Page 74 of Between Now and Forever

“I’m fine. I’m just tired and the walk over was exhausting.”

I shake my head at her skeptically. “You’re not okay,” I say and grab my phone to text my mother.

She texts back right away. I scan it quickly.

“My mom is asking if you have a headache?”

“Your mom?”

“She’s a doctor, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Yes, my head hurts. But it has for days. And my ears hurt, too.” She rubs the side of her face next to it.

“Anything else?” I send the new symptoms to my mom.

“My throat is sore. But I thought it was from crying.”

“Open up,” I say after reading my mother’s text.

“Huh?” she asks and brushes a hand over her forehead.

“I’m texting my mom. She said I should take a picture of your throat.”

She opens her mouth and I aim for the back of the throat with the flash on.

“Oh my God, don’t look at the picture.” She tries to take the phone from me.

“This is kind of the wrong time for vanity.” I hold the phone out of her grasp and press send.

“I felt okay when I left the house. Maybe I shouldn’t have walked.”

“Youwalked?” I gaped. It’s at least two miles, and it’s very hot outside.

“I don’t have a car. It’s easier to get away unnoticed that way, anyway.”

I glance at my watch. My dad needs the car back in an hour, but I can take her home at least.

“Is your dad gone?”

“Yeah.”

My mother’s next text comes in.

“Let’s get you home. Can someone there get you antibiotics if she called them in?”

“My dad’s doctor makes house calls. He’ll come. What does she think is wrong?”

“Strep throat.”

Her eyes widen in alarm.

“Oh no.”

I start to google strep throat.

“Let me get you home, see you up—”

She puts a hand on my arm, and I look up from my phone. Her eyes are serious. "You can’t walk me up. My father…he’s very strict. If he found out I was seeing you, he’d find a way to stop it.”

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