Flu Event: Burst My Bubbles (Chloe)

[Mallory Reynolds]

Mallory. Felt. Awful.

All morning, she'd tried to keep her classes quiet, and focused on sewing to keep the smell of food to a minimum. Really, she should have stayed home, but when one loved their job as much as she did, it was hard to stay away.

Even if you probably had a good sized fever, and had prayed to the porcelain god a few times.

She really should have gone home.

But she only had a few hours left, and only two classes. She could hang in there for that long. Then she could go home and curl up in a blanket. For now, she'd content herself with nursing a warm cup of tea.

She was settled on the couch in the lounge, a scarf around her neck not just for decoration but warmth as well. Despite feeling warm to the touch, she still felt chilled. She was just glad for the shrug draped around her shoulders.

The worst thing about this would be riding it out without medications. She closed her eyes and sighed, wishing the day would end soon.

[Chloe Singleton]

Chloe was humming softly as she pushed the door of the staff room open with her hip, one hand full with her bag and the other with her phone as she sent a flirty text to Ella, giggling to herself as she pressed send. She was grateful for a break, having spent the morning giving a long-winded lecture about the book that she had her classes reading, and she was about tired of talking now.

She almost didn't notice Mallory as she swung her bag up on the table and released her hair from the bun she'd put it in earlier. It was as she was brushing her fingers through her hair and sighing that she caught sight of the home ec teacher curled up on the couch.

"Mally?" Her head tilted as she got a better look. "You don't look so good, sweetie." Chloe liked Mallory quite a lot. The other woman was fun to talk to and they both shared a love of baking, but at the moment she didn't look much like her usual self.

[Mallory Reynolds]

With her eyes closed, Mallory didn’t see Chloe, but she certainly heard her. The close of the door made her head twitch. Loud noises and bright lights were not her friends today. She hated feeling this way, and it was only made worse by the fact that she couldn’t find relief with any sort of medication, unless she took a mega dose of it. Sometimes, she really hated her power.

She opened her eyes when she heard her name called, and made the effort to loll her head back against the couch, looking at Chloe upside down. Managing a half-hearted smile, she shrugged and lifted her tea in a small salute.

“I don’t feel so good either,” she admitted. At least it was Chloe that had found her like this. She liked the other woman. So bright and sweet, not to mention a fantastic person to swap recipes with. “I hate to be a pain in the butt, but could you possibly close the blinds? I’d do it myself... but I’m not too sure I have the energy to get up right now.” If that was the case, she wasn’t sure how she was going to manage getting up again to teach, let alone slink home. Sigh. She’d figure something out.

[Chloe Singleton]

"No problem." Chloe reassured, flitting about the room as if she weren't wearing five inch heels, and diligently closing the blinds so that the sunlight streaming in wasn't nearly as assaulting to the other woman's eyes. "That better?" She looked concerned, dropping her phone into her bag as she passed it and leaned over Mallory.

Gently, she put her hand to the other woman's forehead, her face contorting into a frown. "You have a fever. Why are you even here?" Chloe's voice had taken a rather motherly tone as she fussed over the redhead.

"You need to be in bed resting." She perched next to Mallory on the couch. "Do you need a ride home? I can take you." And that was typical Chloe for you, always going out of her way to help someone in need. That it was Mally who needed her help, well, that was just a reason for her to go the extra mile.

[Mallory Reynolds]

Relief flooded the teacher when the room darkened. It was enough to allow her to open her eyes again without wishing for sunglasses. “So much better. Thanks, Chlo.” She was glad for the reprieve from the light. It lessened her headache just enough to make it a little more bearable.

Chloe’s cool hand was like heaven on her skin. She was right. She did have a fever. “Because my students would be lost without me?” Of course, no one would really cry over missing an elective class. It wasn’t even like it was that important. She just didn’t want to let them down by having to cancel classes for the day.

Or the next day, if she was feeling like this tomorrow. And experience dictated that she likely would.

Mallory slipped sideways to lean ever so lightly against Chloe. “I know I should. But I’d miss this place.” Still, Chloe had a point. Sitting up again, Mally sighed. “You have classes, Chlo.” She managed a little smile. “Though I could think of a few kids who wouldn’t cry over English being cancelled.” Not that Chloe wasn’t a good teacher.

[Chloe Singleton]

As Mallory leaned against her, Chloe looped her arm around her shoulders, gently brushing her bangs away from her face. "Your students would want you to get better, silly goose." She cooed, keeping her voice low so as not to aggravate Mally's headache.

Shrugging, Chloe seemed unperturbed at the idea of cancelling classes. "Yeah, well, I'm tired of talking." She giggled. "And you shouldn't be walking or driving in your state." If she had to do a little extra work later because of this, she was fine with it. Chloe would never forgive herself if she walked away from a friend in need.

"Besides, the sooner you get better, the sooner you can come back." Chloe nodded, taking Mally's hand and giving it a little pat. "Without the risk of getting your students sick." Although if Chloe had been sick, she'd probably be coping in a similar manner. She normally didn't like to miss work if she was ill, but if Ella wasn't feeling good, she'd stay home with her girlfriend in a heartbeat. She was just a giver like that.

Smiling at Mallory, Chloe asked, "Do you need me to get anything before we go?"

[Mallory Reynolds]

The contact made the teacher smile. Chloe was such a good friend. “Some of them. I can think of a few that’ll probably want me to stay sick as long as possible. That means they can have extra time on their sewing projects.” The thought of them taking advantage of a few days out of class was actually a nice one. Provided they actually worked on their projects. That would be a miracle.

Okay, Chloe was right. Mallory knew it. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. “I’ve heard bits of your lectures. You’re an amazing teacher. ... And friend.” Chloe had to know that. Granted, if their roles were reversed, Mally would be reacting in exactly the same way.

“Okay, okay, I give up. Give in. I’ll go home.” The very idea of getting anyone else sick was awful enough to make her mind up for her. She certainly didn’t want to be responsible for getting any of the kids sick. And if she got Chloe sick after all this, well, she’d have some major apologizing to do to make up for it.

“Uh...” Mally had her purse and jacket in her classroom still. “My stuff is in the home ec room, still.” She wondered if taking a mega dose of cold medicine would do anything for her. “Then all I need is a cute guy to snuggle with, and I’m good.” At least she was still in good enough spirits to joke.

[Chloe Singleton]

"There's always the bad seeds." Chloe made a little face. She didn't doubt she'd have her own students excited for a day out of class. And cancelling the afternoon classes meant she didn't have to deal with that Rixon kid staring at her butt. (Yes, she knew. She just chose not to say anything about it because she was afraid of what he might say if she called him out on it.)

Smiling fondly at her friend, Chloe took her hand and gave it a reassuring little squeeze. "I know you'd do the same for me." She giggled, though, and thought about her teaching career. "You think? I'm not so sure my students would agree. But then again, in my class they don't get cookies."

Mallory's agreement to go home caused Chloe to pop up from her seat next to the woman. "Okay, you just rest here and I'll go fetch your things, but I'm afraid I'm all out of cute guys. Sorry!" She opened the door as quietly as she could. "I'll be back in a jiffy!" And she even pulled the door closed delicately so that the noise wouldn't bother Mally.

She hurried down the hall, her heels clicking with her rapid footsteps, to fetch the redhead's things from her classroom. Slinging the bag over her shoulder and folding the jacket neatly over her arm, she ran back almost as fast to the lounge, again making sure to make very little noise as she opened the door. "Here you are, darling." She cooed softly, passing the jacket to her friend. "I'll carry your bag for you."

[Event !]

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