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Jay: If there were any warning affects or foreboding signs of this, Kellen must have been too stoned to notice them. All that he is aware of is, he went to bed maybe a little later than usual - after trying in vain to find some way to entertain himself, with Jesse a motionless lump under his blankets, Leech gone to Boston, and Ness off who-knew-where drinking (assuredly drinking) - and woke up approximately six hours later feeling like all of his innards were trying to abandon ship. Flailing his way out of his own blankets and gracelessly hitting the floor, the kid makes it to the shared bathroom quickly, if unsteadily, making a long dive towards the toilet. But when he gets there, nothing happens; he waits a few moments for the expected vomitting, but it never happens, so he ends up just crossing his arms over the seat and resting his clammy forehead atop them, making pathetic little noises.


Jackie: Jesse might as well be dead to the world-- he's been on the repeated cycle of sleep, class (sometimes, no class), more sleep, and the occasional meal ever since he returned from Thanksgiving. He probably knows, somewhere in the back of his head, that he needs to snap out of it, but nothing works; even spending time in Tim's bed (unfortnuately, not the past few days) hasn't helped much. While he's tucked away in his own bed, he can hear the movements Kellen makes, but they're fuzzy, vague enough that Jesse has no idea what's happened until he hears movement in the bathroom. Picking his head up, he peers around the still-dark room, and when those pathetic noises enter his ears, he tilts his head like a confused puppy. Gathering his blankets, he makes his way to the bathroom, but hovers at the door. He very nearly expects it to be a too-drunk Ness, but he instantly recognizes that head of hair and calls out, voice coarse since he's barely done any talking lately. "...Kellen? You okay?"


Jay: Kellen thinks he'd probably be content to remain like this the rest of his life, kneeling on the wonderfully cold bathroom tile unmoving, with the toilet right there in case the nausea ever does culminate into something more; as long as he doesn't move, it isn't quite so awful. Jesse's voice is a surprise, since his roommate hasn't done much in the way of talking in a while. If they still had the rapport they started out with, and if Kellen felt just a tiny bit better, he might respond more sardonically, but they don't and he doesn't, so he just groans without lifting his head. "Jesus, no."


Jackie: Leaning against the door frame, Jesse pulls the blankets more tightly around him, the material bunched up enough around his head that it forms a bit of a hood. That answer doesn't surprise him, because he knows that his question was a stupid one to ask, and he crouches down a little bit to try to get eye level with Kellen, despite the fact that the other boy isn't even looking at him. "Do you want--" Rethinking, he corrects. "What's wrong? Tummy hurt?" Because he's still at the age, or the maturity level, that it's tummy instead of stomach, and he doesn't think twice about it.


Jay: Taking a deep breath, because being pathetic alone is much different from being pathetic around other people, so he makes some attempt to regain some dignity. For the time being, this only equates to turning his head sideways to look towards Jesse; that's about as much as he can do. "No, 's more...ahh, my throat. Like something's trying to crawl up it." He shudders - pretty natural, for a kid on cold bathroom tile in the middle of December in nothing but boxers and a t-shirt, except Kellen's sweating at the same time - and gives a slow blink. "Maybe someone's poisoning me."


Jackie: As soon as Kellen turns to face him, Jesse's eyes immediately widen the tiniest bit, trying to understand while simultaneously trying to think of instant cures. Rather than standing up to move closer, he does a weird little hobble in his crouched down position, not stopping until he's no more than a few inches from his room mate. "Poisoning you? I don't think anyone hates you enough to do that." Or hates him at all, really. Taking stock of Kellen's body, he can see the small beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and he reaches a hand out to press his palm against the skin there, gauging the temperature. "You're burning up." And yet that body is shuddering. Looking a little more concerned, he drops his hand, goes back to clutching his blankets. "Want me to get you something? Maybe some crackers? Or juice? School nurse?"


