The Elites

Chapter 14

Nash

Nash's leg bounced up and down, up and down as he kept his eyes on Chloe's seat next to his in Calculus class. The lesson had already begun and Ms. Reed scribbled calculations across the board, but Chloe still hadn't come. Twenty minutes had gone by and all Nash could do was worry about Chloe. Where was she? Was it because of their conversation yesterday? Had he scared her off? He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated.

"Where is she?" Nash asked Sophia, who was frowning at the board.

Sophia glanced at Nash, her eyebrows furrowing. "Chloe? She's sick today. Took the day off."

"Chloe? The girl who came to school with a severe cold last year?"

"Yeah... I don't know, she said she could barely get out of bed, so she decided to take the day off."

Nash frowned. At least she wasn't avoiding him, but what happened the other day still stung. She told him to leave her alone and that she hated their time together and Nash had felt guilty. He thought Chloe hadn't minded him, but maybe she had. Maybe she had only accepted his challenges because she was too nice to say no.

But that couldn't be. She had asked him to compete too and she always smiled, always been welcoming to him. He was sure she was trying to push him away and the competitive part of Nash knew he couldn't let her win. He wouldn't let her get rid of him.

And because he was worried, he'd visit her. He didn't care if she'd be furious, but he would make sure she was ok. Both physically and mentally because Nash would never give up. Not without a fight, at least.

*****

Nash knocked on the door to Chloe's home. He had asked the receptionist where she lived and he gave him a suspicious look in return. But, Nash explained they were classmates and he was bringing her homework over and the receptionist gave him her room number.

Nash paced for a bit in front of her door, feeling nervous. He knew she'd be furious. And he worried he was overstepping a boundary, but he couldn't just let her be sick on her own. He wanted to help her, even if she didn't want to be helped.

The door opened and Chloe's dad stood there staring at him. He looked drained and he held a cane in one hand, and his legs quivered. Nash rushed towards him, worried he'd fall at any moment.

"Hi," Nash said. "Um, is Chloe home? I just wanted to bring her some homework and check up on her."

"Yes... she has a bit of a fever." Her dad frowned. "You're the boy from two days ago. Are you Chloe's friend?"

"Um, yeah. I'm an Elite. We're classmates."

"I see... Well, come on in. Chloe's room is at the end of the hall."

Nash stepped into her tiny apartment. The kitchen and living room were connected and they were right in front of him - half the size of his bedroom and he gulped, already understanding why Chloe thought he was so much more than her. He hated that she thought that, but now he understood how his home made her feel in comparison with the cracks on the walls and floor, the faded and stained walls, and lack of furniture except for a table and one tattered couch. They were from two different worlds and Nash had ben naive enough to think that shouldn't matter at all.

Nash gulped and wandered down the hallway towards Chloe's room. The door was shut and he took a deep breath in before knocking, his hands feeling sweaty already. And after a minute, Chloe yelled to come in, coughing in the process, and Nash opened the door.

Nothing, but a single bed was in Chloe's tiny bedroom and she lay on it, her forehead sweaty and her hair sticking to her skin. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and she said nothing for a moment, seeming too stunned to speak. Nash closed the door behind him and leaned against the door; his heart pounding.