“Shit.”
“It’s okay. Just go tell them I’m dying and it’s been an honor to teach them.”
“Not dying.” He sighed. I peeked an eye open to find him staring out the window. He tugged anxiously on his hair. Crowds were gathering and pouring into the entrance. “A lot of people came out for this.”
“People love fried food and questionably safe rides.” Both of those things sounded horrendous, and I regretted mentioning them. If I wasn’t so lost in my own wallowing, I would have felt bad for Leo. He’d only agreed to drive me, but now he’d be stuck going out into the crowds of the people he had been avoiding for weeks to deliver bad news tomystudents. “I’ll go tell them, and then I’ll come back.” I tried to sit up.
His strong arm braced me, preventing me from moving. “Nice try, Typhoid Mary. It’s fine. I’ll go tell them.”
At least if these were my final moments on earth, I had the feeling of his arms against me.
“You went from ‘I’m not sick’ to ‘dying’ really fast,” he said, a soft tug to his lips. “Just stay here.”
Gravity pulled my lids down. “Maybe I’ll close my eyes just to see what happens.”
“Good idea.” Leo made a sound of distress before taking a steadying breath. “Okay. Okay. I’ll be right back as fast as I can.”
I nodded.
“I’ll leave the keys, but lock the doors after me. I don’t think it’s cold enough that you’ll need the heat. Want me to leave the car running just in case?”
I shook my head. “I’ll start it if I need to.” Sleep was already pulling me under. I could take a few minutes. They would be okay.
“Be right back,” he said. A second later, the car rocked gently, and his door shut.
I had just enough energy to hit the lock on the door before I succumbed.
A few minutes later, I sat straight up. “I’m okay,” I said, realizing a car door shutting had woken me.
Leo winced. “Sorry. I was trying to be quiet. You didn’t even budge the other times I checked on you.”
“How did you get in?”
“Janice had her keys.”
I nodded, processing being conscious. “Were they devastated?” I scrubbed my eyes with my palms. The fever didn’t feel as bad, but it was that sort of temporary halting of symptoms that told me I wasn’t in the clear yet.
“It was fine,” Leo said. “Are you okay? Lie back down.” He gently pressed my shoulder, and I relaxed back against the seat. My eyelids felt sticky and hard to keep open.
I vaguely remembered someone shaking me awake and forcing me to swallow medicine with water. “Did you give me medicine?”
“Yes. You should really reevaluate how willingly you take drugs without asking any clarifying questions.”
“I live on the edge,” I murmured.
My head turned from side to side. We were still in the parking lot, but it was packed now. People coming and going. The festival was in full swing,lights bright and music playing. “Dark already,” I said, confused. I had just barely closed my eyes.
“Yeah. Sorry. It took me longer than I thought. But just relax. I’m going to take you to Janice’s now.”
“What? No, I can’t get her sick.”
“Don’t worry. She got the spare room ready.”
“I’m a burden,” I said and felt a mortifying quiver of my chin.
“Hardly. I don’t—Janice thinks you shouldn’t be alone. I’m willing to bet you don’t have medicine or any sort of sustenance at your house.”
“Is mustard sustenance?”