Jay: "Well, maybe...not here..." This is sort of disjointed, even moreso than his usual speech, and his eyes just remain closed the next time he blinks. When Jesse presses that hand to his forehead, he makes another pathetic sort of noise and leans towards it. The following questions seem to draw him back towards consciousness, and the mention of the nurse in particular impels him to sit up fully. "Fuck, no! That man's scary...creepy little golliwog with slimy hands, I'd rather die of cholera than let him near me. Jus'..." He trails off again, looking towards the closed door that leads to Nesss and Tim's dorm room, then to their own. With what appears to be massive effort, he hauls himself back to his feet, one slow step at a time. Once on them, he sways a little, pressing a hand against the wall for stability. "Jus' help me get back to bed?" He looks at Jesse plaintively, apologetic and somewhat ashamed for having to ask.


Jackie: Any worry that may have been brewing in the pit of Jesse's stomach instantly dissolves when that rant spurs out of Kellen, and Jesse can't even stop the tiniest smile from forming on his face. It isn't much, but definitely more emotion than he's shown in the past two weeks, and he gets to his feet in a little bit more of a graceful fashion than Kellen. He decides not to respond to that rant, since he can't really find a good enough retort, and when that question is asked all plaintively and ashamed, Jesse's eyes linger on that face longer than they need to. Nodding his head, he approaches that body and then readjusts his blankets, kind of circling the other boy and draping his blankets around him as a better means for Kellen to gain support, and then he links an arm around his hips. Starting back towards Kellen's bed, he walks slowly, his arm feeling clammy up against that damp skin. "Did you eat something funny?" Another stupid question, since Kellen's diet is suspect at best.


Jay: Kellen sort of twitches when those blankets droop around his shoulder, but doesn't complain, likewise linking one of his fever-hot arms around Jesse's shoulders and following his lead back to the dorm. Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, he considers that question for maybe longer than necessary before shrugging. "Not any funnier than usual." Reaching the bed after what seems an arduous trek, Kellen releases Jesse to flop onto it carelessly, immediately regretting doing so when all of his joints seem to protest. There's an incoherent noise of discomfort, and he curls onto his side, retreating into a fetal position like a pill-bug. "Mebbe you should see if anyone else in the hall is dying. Might narrow down the causes."


Jackie: Jesse doesn't do much more than drop his arm to release Kellen onto the bed, his blankets falling to the floor and lumping there uselessly. That response earns another grave little grin, even an amused snort of air, because that's so typical. A shiver runs through his body since he's done nothing but burrow in blankets in his free time, but he ignores it for the time being in favor of maybe helping his friend. Tilting his head again, he quickly glances to the door, not really liking the idea of conversing with others, and instead starts back towards the bathroom, talking over his shoulder. "You want something cold or something hot to drink? Tea, maybe?"


Jay: Running his hands through his hair in a sort of nervous tic, Kellen doesn't respond to the question at first, then directs a dazed look Jesse's way. "Yeah...yeah, tea sounds good." He nods, distantly, and if it weren't already obvious that he's sick, the fact of him wanting tea would be absolute proof. Never does it occur to him to ask where Jesse will acquire tea, two hours before breakfast; he just seems to accept it as a matter of course.


Jackie: As he reenters that bathroom, he immediately goes to the other door, twisting the knob to open it a crack and peek his head through. When his assumptions are correct, Tim still gone and Ness MIA, he retreats back to the sink to turn on the faucet, twisting only the hot water knob. Letting it warm up, he grabs a hand towel from one of the wall hooks and soaks it, the steam from the water immediately starting to warm up his own cold body. He nods for those words, keeping them in mind, and then wrings out the towel before returning to Kellen's bedside. Folding the towel, he then pushes it to Kellen's forehead, holding it there to make sure it stays before going back towards his desk, situated near the window. "In addition to the school nurse being incredibly creepy, he's also incredibly dense. He always offers me tea when I go in for my sessions, but never the other proponents that make tea drinkable." Case in point, he yanks open a drawer in his desk and rifles through a few different tea packages, before settling on one and plucking it up, then reaching for a dirty mug he got in the mail from a recent care package.


Jay: Apparently zoning out between conversation, Kellen startles when that wet towel is placed on his forehead, but relaxes soon enough. He may give it a suspicious look, but his inquisitiveness is clearly dampened. "So, what is it that makes tea drinkable?" His eyes wander hopelessly around the room before spotting Jesse by the desk, and he does his best to look like he really cares about the answer, but that's sort of difficult; the longer he's awake, the worse he feels.


