even take it all the way out before Megs shook her head. Her face was shiny and I realized she was sweating. “Are you nervous?”
“A little. I’m not feeling great. I think it’s all the excitement.”
“You shouldn’t go if you don’t feel well.”
She scowled at me. “I have to go. I can’t explain it. It feels like part of something bigger, like destiny.”
I pursed my lips together to keep from spouting my opinion. After pulling out a pale blue shirt, I held it against her. “This will look good with—”
My fingers brushed against her arm. She was burning hot. I put the back of my hand against her forehead the way Mom always did to me. “You feel feverish.”
“I’m fine.” She swayed as she tried to stand.
“Megs, you’re sick.” Fear made my voice quiver. “You can’t go. This is crazy.”
“It’s too late to cancel.” She sank onto her bed, coughing. “Can you get me a glass of water while I change?”
“Sure.” I hurried to the kitchen. Mrs. Salerno sat at the counter, a newspaper spread in front of her.
I had to tell her about Megs. She’d forgive me for missing her date, eventually. “Mrs. Salerno, I . . .”
She looked at me, waiting.
Then we both heard it: the crashing sound from Megs’s room.
We raced up the stairs. Megs lay sprawled on the floor next to her toppled bedside table.
“I felt dizzy, and then . . .”
Mrs. Salerno scooped her up and laid her on the bed. “Let me get the thermometer.”
After her mom left the room, Megs looked at me, pleading. “I need you to do me a favor.”
I knew what she was about to ask. “No way.”
“Please? You don’t have to talk to him. It’ll be crowded, so he won’t notice you. Look for the guy carrying a book, something that would have meaning to me. Then I’ll tell him later how sick I was, that I couldn’t make it.”
“I’m supposed to meet Ethan soon. And a crowded shop mean germs.”
“Could you tell him you’re running late? It wouldn’t take much time. If you walked in and out, it’s like two minutes of exposure.” She widened her eyes, pleading.
This was important to her, no matter how much I disapproved. I considered it. For my best friend, I could probably handle a few moments in a public place.
Megs sensed me cave. “And if you could sneak a photo—”
“I’m not taking a photo of some creep who’ll follow me home and dismember me!”
“But you’ll go? Please?”
I sighed. “No speaking to him, right?”
Her squeal of joy ended in a coughing fit. “You’re the best.”
“If I don’t make it home alive, be sure to send out a search party.”
She snuggled under the covers. “I’ll be having blissful dreams about him until you report back.”
Mrs. Salerno returned. “You should leave, Lily. It’s probably too late, but if she’s contagious . . .”
Contagious . Could she have the flu? No, not Megs. She was fine earlier today. I ticked off the symptoms. Fever, cough, sudden onset of illness. I couldn’t deny the possibility. “Will you take her to the hospital?”
“The hospital!” Megs shrieked.
Mrs. Salerno’s eyes reflected my worry. “I’ll take care of her. You should go.”
“OK. I’ll talk to you later.”
I scrubbed my hands in their kitchen sink before heading to the coffee shop. If I spotted her guy, great. If not, I’d go right to Ethan’s. That was it. But why did I feel so nervous?
Maybe it wasn’t about meeting a stranger. Maybe the anxiety came from my BFF getting sick. But Mrs. Salerno was with her. She’d die before she’d let anything happen to Megs.
What about me? Could I have just been exposed to a deadly virus? I imagined the tiny germs floating around in her room, an invisible menace, my every inhale putting me at risk. Even as I walked to the coffee shop they could be multiplying in my lungs and—
Get a grip. I had to stop making myself crazy. I couldn’t exactly give up breathing as a preventative measure. Yes, Megs was
“A little. I’m not feeling great. I think it’s all the excitement.”
“You shouldn’t go if you don’t feel well.”
She scowled at me. “I have to go. I can’t explain it. It feels like part of something bigger, like destiny.”
I pursed my lips together to keep from spouting my opinion. After pulling out a pale blue shirt, I held it against her. “This will look good with—”
My fingers brushed against her arm. She was burning hot. I put the back of my hand against her forehead the way Mom always did to me. “You feel feverish.”
“I’m fine.” She swayed as she tried to stand.
“Megs, you’re sick.” Fear made my voice quiver. “You can’t go. This is crazy.”
“It’s too late to cancel.” She sank onto her bed, coughing. “Can you get me a glass of water while I change?”
“Sure.” I hurried to the kitchen. Mrs. Salerno sat at the counter, a newspaper spread in front of her.
I had to tell her about Megs. She’d forgive me for missing her date, eventually. “Mrs. Salerno, I . . .”
She looked at me, waiting.
Then we both heard it: the crashing sound from Megs’s room.
We raced up the stairs. Megs lay sprawled on the floor next to her toppled bedside table.
“I felt dizzy, and then . . .”
Mrs. Salerno scooped her up and laid her on the bed. “Let me get the thermometer.”
After her mom left the room, Megs looked at me, pleading. “I need you to do me a favor.”
I knew what she was about to ask. “No way.”
“Please? You don’t have to talk to him. It’ll be crowded, so he won’t notice you. Look for the guy carrying a book, something that would have meaning to me. Then I’ll tell him later how sick I was, that I couldn’t make it.”
“I’m supposed to meet Ethan soon. And a crowded shop mean germs.”
“Could you tell him you’re running late? It wouldn’t take much time. If you walked in and out, it’s like two minutes of exposure.” She widened her eyes, pleading.
This was important to her, no matter how much I disapproved. I considered it. For my best friend, I could probably handle a few moments in a public place.
Megs sensed me cave. “And if you could sneak a photo—”
“I’m not taking a photo of some creep who’ll follow me home and dismember me!”
“But you’ll go? Please?”
I sighed. “No speaking to him, right?”
Her squeal of joy ended in a coughing fit. “You’re the best.”
“If I don’t make it home alive, be sure to send out a search party.”
She snuggled under the covers. “I’ll be having blissful dreams about him until you report back.”
Mrs. Salerno returned. “You should leave, Lily. It’s probably too late, but if she’s contagious . . .”
Contagious . Could she have the flu? No, not Megs. She was fine earlier today. I ticked off the symptoms. Fever, cough, sudden onset of illness. I couldn’t deny the possibility. “Will you take her to the hospital?”
“The hospital!” Megs shrieked.
Mrs. Salerno’s eyes reflected my worry. “I’ll take care of her. You should go.”
“OK. I’ll talk to you later.”
I scrubbed my hands in their kitchen sink before heading to the coffee shop. If I spotted her guy, great. If not, I’d go right to Ethan’s. That was it. But why did I feel so nervous?
Maybe it wasn’t about meeting a stranger. Maybe the anxiety came from my BFF getting sick. But Mrs. Salerno was with her. She’d die before she’d let anything happen to Megs.
What about me? Could I have just been exposed to a deadly virus? I imagined the tiny germs floating around in her room, an invisible menace, my every inhale putting me at risk. Even as I walked to the coffee shop they could be multiplying in my lungs and—
Get a grip. I had to stop making myself crazy. I couldn’t exactly give up breathing as a preventative measure. Yes, Megs was
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