Cold denial

[42686]

wew! i was afraid that you abandoned the story D:

loved the update! cant wait to see what happens next

[v a n i l l a]

Chloe entered the locker room, changed out of her current outfit, and pulled on the navy gym clothes the students were directed to wear. She felt a slight tickle dance in her nose, and she presumed that someone had sprayed perfume in the locker room, but she couldn't smell anything. She shrugged it off and headed towards the locker room doors, but she was distracted by a massive cloud of perfume forming in the locker room. A lanky brunette had showered herself in the wretched aroma that was enclosed in a thin vile. Chloe's entire nose began to tickle intensely at once. She dashed out of the locker room, having flashbacks of the day before. She prayed that the tickle would fade, but, of course, that didn't happen. She pinched her nose shut, hoping that would subdue the sneeze, but, again, she was wrong. "Heh-ATCH-oo. He-ASSH-eh. HEA-choo. HASCHOO! HASCOOO! HEATCHA! HUREASHOOO!" The fit was over, but the tickle didn't fade. It still burned faintly in her nose, and it had decided to torture Chloe for a longer amount of time, rather than get it over with so early on. She was just grateful that she hadn't gotten any of the perfume on herself. The tickle from her cold intertwined with the allergy tickle, making the need to sneeze simply unbearable. She took her seat on the assigned seating numbers, clutching her temples once again. "Hih-NGGXH. Hih-NSCSH. Hah-Nssh. Hih-NGSH. Hah.... Haaa... HASHOO!" A few people turned to glance at Chloe skeptically, but no one said anything. A few people scooted a bit further away from the ill blonde, not wanting to catch whatever she had. Chloe was extremely embarrassed, but thankfully, the fit had seemed to subside. The class went through the daily stretches and headed towards the asphalt court to play dodge ball. Austin drifted over to Chloe once they had entered the court, eyeing her cautiously.

"Sorry for what happened in Geometry," he murmured apologetically. It obviously wasn't any fault of his own, but it made Chloe feel better about the situation.

"It's fi-" Chloe was cut off by a sudden returning tickle. She held her finger up to her nose once more, trying to hold off the sneeze. It worked for a split second, but then, the sneeze was determined to come. "Hih-sch! Hah-Ngch! Hih-sch! Hah-cssh-ah!" The sneezes were stifled, but the fit was only beginning.

Austin looked concerned, but also a bit agitated, as he had wished that Chloe would have stayed home instead of coming to school. "Chloe, are you okay?" he inquired softly. Chloe opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by another fit of sneezes.

"Hih-aschoo! Heashoo! Hashoo! Eashoo!" Chloe's sneezes were now completely unstifled, directed into the crook of her elbow. She suddenly caught a whiff of a very strong scent. It smelled a bit like pine. Chloe winced as she realized that it was cologne, which must have been what was making Chloe sneeze.

Austin appeared very concerned at this point. "Chloe, please, go to the nurse," he pleaded, taking a step forward. He placed his hand on Chloe's shoulder. This made the tickle intensify even more. Chloe realized that it must be Austin who was wearing the cologne. Chloe shrunk away slightly, but Austin maintained his grip on her shoulder. "Chloe, are you alright?" he pressed.

Chloe felt the tickle become too much to hold in any longer. "Heashoo! Hashoo! EASHOO! HAESCHOOO! HASHOOO! HERASCHOOO!" She began to feel a bit lightheaded. The fit subsided for a split second, giving Chloe a chance to speak. "A-Are you wearing col-colo... colo-... co-ahSHOO! HASHOO! Eas-CHOO! ...cologne?" she inquired hoarsely. Austin smirked jokingly.

"Why yes. Do you like it?" he teased. As soon as the words left his mouth, he winced, realizing why Chloe had asked. "Oh, gosh, Chloe... I totally forgot, I'm really sorry!" he exclaimed, withdrawing his hand and taking a step back.

