Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

It honestly felt like I was being sent to the principal’s office.

When I arrive at Nik’s office I see his face fall with worry at the state of obvious me. I drag myself over to him and hand him the note. His eyes narrow but he takes it from me and reads it silently.

Nik puts the note on the desk and bursts out laughing.

I lean over the desk and read.

I will pay you one hundred dollars if you keep her for the rest of the day. I love her to death but she totally sucks when she’s sick. Love Nat x

Well, I never!

I feign hurt.

But my friend is not wrong. I do suck when I’m sick. I become a petulant five year old.

Nik catches me in a bear hug. He’s so warm. My sniffles are muffled and I’m sure I’m getting boogers on him. I say in a nasal voice, “Don’t hug me, babe, you’re going to get sick. ”

He rubs my back.

That feels nice.

He replies, “Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. ” He pulls back and kisses my nose. “I never get sick. ”

This brings us to today.

I’m no longer sick, in fact, I feel great. I guess it was just a twenty four hour virus. Nik’s warm hugs and the endless tea he brought me yesterday seem to have worked.

Early this morning I receive a multimedia message. It’s from Max and the subject says: An eye for an eye.

It’s a photo. Of Nik.

The photo has been taken about an inch from his sleeping face. His mouth is wide open because there are balled up tissues stuffed up his nostrils. The ends of the tissues flare out around his mouth. Beads of sweat roll down his forehead.

Yep.

Mr. I-Never-Get-Sick. . . got sick.

My body shakes with silent laughter and I save the image to my Nik’s name on my phone so whenever he calls it’ll come up.

I knock lightly on Nat’s bedroom door and tell her I’ll be looking after Nik today. She nods and I leave my keys on her bedside table. Then I call Max and tell him he’s in charge today at The White Rabbit. He answers with an amused, “Yes ma’am. ”

I pack an overnight bag and call a cab.

Time to look after my man.

***

On the way to Nik’s I ask the cab to stop at multiple places.

First, I stop at the pharmacy and get day and night cold syrup and aspirin. Next stop is to the supermarket where I get sports drinks that contain electrolytes, chamomile tea, honey, noodles, and vegetables. My last stop is to a butcher. I ask him for a chicken carcass, beef osso bucco, and turkey wings. A weird combination, I know.

Max told me he’d leave the side gate open for me so when I arrive to the house I walk straight on through. I dump everything into the kitchen, take a sports drink and make my way to Nik’s room.

Opening the door slowly, I peek in. He lifts his head and groans, “You’re the worst girlfriend ever. We aren’t friends anymore. ”

I chuckle and move to sit next to him on the bed. He really does look ill, the poor dear.

Using my palm to test the temperature of his forehead, I say, “Sharing is caring, honey. ”