Page 31 of The Fake Out

I was laying on a couch made of Chris. How had this happened? I took a shaky breath.

“I’m sorry. Do you need some help?” Chris said from very near my ear.

“Oh, no, honey, you stay right there,” Mama said. “I just overdid it today.”

“Here, Mama,” Iris said, presumably returning with her wheelchair. There were a few seconds of rustling after which Mama released a long sigh.

“Young man, I didn’t realize you and Mae were friends.”

“We’re good friends,” he said. That’s when I felt the hand he’d had resting on my back slide under the blanket. It made its way down my arm, raising goosebumps, where it landed on my side. Then he pinched me.

With a yelp, I rolled off the couch and fought my way out of the blanket. “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” Chris asked, all dark innocent eyes, but I saw the teasing twinkle.

“Mae, honey, how are you feeling?” Mama asked.

“Yeah, Mae, how are you feeling?” Iris repeated, not even bothering to contain her amusement.

I stood and wrapped the blanket around me like a cape. “I’m fine, thank you. I had a little headache, is all. And”—I pointed at the couch—“this is not what it looked like. I must have… have…”

“She fell asleep. Just tipped right over against me and fell asleep,” Chris said. “I figured it was better to let her rest than wake her up.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Mama said.

“You’re a real prince,” I snapped and pulled the blanket even tighter around me.

“She’s not very nice when she doesn’t feel good, is she?” Chris asked Mama, his smile amused.

“Oh, she’s terrible,” Mama replied. “Been that way since she was a little girl. Too busy to be sick.”

“Excuse m—” I tried to interrupt and was ignored.

Chris nodded sagely. “That, I can believe.”

“That’s my little Maebe-Baby.”

“Maebe-Baby,” Chris repeated and shot me a half-grin.

“One time in high school,” Mama said, “she insisted on going to school and ended up passing out in the middle of gym class because she was so feverish and dehydrated.”

“You remember that time she broke her arm and refused to tell us?” Iris said.

“Took me two days to realize what was wrong.” Mama’s smile was a little sad.

“She really needs to slow down,” he said.

“I agree. Rest is important.”

“Are the three of you done gossiping like church ladies at a quilting bee?” I cut in.

Mama appeared to be holding back a smile when she nodded.

“I’m going to bed.” I stood as tall as I could and turned to Chris. “Thank you very much for your help, however unnecessary it might have been. I’m sure you can see your way out.”

A grin crawled slowly across his face. “That’s alright. I’m not in much of a rush. I could tuck you in.”

“You are incredibly irritating,” I said, and trudged to my bedroom.