Jackie: "Water. And a drinking vessel." Which he holds up in the air pointedly, as he treks back to the bathroom. That faucet is still blasting out hot water, perhaps not hot enough to be the best for beverages, but better than nothing. Putting the mug under the stream of water, he lets it overflow and rinse out, since the only filth on it is dust, before filling it up and dumping a few sips out so as not to spill on his walk back. He turns the knob to cease the water flow and carefully starts walking back to Kellen's bed, watching the swooshing water as he moves. When he makes it to the bed, he plops down on the edge of it, placing the mug on the night stand as he busies his fingers with the tea package. "Anything else hurt?"


Jay: That explanation makes Kellen narrow his eyes, as if he's not sure whether Jesse's fucking with him or if he's just hearing things wrong. "So he...what, he expects you to eat the leaves?" This is just baffling enough to catch his attention for more than a few seconds; when Jesse returns to the bed, Kellen wriggles backwards to make room for him to sit down, having to reach up to keep the damp cloth in place on his forehead. At the question, there's a very Kellenish snort. "Everything. If this is poison, it's doin a damn good job."


Jackie: "Like I said, he's pretty dense. He offers out the tea, but then...just gets distracted, I guess. I've got like, thirty baggies of tea, seriously." He doesn't look away from his handiwork, finally unearthing the tea bag to soak in that steaming coffee mug. Voice finally breaking away from its coarseness, he refocuses his attention to Kellen's body, reaching for his blankets so he can tug them out from under the boy and maybe try to tuck them around his form. "I don't think it's poison. Kind of sounds like the flu to me." Probably not the typical Jesse response, since he tends to hop on any conspiracy theory he comes in contact with, and that only emphasizes just how miserable he's been, lately.


Jay: "'s too bad. He oughta give you like, baggies of coke, and then get distracted. Or at least somethin useful." Kellen casts his currently deep blue eyes towards Jesse's preparations, strangely fascinated with watching them, and when his roommate moves on to the blankets, Kellen's eyes follow his hands intently. Until he realizes what those hands are doing: then, he squirms and whines like a fratchety toddler at bath-time. "Don't do thaaat. It's hot." Which it most assuredly is not, but evidently Kellen is. "Oh gawd, the flu? Not the flu. I hate the flu."


Jackie: Jesse actually laughs for that, a full out tummy laugh that makes little creases near his eyes. He looks over at Kellen for that, still dunking that tea bag in the water, and uses the hand that was tugging on the blankets to ruffle that sweaty, matted-from-sleep-and-sickness hair. "It's not hot. Your body is just trying to sweat it out. Which is good. And you should encourage it." Meeting those eyes again, he nods seriously, like maybe he'll be believed, and then shifts a little bit to sit indian style on the bed, facing Kellen.


Jay: Kellen grunts disagreeably, flopping onto his opposite side, facing away from Jesse - but only for a moment, before he rolls onto his stomach. Were he feeling better, he would surely appreciate how much Jesse is interacting right now, and even with as bad as he feels, he notices it. Flipping his pillow over, he flattens his face against the cooler side of it, speaking into the cotton. "Last time I got the flu it was awful. I had this fever, right, and it made all my skin really sensitive and achey, and I couldn't jack off for like, five days. Five. Days. I was about to kill myself, honest."


Jackie: Giving up on trying to get those blankets on Kellen, Jesse instead reaches behind himself (nearly falling off the bed in the process) to grab his blankets, immediately wrapping himself in them and then falling sideways onto the bed, facing Kellen. With only his face visible from his burrito-like state, he again lets out a little laugh, wrinkling his nose. "I'm so happy you're not as obvious about jerking off as Mike is. Sometimes, I hear him through the walls."


Jay: Wriggling towards the wall to make a little more room for Jesse, Kellen uncovers that damp washcloth where it fell off and replaces it around his neck, hoping for some coolness from it. That laugh, more than the comment that follows it, causes him to smile. "That's only because he wants you to hear it. Or, because he figures everyone else wants to hear it. Very high opinion of his sexual prowess, has our Mr. Ness." Kellen nods knowledgeably for this, then, clearly not content to keep one position for long, flops onto his back again and lets out another pitiful noise.


