Girls Down

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"Where's John and JiJi?" Mika asked after seeing Ryan biking to school alone.

"JiJi's uh.. she's sick." Ryan said after keeping his phone away.

"Oh." Mika gasped. "Will she be alright?"

"She'll be fine." Ryan replied rather too quickly. "John's taking care of her."

"Oh.." Mika paused for a second. "Okay."

"I'm sorry.." Ryan sighed. "Let's just get to class, yeah?"

"Yeah, okay." Mika whispered and quietly went ahead to their class. Ryan sighed again and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and read the message.

Johnny: "She just had a seizure."

Ryan's eyes widen and panicked for a few seconds before calming himself down and went to class.

Johnny: "She said to not let Mika worry."

☆

The two were now having lunch in an awkward silence. After Ryan's far too quick answer, Mika was afraid that she'll pull more too personal strings.

"Hey, you've been awfully quiet since this morning." Ryan quietly said. "What's wrong?"

"Oh.. uhm.. nothing." Mika replied, picking at her sandwhich.

"There's something in your mind. Can you tell me?" Ryan asked. "Please?"

"I-I.. uhm.." Mika stared at him, having an eternal battle with wether to tell him or not. She sighed. "I just thought that I was prying too much. I'm sorry."

Ryan sighed. "I'm sorry you thought that way. Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong, you merely just asked a question. I was just worried at the time and almost everyone in the school when I came in was overwhelming me."

"Oh.." Mika whispered, releived. "I-is she alright then?"

Ryan nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, John texted me saying she'll come around tomorrow."

"That's great." Mika smiled back.

"For now. Let's just practice our individual parts with as many songs as we can from our set list." Ryan said.

"Okay." Mika said. "Sounds like a plan."

☆

Krrriiiinnnngg!!

"Good practice." Ryan commented as they left the room. "I'll go and leave this at the office. Wait for me at the gates."

"Okay." Mika smiled and then they went their seperate ways. As Mika walked down the familiar halls to the exit, she saw students working in some classrooms as she walked past them, working on last minute projects. She have finally arrived at the gates. No one was actually outside but her. She thought that it was quite peaceful. But that moment has to be ruined by three guys pushing her to the ground.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mikaela." Mika looked up to see a sneering Josh. "It's been a while, Mikaela."

"Yeah, you always spend time with those three brats that you don't spend time with us anymore." Donny smirked while Michael snickered.

"Let me remind you that we're your only friends here Mikaela, unless, you're already replacing us." Josh barked. "You're an enemy now, Mikaela."

"P-please.. d-don't." Mika begged quietly. Then a fist met her face. She fell on the ground and kicks were sent everywhere on her body that tears were streaming down her eyes.

"Hey!" The kicking stopped. It was Ryan, running towards them. "Leave her alone!"

"Eh? Looks like prince charming's here." Josh smirked. "Let's go boys." The three laughed before they ran away.

"Mika, oh my god." Ryan helped the wincing girl try to sit up. "Can you walk?"

"I'm fine." Mika muttered wincing when she leaned back on the wall, then two arms scooped her up from the ground making her yelp both in surprise and in pain.

"I'm sorry." Ryan looked at her. "But clearly you are not fine enough to walk."

"Sorry." Mika whispered.

"What the hell are you apologizing about?" Ryan asked. "You have nothing to apologize about."

Mika was about to apologize again but stopped herself. "Okay."

"Would you like me to take you home?" Ryan asked.

"Mum's not home right now. She's a retired nurse but she said she had errands to do in the old hospital where she used to work." Mika said quietly. "And I might need help with the bruises on my back."

"We can go to my apartment." Ryan said.

"The one you share with John and JiJi?" Mika asked, eyes slowly drifting close.

"Yeah." Ryan replied.

"Oh." Then Mika went out like a light.

☆

"Oh my god, Ryan what happened?" John immediately asked when he opened the front door to see Ryan carrying an unconscious Mika. JiJi, despite being really dizzy and stumbling all over the place, ran to see what the commotion is all about. She gripped on the blanket she had around her tighter when she saw Mika's state.

"Get the kit." That's what all Ryan need to say to get the other two into action.

"Ryan, get me a bowl filled with water, a towel and a the trash can." JiJi listed, sniffling as she went to Mika's side.

"JiJi you're still sick, what are you doing?" Ryan asked as he settled his and Mika's bags on the floor, John came running in the guest room they are occupying with the first aid kit.

"I'm helping, what does it look like I'm doing?" JiJi snapped back then she went into a coughing fit. Mika groaned from all the noise. A headache was slowly creeping in as footsteps were heard leaving the room. She opened her eyes to see emerald ones looking back at her. "Mika."

"It hurts.." Mika whispered.

"Where hun? Where? Where does it hurt?" JiJi asked Mika softly. Ryan came back with the essentials JiJi needed.

"Everywhere." Mika cried.

"Alright sweetie. Let's take off your shirt so we can tend to your bruises. Sit up for me, will you?" JiJi softly said. Ryan blushed and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him. Mika whimpered. "It's alright dear, I got you. No one's in the room too, it's just you and me."

"Oh my, Mika, what on earth did they do to you?" JiJi muttered under her breath. She took a cotton and a jar of ointment. "You look like a mess." She tried to laugh a bit but she ended up coughing.

"JiJi.. you're still sick." Mika said.

"Pssh, no, I'll be fine." JiJi smiled. "Besides, no one can tend to you like this but me in this house."

Mika then realized that she doesn't have her shirt on, bruises littering her body on different places. She blushed. "Oh. Right."

JiJi coughed then sniffled. "What did they do?" She asked seriously while dabbing ointment on a bruise on her forehead.

"Th-they k-kicked me." Mika answered.

"Were they the guys who beat me up?" JiJi asked.

"No, those are Britt's. This time it's Josh." Mika replied.

"Josh?" JiJi paused. "Who the hell is that dude?"

"Another one of my bullies." Mika whispered.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, goodness gracious and the heavens above." JiJi muttered, making Mika can't help but to giggle. "Alright, I'm done but stay here I'mma go and prepare you a bath."

JiJi wrapped a blanket around Mika to cover her up then stood up to leave. Mika watched the door close and then she swung her legs to the side of the bed. She remembered Ryan telling her that she was 'not fine enough to walk.' She stood up, she was fine.

'What was he on about?' Mika thought. 'I'm fine.'

Then she walked to the foot of the bed. Her vision wavered making her dizzy and end up falling on the floor with a loud thud. The door swung open to reveal Ryan. "Mika, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to see if I can walk without being in pain." Mika lied, sitting up, the blanket falling off from her shoulders. Ryan blushed furiously but kept his cool.

"You know you should really listen to me when I said that you were clearly not fine enough to walk." He said as he gently placed the blanket back around her making Mika be aware of what was happening. She blushed as Ryan picked her up and placed her back on the bed. "Stay in bed Mika." Then he left with a red face. JiJi walked in.

"Mika! My god! I heard you fall." JiJi laughed then coughed. She sat on the bed, adjusting her blanket that she tied around her neck like she's some kind of superhero. "I had a warm bath waiting for you. Clean clothes and a towel is on a table beside the bathtub. Here, I'll help you walk there."

JiJi stood up rather too quickly. "JiJi?" Mika asked when she saw her friend wavering. "JiJi!" She exclaimed as the girl fell on the floor with a loud thud.

"Mika! I told you to stay in bed--." Ryan barged in but was cut off from the sight.

He sighed.