you've come down purely for spite?"
"Precisely."
He grinned, "I see. Well, then shall I wish you a happy birthday again?"
"If you wish."
"Happy birthday Gail. Fifteen years old now, I suppose?"
"Actually no, I wasn't born until ten o'clock at night so I've still got a few hours to go."
Nathaniel shrugged, "Close enough."
"Did you enjoy your supper tonight?"
"Not especially."
"You don't like anything, do you?"
"No, I'm just very particular about things."
"You mean you're picky?"
"I'm not picky, I'm particular."
"Same thing."
Gail sat down in the stiff wooden chair near his bed, "How can you be reading a newspaper, anyway?"
"A little bird flew it over," Nathaniel chuckled.
Gail rolled her eyes.
"No, they're actually rather old papers. From about a month ago, I suppose. When you're as bored as I am sometimes something as dull as rereading old papers can be interesting," he said, and then he ordered rather rudely "Hand me that cup."
"You haven't said the magic word," Gail replied, a sparkle in her eye.
"Don't be a child," Nathaniel mused, "Just hand me the cup. I'm thirsty."
"I don't hand things to rude little boys."
"I'm three years older than you are!"
"And yet you act as though you're two. Be grateful, for God's sake. Say please! It's not that difficult, really."
"Just hand me the stupid cup! It's not that difficult, really."
"You're a spoiled, selfish, ungrateful prat, Nathaniel West! It's no wonder you've never had any friends. Being sick makes for a good excuse, but I think deep down you know why you don't have any companions. No one wants to be around a silly boy who wants everyone to feel sorry for him and is constantly ordering everyone around. So if you want your stupid cup get it yourself!" she shouted, moving the cup from where it sat on the table beside her to the very edge, furthest from Nathaniel. And with that she stormed out of the room.
She stood outside his door a few moments, partly to catch her breath after the outbreak and partly to hear if he was actually going to retrieve his precious cup himself. She heard him mumbling under his breath and when the bed springs squeaked she guessed he was leaning over to get it. It really was quite far away from him, so she realized he must be struggling with it.
Suddenly, Gail heard a loud crash.
She entered the room to find that Nathaniel had tumbled to the floor. The table beside him had toppled over causing the cup upon it to shatter and its contents to spill.
Nathaniel was lying on the ground in his pajamas, trying to lift his weak body off the floor but failing miserably. Charlie had told the girls that Nathaniel's body was very frail, but Gail had no idea it was this bad. Nathaniel couldn't even get to his feet. He'd begun to curse beneath his breath, having no idea that Gail was in the room.
"I'm sorry," said Gail, "Are you alright? Do you need some help?"
She came to his side, but he pushed her away, "I'm fine! I'm fine! I don't need your help!" But he obviously did. When she offered him a hand, he slapped it, but his muscles were so weak it didn't even hurt like he'd meant it too. "Get away from me!" he screamed, "I'm fine! Just get away!"
Gail bit her lip unsurely; she'd never meant for this to happen. She'd only wanted to teach him a lesson. Although she felt bad and wanted to help him up, she knew he didn't want her to. He was embarrassed, she suddenly realized. He was embarrassed for a girl to see him so weak, so frail, so helpless.
"Get out!" he screamed again, his deep gray eyes ablaze with fiery.
Gail slowly backed out of the room, her mind racing. She then ran up the stairs as fast as she could to find Charlie, hoping he might be able to help Nathaniel up.
She felt terrible, knowing it was all her fault, and yet, she still felt that he should have been more polite about it all. It was hard to know how she should feel. Her heart felt sorry for poor Nathaniel, as she thought of him lying helpless and embarrassed on the
"Precisely."
He grinned, "I see. Well, then shall I wish you a happy birthday again?"
"If you wish."
"Happy birthday Gail. Fifteen years old now, I suppose?"
"Actually no, I wasn't born until ten o'clock at night so I've still got a few hours to go."
Nathaniel shrugged, "Close enough."
"Did you enjoy your supper tonight?"
"Not especially."
"You don't like anything, do you?"
"No, I'm just very particular about things."
"You mean you're picky?"
"I'm not picky, I'm particular."
"Same thing."
Gail sat down in the stiff wooden chair near his bed, "How can you be reading a newspaper, anyway?"
"A little bird flew it over," Nathaniel chuckled.
Gail rolled her eyes.
"No, they're actually rather old papers. From about a month ago, I suppose. When you're as bored as I am sometimes something as dull as rereading old papers can be interesting," he said, and then he ordered rather rudely "Hand me that cup."
"You haven't said the magic word," Gail replied, a sparkle in her eye.
"Don't be a child," Nathaniel mused, "Just hand me the cup. I'm thirsty."
"I don't hand things to rude little boys."
"I'm three years older than you are!"
"And yet you act as though you're two. Be grateful, for God's sake. Say please! It's not that difficult, really."
"Just hand me the stupid cup! It's not that difficult, really."
"You're a spoiled, selfish, ungrateful prat, Nathaniel West! It's no wonder you've never had any friends. Being sick makes for a good excuse, but I think deep down you know why you don't have any companions. No one wants to be around a silly boy who wants everyone to feel sorry for him and is constantly ordering everyone around. So if you want your stupid cup get it yourself!" she shouted, moving the cup from where it sat on the table beside her to the very edge, furthest from Nathaniel. And with that she stormed out of the room.
She stood outside his door a few moments, partly to catch her breath after the outbreak and partly to hear if he was actually going to retrieve his precious cup himself. She heard him mumbling under his breath and when the bed springs squeaked she guessed he was leaning over to get it. It really was quite far away from him, so she realized he must be struggling with it.
Suddenly, Gail heard a loud crash.
She entered the room to find that Nathaniel had tumbled to the floor. The table beside him had toppled over causing the cup upon it to shatter and its contents to spill.
Nathaniel was lying on the ground in his pajamas, trying to lift his weak body off the floor but failing miserably. Charlie had told the girls that Nathaniel's body was very frail, but Gail had no idea it was this bad. Nathaniel couldn't even get to his feet. He'd begun to curse beneath his breath, having no idea that Gail was in the room.
"I'm sorry," said Gail, "Are you alright? Do you need some help?"
She came to his side, but he pushed her away, "I'm fine! I'm fine! I don't need your help!" But he obviously did. When she offered him a hand, he slapped it, but his muscles were so weak it didn't even hurt like he'd meant it too. "Get away from me!" he screamed, "I'm fine! Just get away!"
Gail bit her lip unsurely; she'd never meant for this to happen. She'd only wanted to teach him a lesson. Although she felt bad and wanted to help him up, she knew he didn't want her to. He was embarrassed, she suddenly realized. He was embarrassed for a girl to see him so weak, so frail, so helpless.
"Get out!" he screamed again, his deep gray eyes ablaze with fiery.
Gail slowly backed out of the room, her mind racing. She then ran up the stairs as fast as she could to find Charlie, hoping he might be able to help Nathaniel up.
She felt terrible, knowing it was all her fault, and yet, she still felt that he should have been more polite about it all. It was hard to know how she should feel. Her heart felt sorry for poor Nathaniel, as she thought of him lying helpless and embarrassed on the
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