Jackie: Jesse makes some noise of disgust for that, since he's really not at all attracted to Michael, and the mental images are too much, right now. "That's gross. Poor Tim-- I can't even imagine." Shaking his head, he watches Kellen readjust on the mattress and then sits up himself, reaching for the mug of tea to carefully hand it over to the boy opposite of him. "Maybe you should try a warm shower? Might help your muscles relax some. And help get the sweat off you."


Jay: Kellen just makes a noncommittal noise, waving a hand from side to side in the universal gesture of equivocation. "Sometimes, I don't think he minds all that much, really." Spotting the cup of tea that's hovering towards him, Kellen pushes himself back with his elbows to sit up enough to take it. He sips, and finding it not too hot, takes another drink, but the idea of showering gets another groan, and a despondent look towards the bathroom. "Warm anything doesn't sound good, and I'm not sure I could stand up that long." Another drink of the tea, then he drops his head against the wall, grinning crookedly. "Could always ask Mike to come along and help me, I guess, but I don' think I have the energy

Jay: fer that either."


Jackie: "Whatcha mean by that?" Obviously unaware of Tim's feelings towards Mike, Jesse then registers that information and shakes his head, nose wrinkling a little bit because...just, no. When his hands are freed from holding that mug, he once again flops down sideways and peers up at Kellen, his own body relaxing as he unwinds from the funk he's been in lately. Again, those words make him convulse a little bit, groaning into the pillow and then snaking an arm out to smack at Kellen's chest lightly. "No. Please, don't. I'd rather smell you like this forever than have to listen to that."


Jay: Kellen redirects his gaze to Jesse for that first question, just staring flatly until the other boy catches on. And then he smirks for the responding facial expression, glad that he has this banter to distract him from feeling so lousy, because otherwise he'd be in very bad shape. He continues to sip at the tea every now and then, not exactly enjoying it, but it does seem to be soothing his throat some. "Fer fuck's sake, Jess. You gotta be the most asexual fifteen year-old I've ever met. It's not like there's anything wrong with it."


Jackie: Still with his head in the pillow, Jesse continues to shake his head, rejecting it all because it's something he wants to shake from his mind immediately. He makes some sort of indignant noise for that remark, lifting his head and mildly glaring at Kellen. "Okay, first off, I never said there was anything wrong with it. I just don't want to hear about it. And secondly," He unwraps himself from his blanket a little bit, flails the hand out in the air descriptively. "I'm not asexual. Again, I just don't wanna hear my hornier-than-thou suite mate doing the deed with my room mate. Call me old fashioned."


Jay: Finishing that mug of tea, Kellen stretches over to put it back on the nightstand and lets himself slide back into a reclining position next to Jesse. "Old-fashioned, my scrawny white punk rock ass. Old-fashioned as in Victorian era. What's it take for someone to get in your pants, really? Six months of courting and a respectable dowry? Oh, or maybe you're planning to be a nun?" He turns his head to look at Jesse, the usual glint of playfulness there in his admittedly fevered eyes.


Jackie: Jesse's eyes turn to a playful glare, not really at all surprised by the conversation because he figures it'd be brought up, eventually. Again, he reaches a hand out to shove at Kellen lightly, and then goes back to burrowing into himself like a little Jesseburrito. "Just because I'm not sexually active like you or Michael doesn't mean I'm considering being a nun. What does it even matter?"


Jay: Kellen overreacts to that shove, rolling away and then back towards his roommate to nudge him with a shoulder, widening his eyes comically. "Oh! 'Like me or Michael'? I should be offended by that comparison. I'm nowhere near the rampant slut that he is." As for what it matters, Kellen doesn't respond, because truly it doesn't matter; it only seems a little odd. But then, that describes most of Jesse. Lifting himself onto an elbow again, he looks over the Jesseburrito to the nightstand. "...will you hand me my smokes? They're in the drawer."


Jackie: Jesse only smiles innocently for that comparison, feeling as if he won that conversation-- especially when Kellen can't come up with a good enough answer to his question. Craning his neck backwards, Jesse eyes the nightstand and flips over, onto his back, before reaching for the drawer knob and pulling it open to reach inside. It doesn't take long for him to locate the cigarettes and conjoining lighter, and he nearly hands them to Kellen before retracting his hand and eying him carefully. "...you shouldn't be smoking. You just were complaining about your throat."


