My head was pounding. I groaned and sat up, looking around and happy to discover I was in the hospital. I sat up, glad I didn't have to make it to school. I probably wouldn't have gone anyway. Maybe Amber and Dr. Whennerholm did have something going with the whole independent study dual enrollment thing. 

I slid my legs out of bed, groaning as they touched the gold hardwood flooring. I'd forgotten to turn the heater on in the house yesterday. I always wore warm clothing and kept my room warmer than the rest of the house, always being cold an effect of the anemia. I rubbed my arms to try and bring some more life back into them. I'd have to make some coffee.  

I snatched a pair of socks from my dresser, slipping them on. It was far too cold. I walked out of my room and down the stairs with the thought of breakfast in mind, flicking on the heater as I went. Was it always in cold in late February? 

I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bagel from the fridge before seeing the left over doughnuts from last night's "dinner". I looked at the bagel, and then put it back with only the slight thread of guilt as I grabbed an eclair from the box. I sat at the counter, scrolling through my phone that had been charging there. It was ten, which meant I'd slept in a little while. There were texts from my parents and a few missed calls. They were in Helsinki right now meeting with a few different companies. If it was ten right now, then it would be... I opened my phone and went to the clock app, looking at the time for the city in Finland. It'd be around eight at night. That would mean they'd be eating dinner or at a meeting. I grimaced. I'd have to take care of that soon. 

I went back to my texts, sending them a message that I'd call when I got the chance and they weren't in meetings. Like I expected, there wasn't any response. I went to the group chat with all the people from my school and read through the list of texts from when I had turned off my phone yesterday. It took a few minutes to read through them, especially with the constant stream of new messages. 

I finally got to the bottom and sorted out that they wanted to meet up as a group tonight. Out of nowhere, a text came in from Max saying 'Jackson, you good for a meet up?' I blinked once, re-reading the text. 

I typed back, my fingers a little slow. 'Back from the hospital at home.' I sent it and then paused for a second. 'We could do something at my house. Plenty of room cause I'm staying by myself. Parents on business.'  I wondered how my parents would feel if I had a group of teenagers over? The issue had never arisen before.

Various replies followed, with several confirmed jokes about a party. One friend, a girl named Alyssa, asked where I lived. I gave the address and this lead to a stream of texts about how "bouji" I was. I had no idea what that meant...

'Let's do it.' one guy named Michael replied. 

'Pasta for dinner?'  the girl with the contact Morgan asked. 

'I'll get things.'  I typed back. Little replies came it saying thank you and that they reimburse. I put that it was no problem. That what friends were supposed to do? I wasn't sure. 'see you guys around seven?' Positive answers flowed in. 'If I'm not awake, let yourselves in.'  I put. 

'What, you need your evening nap?'  the guys named Beckett asked. 

'eat a dick, Beckett.' one of the girls sent back. 

I grinned at the stupid texts. 'I'm an old man, what can I say?' This brought on a chorus of laughing emojis and jokes. I set my phone down, smiling to myself as I took a bite out of my treat. I looked at it, seeing chocolate already sticking to my fingers. I nearly dropped it as I remembered my car was still at the school. I shoved the last of the pastry into my mouth and dashed upstairs, carefully avoiding slipping on a spot that I knew was extra polished from experience. 

A quick brush of my teeth and change of clothes took less than a few minutes and I was running back downstairs, half tripping while pulling on a pair of Tim's. I paused in the kitchen after stumbling through the house and finished tying them. I remembered my pills and looked at all the bottles on the counter, adjusting the scarf I'd thrown around my neck. 

Two minutes later I was walking out the door after taking all the vitamins and such, pulling my coat on and slipping my phone into my pocket as I went. I felt for my wallet to make sure it was there as I locked the house, my car keys on the same chain. The car was mine, yes. It was a beyond expensive car, a Bugatti Black Bess, I think the name was. My mom had told me after I'd gotten the car from my dad that he'd really only bought it with the excuse of my seventeenth birthday (eleven months ago) so he could drive it when he wanted to. He honestly could have gotten me a crappy used car and I would've had cared, gotten himself the new one, but I did have to say that the car was beyond nice, and I did take a little pride in having kept in clean over the past almost year. Honestly, it had also brought a little bit of stress, the New York streets far too dangerous to not get scratches in my opinion. But the car was still brand new, and I didn't see the point of having something nice and not using it. 

I had to take a break as I reached the gate, a good one minute walk from the house. Really, sometimes I wondered at the grader my parents loved living in. I looked down at my phone as I realized that I'd just have to take an Uber or taxi into the city, seeing at it was a fifteen minute drive even to the first subway station, let alone the school. I got an uber pool and waited for the seven minutes it said it would take. I touched my the pockets of my coat, feeling something inside. I opened up to the inner pocket and found a short paperback, maybe three hundred pages. I had been reading it last time I wore the coat, I supposed. I found my page and started reading. 

After several minutes the car arrived. It drove slowly, the Prius almost silent as it stopped in front of me. I waved a little at the driver and pulled open the back door, sliding into the warmth the car offered. The driver smiled at me, nodding but not saying anything because she was on the phone, headphones plugged into her ears. I smiled awkwardly back and opened my book again. If she was busy and din't want to make conversation, I supposed I wouldn't try. 

Around thirty minutes later we reached the subway station after sitting in complete silence. I waved the woman as I got out and she sped off, apparently having another drive not far off waiting. I looked around and then descended into the station. 

I never had really minded the subway, although I much preferred driving just because I thought it was more fun. I'd gotten my driver's license as soon as I could. It had given me a kind of freedom that I couldn't have with some things because of the severe anemia. 

I swiped my subway card, the lines short because everyone was already at work and people hadn't headed out to go shopping or whatever they did on Saturdays. I checked my phone. Eleven now. A few more texts about tonight from the group chat. I guess the car ride here had taken longer than I'd thought it would. I stepped onto the subway that would take me to the high school. I had to push my way past two men fighting, but they didn't pay me any notice as I stepped away and sat down in a seat next to a girl on her phone. 

I let out a sigh and ran my hands through my hair, my fingers brushing the bandage on my cheek. I didn't fret too much about my outward appearance, like some students I'd observed at my school, though I did appreciate it when my hair and clothes looked nice. Amber had once described me as an "attractive brand whore". I did like certain brands of clothing and shoes and the such, but I wasn't sure if that made me a "brand whore" like she said. She'd also said I reminded her of that character in TV shows that was the attractive stylish boy with friends and probably three relationships at once, but I was just missing the friends... and the relationships. 

"I like your shoes," A voice next to me said and I turned to look at the girl on the seat next to me. I blinked, looking down at the Tim's. "And the green of the sweater goes well with the scarf and your jeans." She smirked at my blank expression as I processed what she'd said. 

"Oh!" I siad, patting my chest and pulling out the sweater a little. "Thanks. I haven't worn this for a while," I said, giving her a small smile. I knew my smiles did an odd thing where one side went up more than the other. My mom had described it as "quirky". 

Her smile widened. "And the Tommy Hilfiger socks? Nice touch." 

I smiled and shrugged. "Not to bad off yourself. Levi jeans, I'm guessing by the color and they look vintage, and your jacket is swede so I'm guessing high brand?" 

She clapped her hands together, rising as the subway began to slow. She pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to me. A business card? "If you ever need a job in clothing, give me a call." She said, smiling at me as she walked out of the subway car. I smiled to myself and slipped the card into my inner jacket pocket along with my book. 

I could get better at this whole talking to people thing.