather exposed.
“ Atticus, It’s almost ten in the morning. You didn’t show up to breakfast. I, uh, brought you a scone.” She frowned thoughtfully. “ Are you, like, okay..? I don’t mean to be rude.. But you look terrible.”
Atticus wilted, struggling to keep his balance. He’d missed the team’s morning congregation?
“ Ah- Apologies, Lady Penny. I fear this recent weather has left me with... ”
Penny noticed the dazed look in his eyes, and held her arms out just in time to catch him as he lurched forward, planting his face solidly in her shoulder. She flushed, struggling to keep them both upright. While she wasn’t the pinnacle of strength, she managed to walk him back to his bed with no casualties.
“ Geez, Atticus. Yeah.. You’re definitely sick. How long have you had a fever?”
That must’ve been why he skipped dinner the night before. Why hadn’t Atticus told them he was ill? Or gone to the nurse?
“ ‘Tis but a common cold, I assure you- you needn’t fret-”
Penny sat on the corner of the bed, pulling him down next to her despite his feeble protests. She lifted a hand to feel his forehead, and cringed when it felt like he’d stuck his head into the mouth of an angry skeledirge. He leaned into her cool touch, so she figured it’d be a good idea to get him something cold.
“ I’m going to go see if Nurse Miriam has anything to break your fever, and maybe some ice. I’ll try to be back soon, so for now maybe just… lay down?”
She felt relieved when Atticus nodded, and got up to set his scone on the counter and shuffle quickly out the door.
The moment Penny was gone, Atticus cursed himself. He threw his head back onto his pillow with a sigh, pulling the comforter over his face. Atticus knew he was wallowing, but couldn’t muster the energy to get his act together. He imagined what Lady Penny must be thinking, how he must have worried her, and felt doubly embarrassed. To let his resolve slip in front of someone he admired so greatly felt to Atticus like the end of the world itself. Truly, it was… unbecoming.
It was only a few minutes before Penny slipped back into the dorm carrying medicine and an ice pack. Atticus intended to thank her and assure her he’d be fine from there on out, but when he opened his mouth to speak he broke off into a coughing fit. It took him a moment to compose himself, and when he looked up it appeared Penny had been asking a question.
“ Ah, pardon?”
She rolled her eyes in that signature, endearing sort of way.
“ I asked if it would be okay for me to turn the lights on? I’m having trouble measuring the right dose of this awful stuff in the dark.“ She waved around the bottle of Dayquil that she’d borrowed from Miriam.
“ Oh, certainly. My sincere apologies. “ Atticus nodded solemnly, earning himself a snort.
Penny reached for the light switch, and upon flicking it was met with her first real look at her friend’s dorm. Swathes of different, colorful fabrics hung from the walls, and it seemed Atticus had dedicated most of his desk space to sewing and crafting materials. Along with the supplies, he’d set up some colorful poison-themed decor. It appeared as though he took great care to keep everything tidy. Not that she expected anything less.
She poured the correct amount of medicine into the small cup that came with the bottle, and with the intention of finding a glass to fill with water, opened a cupboard only to be met with an impressive stock of antidotes. It reminded her of Atticus’s worrisome tendency to accidentally get himself poisoned, and she smiled fondly despite herself.
Once she’d filled a glass, she made her way back to his bed and sat on the corner, handing over the Dayquil and then the water when Atticus’s nose wrinkled at the medicine’s taste.
“ Many thanks, My Lady…”
“ Yeah, that should get you feeling better soon. Honestly, I was really worried about you when you didn’t show up this morning. Why didn’t you tell… us..” Penny faltered when she noticed the look on Atticus’s face. He’d pulled his comforter up over his nose and his eyes were glassy.
“ H-hey! Don’t cry, I didn’t mean to make you upset-” Penny panicked, mortified until Atticus interrupted her by flinging both arms around her neck and weeping openly into her shoulder. Flabbergasted, she could only pat his back in what she hoped was a comforting sort of way. Atticus rarely cried, and while she knew he probably wasn’t too lucid, it was obvious there was something deeper getting to him than just being sick.
“ Atticus.. “
He leaned back, sniffling and wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. Keeping a hand on his shoulder, Penny gave him time to compose himself before pressing.
“ If something is wrong you can tell me, alright? Like, that’s what I’m here for, yeah?”
He shook his head, face twisting into an embarrassed, watery smile.
“ It’s nothing of the sort. I’m afraid… mine emotions have bested me for being the subject of such kindness. My heart just cannot take it!” He laughed weakly, breaking off into another coughing fit. Penny’s face warmed, and she stood up, flustered. She remembered the ice pack she’d left melting on the counter.
“ Well.. you should really take it easy now.” She paused. “ And, um, I could stay…? I didn’t have any plans or anything, I was just gonna go back to my dorm and play video games..”
Atticus regarded her with shining eyes, and Penny was afraid he might burst into tears again. After a moment, he nodded, laying down and pulling the comforter back up over his nose.
“ Many thanks once again, Lady Penny. Should you ever fall ill… I will return the favor tenfold.”
“ You’re such a nerd.” Penny gave him a small smile, shedding her eevee bag and retrieving her switch from inside. She took care to grab the ice pack off the counter and wrap it with a towel, laying it gently across Atticus’s forehead. He hummed appreciatively, closing his eyes and finally drifting back off to sleep. Penny sank down to the floor by his bed and loaded up a game, content to stay for however long it took her friend to feel better.