Jay: And Kellen predictably reaches for the cigarettes when they're offered, glaring some when they're not immediately handed over. "Yeah, but you gave me tea, and cured my throat. Now I need a cigarette, to get the revolting taste of tea outta my mouth." He tilts his head, as if this is an inarguable answer, and holds a hand out expectantly.


Jackie: Still holding those cigarette hostage, Jesse arches an eyebrow for that explanation, not buying it. "I have some tic tacs, ya know. The cigarettes are only gonna make you hate your throat even more. Trust me." And then he looks at Kellen pointedly, looking for a retort.


Jay: Giving up on the implacable expression, Kellen instead widens his eyes and lifts his eyebrows, rather in the manner of a beaten puppy, as he flops onto the bed again and wriggles closer to his roommate. "But Jesseeee. I already feel like shit; if I start going through nicotine withdrawal it'll be even worse. How can you deny me this one, tiny, insignificant comfort?" And he really plays it off, too, looking about as sweet and plaintive as anyone in the world ever has.


Jackie: Jesse does only what he can think to do-- he reflops his body down onto the mattress and then wriggles his way over to Kellen, free hand flailing lazily against Kellen's chest. "Kell-eeeeeeeen. You'll get no sympathy when you're hacking up a storm in a couple hours." And then he relents, handing over the cigarettes with an open hand.


Jay: The pleading look is exchanged for a bright grin that's surely every bit as beguiling, and he takes the cigarettes gratefully. After lighting one, he stows the pack and lighter under his pillow for safekeeping, only then responding. "Lies. I'll totally get sympathy. At least, I damn well better." Because even if he's managing well enough for now, if this illness doesn't abate pretty quickly, he's bound to be less good-natured about it. Reclining into his previous position and blowing smoke towards the ceiling, he shivers a little without even seeming to notice it. "Really, though. You don't think I'm as bad as him, do you? As Mike? I mean, it's not every night, much less everyone in the fucking school."


Jackie: "Not from me!" It's said light heartedly, and is accompanied by a little smile and wide eyes that show his humor. Now that he's done flailing, he flips more onto his stomach and crosses his arms to rest his chin on top of. Studying that face, he registers the tone in Kellen's words, momentarily feels a pang of guilt for making the comparison. Shaking his head, he adds on to his response: "No, I don't. But it wouldn't matter to me if you were, ya know? I was just yanking your chain."


Jay: Watching the smoke travel lazily up from his cigarette, Kellen sort of spaces out for a moment or two before being drawn back by Jesse's voice, and making an effort to grasp the thread of conversation. "Well...well, maybe it wouldn't matter to you, but...to someone else. Or someones. I dunno." He sighs, inexplicably despondent all of a sudden, and takes another drag off his cigarette.


Jackie: Tilting his head more to the side, Jesse rests the side of his face against those crossed arms, eyes rolling up a little bit to peer at Kellen curiously. It's a combination of his words and the way they're delivered that make Jesse arch an eyebrow curiously, not entirely following. "What's that mean?" He waits, smiles a little bit for his next words, "Are you courting someone?"


Jay: It takes some restraint, but Kellen manages not to snort in amusement for the words, and keeps a stoic face as he turns to look at Jesse. "Yeah...I think I'm in love...with your best friend." Another sigh, this one completely overexaggerrated, and he waves a hand for emphasis. "Just the way he looks in those baseball pants, it's maddening. What's his favorite flower, do you know?


Jay: "*


Jackie: Initially, Jesse smiles broadly-- nearly as brightly and wonderfully as he normally would, and he squirms a little bit closer to his room mate out of fascination. But then Kellen continues talking, and Jesse's expression changes; the smile is still in place, but his eyes glare the tiniest amount, and he lifts his head up so he can stretch his arms out and shove a little at Kellen. "Oh my god, shut up. You're such a liar."


Jay: And now, Kellen lets the snort out, followed by a devious little snicker as he covers his head with both arms in defense. "But he does look incredible in those pants. No, you're right." Dropping his arm again (and probably dropping ash unnoticed on the sheets in the process), Kellen desists into laziness once more. "Not that I don't like Tim, but he's, ahh...little too reserved for my taste."


