"Are you coming to the bar to watch the game?"

"I have to do a few things but yeah I am coming later."

"Oh, what?"

"He is waiting for Beck," Bray tells Stan from across the locker room.

"Is she not going with her friends?"

"No she is a TA so she is hosting a review right now. I am going to wait for her so she doesn't have to walk alone in the dark."

"Because he is whipped, Stan."

I ignore Bray and continue to get dressed. He thinks I am whipped just for waiting for her so I won't even dare mention that I am going to Panera downtown to pick her up soup before we head to the bar to hang out with everyone. But then again Bray is also the guy freshman year that carried me to the locker room on his back because I twisted my ankle so he can't talk. When it comes to being a good best friend he has set the bar high.

"Well bye Ryder, see you and Fran later."

"You mean Fryder," someone across the locker room pipes in.

"Yeah Fryder," Stan laughs. "Well, see you then."

Slowly my team leaves but I am in no rush since Francesca's review doesn't end for another 45 minutes. Coach walks into the locker room and sits down on the bench next to where I am organizing my locker.

"Did those guys have a good time?"

"The twins? Yeah they did, thank you again Coach."

"Kid if things are important to my players they're important to me. You have never asked me for anything ever since the day you started here so I knew this had to be pretty important. I am glad it went well."

Coach pats me on the back after giving my locker a once over before disappearing to somewhere within the arena. When I first started here everyone said that they were pretty sure Coach lived here because they never saw him leave.

Once my locker is semi organized and I have a bag full of dirty clothes I have been meaning to take home slug over my shoulder, I finally head to my car. I throw the dirty bag in the trunk and then drive over to Panera. There is no one there so I walk in, quickly order a to-go bowl of chicken noodle, and get back in my car.

I only know where Francesca's review is tonight because I stalked the math department's website. I am sure Francesca will bully me about being a stalker but it's fine because I know despite her teasing she appreciates this stuff.

Her review is not over yet so I slip in and take a seat in the back row. Francesca notices me right away and I don't miss the small smile she tries to hide behind her hands. People turn to find the source of her new found happiness and begin to whisper when they see me sitting in the back with my feet up on the table.

"Are there any more questions?"

The group shakes their heads and just looks at her. Yeah I have a question, she looks like crap why is she not at home in bed? I mean don't get me wrong she is hot and even now easily one of the prettiest girls on campus but she looks tired and her nose is red and I can just tell she is feeling worse than yesterday.

"Ok then, good luck tomorrow and have a great spring break everyone."

Everyone begins to pack up and I stand up and walk to the front where Francesca is sitting in a rolling chair. "Hey Beck."

"Hey," she coughs. She sounds like she is about to hack up a lung and I decide instantly that we will not be going out tonight. While she finishes slowly packing up her stuff I text the team group chat.

Me: Beck's sick, we're going to skip. Bray behave.

Guys start answering instantly but I put my phone away instead of checking them. They can wait until later anyways, right now I am more worried about Francesca who looks like she's about to fall over just picking her backpack up.

I take it and for once she doesn't protest. My nerves spike a little because never had Francesca not fought me about something before, even small things. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good. I have been a little nauseous today so I skipped my lunch and dinner."

I wrap my arm around her and lead her out to my car which thankfully is parked close. "I picked you up some soup."

"Ry you are the best." She leans closer into me and wraps her arms weakly around my torso. My heart is hammering in my chest and I hope she can't hear it. Every time Francesca hugs me or leans on me or touches me my heart races and every time she lets go this cold feeling settles over me like I am missing something.

"I got you Beck, let's go home." I open the car door for her and she carefully gets in and holds the baggie with the soup protectively to her chest. I shut the door and climb into the car.

"Did your parents bring you soup when you were sick," she asks in a tiny voice. She never asks about my parents and while I want to open up to her I am scared. Bray and Stan only know because I couldn't hide it but I don't miss the pity looks they give me sometimes. During Thanksgiving and Christmas when everyone goes home for days and I only leave for a few hours, enough to appease them, before returning back to the house. I don't need someone else feeling pity for me, especially Francesca, who is so pure she will for sure try to compensate for their neglect in her own way.

"No, but freshman year I got sick and Coach did."

"He scares me," she giggles weakly, turning in her seat to look at me better.

"He is harmless most of the time. Sometimes I wish I brought him to the draft with me instead of who I brought."

"I would have gone if I knew you then. And I would have made you a really cool sign. And I would have screamed really loud when you were picked."

I find myself getting choked up at her admission. A much different, much better, draft night plays in my head. One of Francesca with me instead. She is wearing my first Islanders jersey that swallows her tiny body and is just rambling endlessly about how proud of me she is. Shit she does that now to the student journalist after home games. I truly hit the lottery when Josh and Barb double booked our ice time.

When we get to her apartment I help her inside and let her get comfortable on the couch with her soup while I grab her a blanket and pillow. I return and wrap her up like a burrito before sitting next to her on the couch. She flicks on the Islanders game and looks at me to gauge my reaction. She loves the Islanders and even though my future with them remains unsure I will happily watch every game with her. "Soup good?"

