‘He has a very high fever’ the nurse told them afterwards as they stood huddle outside the door to the room in which Haru rested. ‘He’s sleeping now’ the nurse continued.

‘Can we see him?’ Amelia asked timidly.

‘It’s best to just let him rest’ the nurse replied.

Amelia looked back towards the door worriedly.

‘Will he be ok?’ Aubrey asked.

‘He should be fine.’

‘Why can’t we see him?’ Aubrey pressed.

‘I’ve already said’ the nurse turned to him, speaking a little more firmly now. ‘He needs to rest. You can visit him tomorrow.’

Aubrey glared at his feet in annoyance.

‘I want to see him now’ he mumbled.

‘We shouldn’t annoy him’ Sasha voiced. ‘He’s needs to rest. Just let it go.’

Aubrey turned to face her with a surprised expression.

‘Let’s go’ Sasha said turning away. ‘Are you guys coming?’

The others slowly drifted after her, doing so only reluctantly.

When they were outside again, Sasha spoke to Aubrey.

‘We should leave him alone’ she pressed. ‘If I hear you’ve been visiting him in secret I’ll be pissed.’

‘What?’ Aubrey said defensively.

‘Don’t give me that’ Sasha snapped back. ‘You never listen to what anyone tells you like…ever!’

‘I do!’ Aubrey snapped back. ‘I’m just…’ he turned sharply away then before looking back. ‘I’m just worried about him, and I’m irritated with myself for not realising something was wrong. I should have seen…’

‘If you care for him then you should give him what he needs right now, which is rest.’

‘I just…’ Aubrey mumbled.

Ben who had been silent up until that point moved to stand beside him.

‘He’ll be fine’ he spoke encouragingly. ‘Why are you so worried?’

‘I guess…’ Aubrey murmured. ‘I don’t know…he just seems so weak…’

‘He’s not going to die’ Ben laughed. ‘It’s just a fever. He’ll be alright.’

‘You really think so?’

‘Yes I do’ Ben spoke firmly.

Aubrey groaned unhappily, looking back to the floor again.

‘Anyway’ Sasha voiced, ‘I’m going back to my dorm, are you coming?’ she asked Amelia.

‘Uh…yeah I’m coming.’

‘I’m going back to my room too’ Ben mumbled, scratching the back of his head. ‘See you guys around?’ he said to the others.

The girls moved off as Aubrey waved to them. ‘I guess I’m going to just hang around outside’ he said to Ben. ‘I…need the fresh air.’

‘Sure’ Ben replied flatly. ‘Seriously though, let Haru rest, he’ll be ok.’

‘I promise I’ll leave him be’ Aubrey replied. ‘We can all visit him tomorrow.’

Ben nodded briefly before moving off. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow then’ he waved briefly as he walked away.

‘Sure’ Aubrey replied flatly. ‘Bye.’

He watched Ben go, before turning and wandering across the grounds. He sat upon the wall of a raised flowerbed, the tree behind him casting a shadow over him. He stayed out here for hours until the sun began to set, but still he remained here.

After a time, just as it was beginning to get really dark, he saw a figure walking across the grounds towards him, one of the teachers. No doubt his absence had been noted.

Aubrey rose to his feet, retreating further into the trees behind him and vanishing.

He could not be found.

The next morning, early before class he and the others visited Haru in the hospital wing.

‘You feeling better?’ Aubrey asked him.

‘Yes, I feel much better’ Haru smiled up at him, sitting up in bed now with his hands upon his lap. ‘Um…. why do you look so tired’ he asked Aubrey, ‘are you alright?’

‘I didn’t get much sleep last night’ Aubrey replied.

‘I hope it’s nothing bad’ Haru worried.

‘No, its fine’ Aubrey waved him away, ‘I just didn’t feel like sleeping is all.’

‘Aubrey is an idiot’ Sasha glared at him. ‘He spent all night wandering around outside. He’s bound to get in trouble.’

‘Why would you do that?’ Haru asked him.

‘I couldn’t sleep’ Aubrey answered flatly. ‘Didn’t want to. I had…. too much on my mind.’

Haru stared back at him with worry.

‘When do you think you’ll be able to leave?’ Ben asked him.

‘I don’t know’ Haru smiled weakly, ‘I still feel a bit faint.’

‘Well don’t push yourself’ Amelia told him. ‘I mean it.’

‘What was it that made you unwell?’ Aubrey asked him.

‘I guess I’ve just been really stressed lately’ Haru answered.

‘Stressed about what?’

Haru groaned then, reluctantly to answer.

‘Those boys…no it’s not that…’ he shook his head. ‘I’m grateful for everything you guys have done for me…but I feel under pressure.’

‘Under pressure?’ Aubrey repeated.

‘I don’t want to let you guys down’ Haru mumbled, ‘after everything…you’ve all done for me.’

Aubrey felt a stab in his heart then.

‘You mean this is…my fault?’

‘What?’

‘Is this because I pressured you to take the lead role in the play? If it is I’m sorry, I didn’t realise it was putting so much stress on you, you don’t have to do it.’

‘No’ Haru cried, speaking louder than intended. He drew back then, putting his hand over his mouth then. ‘Sorry’ he mumbled, ‘I mean….’ He lowered his hand, looking back up to Aubrey. ‘It’s really hard for me’ Haru began, ‘but I really want to do it. It’s really nerve-wracking but I’m enjoying it, really.’ His expression fell into a look of worry. ‘You’re not going to stop me doing it are you?’

‘We’re not going to make you do anything you don’t want to’ Aubrey told him seriously. ‘If you want to keep doing the lead role……but please don’t push yourself if it will make you ill.’

‘It’s ok’ Haru smiled. ‘I want to do it. I really do.’

Aubrey frowned at him, seemingly unconvinced.

‘We should go’ Sasha told him. ‘We don’t want to be late to class.’

‘I don’t care about class’ Aubrey grumbled.

‘Well you should’ Sasha snapped at him. ‘You’ll never get anywhere in life if you don’t put effort into your lessons.’

‘School isn’t life’ Aubrey spoke sourly to her in response. ‘I really don’t care.’

Sasha turned away from him sharply with a tut.

She rose to her feet, speaking kindly now to Haru.

‘We’ll be back at lunch to see you’ she told him.

‘Oh no you don’t have to’ Haru waved at her with an awkward smile. ‘What about your practice…for the play?’

‘It can wait’ Sasha replied. ‘You’re our friend, we care about you.’

Haru sobbed into his hand suddenly on hearing that, unable to stop himself.

‘You’re all too kind’ he whispered through his tears.

‘Oh no not again’ Sasha scolded him. ‘Stop crying all the time’ she said taking a tissue from the box beside the bed and dapping at his eyes.

She stopped then, staring into his eyes as he stared back at her.

She drew back away from him, offering him the box instead.

‘Here’ she said briskly, before turning away. ‘We’ll be back later. Come on Aubrey’ Sasha said to him as she sauntered out the room.

‘Bye’ Amelia and Ben said to him, before following after Sasha.

Aubrey lingered a moment longer, giving Haru a teasing smirk before turning away and leaving the room.

Haru let out a sigh, leaning back again in bed. He was sad to see them all go, especially Aubrey, whom he longed with all his heart to see again.