Jackie: Jesse only rolls his eyes for that observation, since he's always been quite neutral towards his best friend, having never thought of him as anything but. As Kellen retracts, so does Jesse, and he eventually just relaxes back down into the bed, wedged up to Kellen despite the other boy's clammy skin. "So what is your taste? Michael? He's not reserved in the least."


Jay: Finishing that cigarette after a couple more drags, because despite his protestations, it just isn't very enjoyable right now, Kellen lifts himself onto an elbow to reach over Jesse and drop it into an empty soda can. Flumping back, he nestles towards Jesse almost unconsciously, smiling faintly for that question. "No, he's not. A lotta fun, too, but that wasn't ever..." He trails off, waves a hand limply, apparently indicating that whatever happens with Michael isn't to be taken seriously in the least. "As fer my tastes...I dunno. I guess it jus' depends on the person. Before I came here, I wasn't ever with guys. Too interested in all the wrong girls to think about a dude at all." And then he pauses, tilting his head from one side to the other thoughtfully. "Well. Maybe once."


Jackie: Shifting to readjust his blankets, Jesse gets them mostly covering his lower half, and then uses one arm to prop up his head so he can look at Kellen without much strain. "Did you sleep with him? Or just fool around?" Kind of a new topic for Jesse, and maybe there's a tinge of jealousy somewhere within those words. But he too shakes it away, more interested in the words Kellen continues with, and he forms a little smirk for that before piping up, eyes innocently wide. "Once?"


Jay: Shuddering, completely unrelated to the discussion, Kellen gives Jesse a somewhat curious look. "No, no; my chastity is still spotless as always. If I were gunna sleep with a dude, I don't think I'd go fer Ness." He laughs for Jesse's sudden interest, wriggling around again until he's facing the other boy. "Yeah, once. Just sorta, drunk, and playing around. I think he was trying to freak me out, prolly; he did stuff like that a lot."


Jackie: Something in Jesse's back relaxes a little bit, but he rolls his shoulders at the same time and shifts a little bit more onto his side. Noticing that shudder, he takes it as a shiver and tosses some blankets haphazardly towards Kellen, but doesn't make a move to tuck them around him, this time. "Sounds like kind of a jerk-y thing to do." Because Jesse is young, and naive, and so completely not sexual. "I don't know. Sex makes things weird. I mean, I'm fifteen. Things are already weird."


Jay: Until Jesse threw those blankets, Kellen didn't realize that he'd grown cold, but now he latches onto them and burrows beneath, not answering until he's totally ensconced. "Well...no. No, I don't think he was being a jerk. He was actually kind of trying to cheer me up, I think, 'cause this girl had kinda ditched me at this party, and I was being sorta mopey about it." He says this in a shameful mumble, not wanting anyone to think he gets mopey over girls, and quickly moves on. "It doesn't have to make things weird. I'm fourteen, and things are weird, but sex - or, not sex, but sex stuff - it's kinda like pot. Just a way to relax, a diversion, and a hell of a lotta fun."


Jackie: Making some sort of sympathetic noise in his throat, Jesse lets that part of the conversation die down, sensing that Kellen wasn't too keen on talking about it. When the blankets are enthusiastically accept by the other boy, Jesse lets out a little laugh, similar to a giggle, and then kicks over some of his blanket to aid his sickly room mate. Humming, he considers those words, kind of half shrugging for them. "I guess. Things are weird whether you're having sex or not having sex, I suppose. Think I'll stick to my herbal teas and ghost hunting." And that's said so earnestly, it's pathetic-- and Jesse looks every part his age and experience allows for.


Jay: Kellen surely didn't want to talk about the mopey part, but he might not have minded discussing the rest, since everytime he mentions Jimmy to Leech, Leech seems to start grinding his teeth or go temporarily deaf. But he doesn't forge on, instead rolling himself tighter in the blankets and sighing a little, because even that movement seems to take a lot out of him. Settled, he stares flatly at Jesse again, like he thinks maybe the kid is joking. But sarcasm hasn't ever been one of Jesse's conversational gambits, so eventually, Kellen is forced to believe him. "...sure, dude. Maybe you can have ghost-sex. Won't even need a condom, I bet."