"Great actually. You're the best friend in the entire world, I am forever in debt to you." God dammit, this girl is going to kill me.

"How about you rat sit this weekend, you can stay at my house if that is easier I will bring you the key tomorrow before we leave."

"Can I eat in your bed?"

"No." Yes. Unlike Maddie, Francesca could do just about anything in my room besides touch my three special hats and I wouldn't care.

Francesca finishes most of her soup and then settles into the couch, her feet somehow ending up in my lap. I rest my one hand on her legs and we both watch the Islanders game. I don't talk and neither does Francesca but occasionally one of us will yell at the tv.

When the game finally ends she is sound asleep on the couch and I turn on a different hockey game and watch that. I don't move at all besides grabbing the remote, so not to wake her. She looks even smaller and cuter than usual in her blanket and I constantly find myself watching her instead of the game, like a creep.

"Ryder," her panicked voice pulls me from the beginning of the second period.

"Yeah Beck?"

Instead of answering she kicks off her blanket and runs off. I am up and following her before I can process what is going on. I find her kneeled over the toilet in the bathroom and grab her hair from her face the best I can before she throws up.

She throws up for what feels like forever even though it is at most 5 minutes. I grab a towel on the counter while still holding her weak body against me and run it under some cool water. I ring it out the best I can with one hand before I pat her forehead with it.

"I don't feel good Ryder," she whines on the verge of tears.

"I know Beck, I know. I got you." I set the towel down on the edge of the sink and hold her to my chest while she grips my shirt softly. I rub her back gently as she groans and then climbs out of my arms and throws up again.

When she finishes, I again wipe her face and she just watches me with tired eyes. I am not sure if I am exactly doing this right because my parents never did this for me but my instinct to take care of her has kicked in and I am letting it take over.

"Want to go lay in your bed instead of here on the floor."

She nods and I scoop up her shaky body and carry her to her bed. I set her down gently and she grabs my arm as I go to walk away. "I am getting your blanket and some water. I promise I will be right back."

She whimpers as she releases me and I brush the hair from her face before exiting quickly, not wanting to leave her alone for long. I grab her a water and her blanket and head back into her room.

"My soup," she says in this pitiful little voice that has me literal putty in her hands. If it wasn't already 10:30 at night I would go get her more in a heartbeat but I know they aren't open anymore.

"Didn't taste so good the second time, did it," I laugh softly while climbing into her bed next to her. She curls herself up next to me with her head on my stomach and I wrap my arms around her carefully trying to stop her from shaking.

"No, not at all. Do I have a fever?"

"I don't know, do you have a thermometer?"

"I don't think so." She sniffles a little and sits up.

"Come here." I gently grab her head and press my lips to her forehead. It was the one parental act my mother ever did and sometimes as a little kid I would pretend I thought I had a fever just so she'd press her lips to my forehead. It was the most affection she ever showed me in private.

I am not as good as my mom was at telling so I just awkwardly leave my lips there for awhile while my brain tries to figure out if she has a fever or not. I think she does but I am not certain. "I think you do. I am not really sure. I thought it would be easier to tell," I admit nervously.

"My mom and dad used to do that too but when I tried it on Luna, sophomore year, it was so hard to tell. But I think you're right, you're usually right."

"That's it you're clearly sicker than I thought, Beck we are going to the hospital. Something must be horribly wrong if you're admitting I am even sometimes right."

"Clearly, I am delusional in my sick state."

I get Francesca to sip some water before she returns to her spot curled up on me. She falls asleep soon after with her arm across my body and her head resting on my stomach. I am sweating to death but I pull as many blankets on her as possible to keep her warm.

"Fran? Fran, how are you feeling?" Luna bursts into the room looking like a bat out of hell. I text her once Francesca was settled in that she had thrown up. I actually suggested she sleep at Tristians so she didn't get sick but I guess she decided against that.

"How is she?"

"She has a fever I am pretty sure, but she hasn't thrown up since I texted you. I did get her to drink some water before she went to sleep."

Luna walks over and brushes some hair from Francesca's face, assessing her roommate who is laying on me. For once Luna looks at me like I am not the enemy. "Thank you for taking care of her."

"Always."

Luna helps me climb out from under Francesca and we both try to make her comfortable in her bed before walking out of the room to talk in the hallway. "She is supposed to watch the rats but if she isn't up for it I will get someone else to watch them."

"She will want to watch them just drop the key off here tomorrow and I will help her if I have to."

"You hate them," I remind her.

"But I love my best friend, we make sacrifices for the people we love."

"Ryder," a weak little voice calls out for me and in the blind of an eye I am at her bedside.

"Hey, what do you need?" I start rubbing her back gently as I bend down to talk to her.

"Are you going?"

"I don't have to, I was just talking to Luna."

"Oh, no you should go, you have practice and then a travel day tomorrow and I know you didn't pack yet."

"You know me too well Beck. Text me and let me know how you're feeling, ok? If you need anything I can bring it by before we leave tomorrow."

"Thank you, you're the best."

Before I leave, I re tuck her in and pat her head. In the hall Luna is still standing where I left her but with a small smile now on her face. "Get home safe Ryder, thank you again."

"Night Luna."