You Are What You Read
Chapter 23
by freya

Asuna woke up the next morning with Kim snuggled up to her back and a water bottle held to her belly. She tried to get out of bed without waking Kim but found she was already awake.

“Good Morning!” Kim said brightly. “I hope you’re feeling a little better this morning?”

“Emotionally at least,” Asuna said.

“That’s a start,” Kim said and pulled Sue to her feet. “Let’s get you into the shower. The hot water will help and feeling clean will help too.”

Asuna let herself be guided into the shower. It did help her come out her fugue a little, and by the time they got back to her room she was feeling almost normal. At least she was until she saw some red spots on the inside of her towel. Then she looked for where it came from automatically and when she saw she just froze staring for a long moment until Kim noticed and guided her back to the bed.

“Don’t worry Sue,” she said in a much more soothing voice than her usual. “I promised to help and I will. Just lay back and let me get it. This time at least.”

Asuna winced at the ‘this time’ but otherwise just closed her eyes and let Kim help. She hugged her afterward, “Thank you! This totally makes up for saving your life. I mean it!”

Kim smiled and hugged her back, “I don’t think so but I won’t argue. So are you ready to get dressed? I think it’s supposed to be sunny today so I’ll get out your swimsuit. You can lay in the sun and be waited on hand and foot. Sound good to you?”

Asuna shrugged, “Okay.” She knew she would normally object to the skimpy bathing suit Kim was tying her into but it didn’t seem worth the effort today. She just moved as directed and let Kim strap it on then pull a pair of shorts over the bottom. Kim kept up some happy chatter but Asuna wasn’t really registering it and didn’t say anything until she got to the breakfast table.

“I’ve canceled the last martial arts lessons,” Linda said. There being only one week left before we take you to school anyway. So you have nothing to do but rest and recover.” She slid a plate in front of the red-haired girl, “I know you don’t feel like eating but you need to eat something so try to eat this buttered toast and juice and we’ll see after that okay?”

Asuna nodded, “Thanks, I’m sorry if I’m a bother.”

“You are no bother at all,” Linda said.

After breakfast she lay out by the pool and slept some more, waking up about noon to be greeted with a mug of hot chocolate by Kim, “Here, hot chocolate always helps me so I made you some with real melted chocolate!”

Asuna had to smile at the enthusiasm in Kim’s voice and accepted it, “Thanks, I vote you the world’s best girlfriend. I just wish I had a little more energy; do you think this will be over before we leave for school?”

“It should be but remember, it’s a monthly thing,” Kim said eliciting a groan from Asuna. “I brought the pills out, do you want to try a different brand or did these work for you last night?”

Asuna nodded and said, “Thanks, those helped last night. I should have thought of them this morning.” She took the bottle from Kim and swallowed two with a drink of hot chocolate.

Kim shrugged, “Well you aren’t yourself just now. I’ll try to remind you and we’ll see if the campus store has these.” She smiled, “Don’t worry if they don’t though. We’ll just have Linda send us some along with the cookies and whatnot she’ll be sending anyway.”

Asuna hugged her, “The world’s best girlfriend! It’s official.”

Kim giggled, “I should get a t-shirt that says that.”

Asuna slept most of that day and was sluggish but awake the next but on the third day she was feeling mostly normal again and while she didn’t feel like leaving the house still she invited the girls over and they grilled outside and talked and the others sympathized with her reasons for not wanting to socialize over the past two days.

“Oh don’t worry Sue,” Gwen was saying, “we all know somebody who gets it worse than usual. We’re not going to hold it against you. I’m just glad you’re feeling yourself again.”

“Thanks,” Asuna said.

The last few days of summer vacation flew past and it was suddenly the morning of their trip to Whateley. Asuna had gotten used to be woken up by having the covers pulled off but still had trouble understanding Kim’s hyperfast chatter first thing so she just smiled and hugged her as she grabbed her shower stuff and headed out of the room.

When she got back she vetoed Kim’s choice of clothes, “A leather mini and a halter top? I can’t go to school in those Kim!” She put them back along with the red lacy thong and put on a plain white cotton bra and panty set. “You can stop pouting because it won’t work today. I’m not running around New Hampshire in a halter and the school uniform includes a skirt so I’ll take this last opportunity to wear jeans and comfortable clothes.”

Kim pouted more, “You can wear pants on the weekends there.”

“Only if I can resist your pouts,” Asuna replied.

Kim giggled, “Okay fine. I guess my work here is done. You can dress yourself in the mornings. It probably would be weird if people knew I was heading to your room to dress you in the mornings.”

Asuna smiled, “Yeah, that might be a little hard to explain.” They went down and saw Linda had made waffles for breakfast.

“Wow,” Asuna said. “If you wanted to make it special you really succeeded. These look heavenly.”

“Yeah,” Kim agreed, already eating her first with fruit and powdered sugar on it.

Asuna helped Linda do the dishes and thanked her again for everything, “If I get a chance I’ll come visit. I’ll want to see mom at Christmas but if … if I can’t see her at home maybe we can meet here? If not I think Iris might be willing...”

Linda stopped her, “Of course you and your mom are welcome here if your dad hasn’t got his head out of his ass by then.” Linda assured her, “You can stop by anytime you’re free and I hope to see you at least some time before next summer.”

“I’d like that Linda,” Asuna said. Then there was a knock on the door and Asuna went to answer it.