Jackie: Once he's done offering up his own blankets, Jesse settles back down into bed, still on his side, but letting his head rest down on a bicep lazily. He can tell from the way Kellen is moving, how little movements require so much effort, that his room mate is genuinely sick, and it's enough for him to give him a concerned look before blinking it away. "Okay, this isn't some weird, real-life version of that "Ghost" movie. I'm perfectly fine with the way things are, thank you very much." And that smile returns, all earnest in wanting to be believed, and Jesse curls the blankets more up to around his shoulders.


Jay: Kellen rolls his eyes for that response, feeling that's enough of a reaction for the time being. "I'm not saying you aren't fine, just...y'know. Don't knock it 'til you try it." He rolls a shoulder in a lazy shrug, then immediately gives a grunt of discomfort and shifts onto his back once more, pulling his knees up to his chest and closing his eyes. After staying that way a moment or two, he sighs heavily. "I think you're right. It is the flu."


Jackie: "I wasn't knocking it. I'm just saying I'll try it when I wanna. Until then..." He kind of shrugs, at least as much as his body will let him in this position, eyes watching Kellen's face. He sees the progression it takes, sees the moment the other boy accepts the idea that he's sick with the flu, and Jesse very nearly pouts for that realization. "Might as well make yourself comfortable, then. 'Cause you're not leaving this bed for a while."


Jay: Completely disregarding Jesse's earlier comment - which is a sure sign of sickness, since Kellen generally likes to talk over sex-related subjects as avidly as most fourteen year-olds - Kellen groans for the latter one. Again, he drops to the side, facing the wall, and curling more completely on himself. "I don't wanna leave the bed, but I'm not comfortable. I want...ahhh..." He closes his eyes, trying to think of anything that might make this situation more bearable.


Jackie: As Kellen turns towards the wall, Jesse squirms closer, if only to pester, since even though he hates seeing Kellen anything but his typical self, there's a part of him that's fascinated by his current state. Reaching Kellen's back, Jesse squirms even more to fit his face into his neck and peer down at him, voice lacquered with amusement. "You want Michael? He could probably make you feel better." It's said so suggestively that Jesse can't even hold the laugh in, instantly snickering in amusement of himself.


Jay: Jesse's closeness garners another shudder, although Kellen doesn't seem to mind much, and he blinks his eyes open to look up at the other boy, sideways. Rotten as he feels, he laughs a little for that, but it turns into a groan. "No, Jesus. He'd want me to do something, and I don't wanna do anything. No, I want..." Once again trailing off, and once again sighing pathetically, Kellen hunches down into himself and admits in a little voice. "I want Leech."


Jackie: Jesse's laughter only intensifies for that, but he pulls away to fall back onto the mattress, one hand going to his tummy to try to settle its laughter. He lets that subside eventually, and he nearly starts pestering again, but then that answer comes out and Jesse immediately snaps his eyes to the back of that head, totally lost. "Leech? Why? So he could beat the flu out of ya?"


Jay: Dazed as he is, Kellen realizes in short order that that probably wasn't the thing to say, but it hardly matters, because surely if anyone were to care about his connection to Leech, it wouldn't be his roommate. So he just replies despondently. "If it'd help, yeah..." He shakes his head a little, runs both of his hands through his hair, disordering it even more. "No, but he would know what to do, I'm sure. Or at least, act like it." After a second of reflection, he adds diplomatically: "Yer helping too, of course."


Jackie: Jesse snorts for that, half in amusement, half in doubt, and doesn't quite catch on to anything lying beneath the surface of those words. "I doubt physical violence would help much, in your case. Last I knew, viruses need to be combated with medicine and rest." He pauses, considering, his blinking become heavier now that he's comfortably set in bed. "But, ya know. That could just be the Victorian era in me."


Jay: "Mmmm...no, I'm pretty sure they used leeches in the Victorian era, too." Kellen also sounds a bit sleepy, or at least ennervated, even if he does keep making futile little shifts in an attempt to get more comfortable. "But it doesn't matter, 'cause he's at home in Boston with Tim, and if I want an educated opinion here I gotta go talk to the golliwog."