Chloe directed a fit of sneezes into her elbow once more, her head jerking forward with each sneeze. "Heashoo! Heh-choo! Heashoo! HaeSHOO! HASHOO!" The tickle was dying down a bit, as Austin was a bit further away, but it was still lingering. Austin was about to say something else when a dodgeball hit his knee, signalling that he was out of the game.

"Bye Chlo'. Again, I'm really sorry!" he apologized as he drifted over to the opposite side of the court, as he was obliged to do by the rules of the game. With Austin gone, the tickle had died down immensely. Chloe stifled a few more sneezes, but the fit was otherwise over. She was a bit drowsy, but she managed to dodge the dodgeballs pretty well. That is, until one came flying from behind, hitting her directly in the back of her head, sending her flying forward. She landed onto the asphalt with a sickening thud.

Her ears were ringing, her entire body was sore, and she didn't have the energy to get up. She heard a voice calling her name, but it didn't register into her mind for a moment. She caught a whiff of pine, and her nose began to tickle again, which told her that it was Austin who had come to her rescue. As if Chloe needed more embarrassment. However, part of her was glad that it was Austin, because, well, she had a massive crush on him, and it felt nice to have him fretting over her in a non-accusatory way for once.

"Are you okay!?" he exclaimed desperately, placing one hand on her shoulder. When Chloe didn't respond, he tried to prop her up. As she was limp, this task proved to be a bit difficult. He ignored the crowd piling around them as he stared at Chloe nervously. "Chloe, say something," he requested, now thoroughly frightened. The tickle began to build immediantly in Chloe's nose, as she was extremely allergic to Austin's cologne.

"Heh... Heh-choo!" She let out a weak sneeze, which was the only sneeze for now. "I-I'm fine," she assured Austin, who let out a sigh of relief.

"Alright, then let's go to the nurse," he replied. Chloe shook her head weakly.

"I'm fi-fi... Huh-shoo! Hehshoo! Heaschoo! I'm fine, I promise... I just wanna sit down for a minute." Austin chuckled softly as he helped Chloe to her feet, allowing her to put her weight on his shoulder.

"Then let's go sit down for a minute," he suggested, guiding Chloe over to the side of the court. Chloe sat down beside Austin, her head resting on his shoulder. She tried desperately to suppress her sneezes and simply enjoy this moment.

"Thanks," she murmured softly, her voice hoarse from her cold. Austin grinned.

"No problem. I'm glad you're okay," he replied. Chloe was about to respond, but she was overcome by a massive fit of sneezes.

"Hah-ngx! Heh-NSGHH-ah! Heh-ASCH-ew! HEAH-choo! HASHOO! Heeh... Heh... Heh.... Eeeeeh.... Heh-Ngsh! Heh-NSSH-ah! HAHSHOO! HASHOO! HURSHOO! ETSCHEW! HEH.... HEAAA..... HEASCHOOOOO! HURA-SCHOOOOO! HAH.... HAAAAAH.... HEASCHOOOOOOOO!" Chloe's head was throbbing, but the tickle was nearly gone now. Cologne and perfume, that was her absolute worst allergy. She could normally never even get near a bottle of it, and now she was sitting next to someone who had practically bathed himself in it. He didn't smell bad, but the tickle was simply too much for her to handle. Her entire body shook every time she sneezed, and these were some of the loudest, wettest, and messiest sneezes she'd ever had. However, the sneeze seemed to be nearly over. They sat in silence for a moment before Austin spoke once more.

"You know... You probably should have stayed home today," he pointed out.

Chloe sighed softly. "I know," she murmured, not meeting his eye.

"But I'm glad you didn't."

Chloe glanced up in surprise. She stifled a couple harsh sneeze into the palm of her hand before looking back up at him. "W-Why's th-th... Hea-SHOO! HEHSHOO! HEASHOO! Wh-Why's that?"

Austin smirked. "Because, if you weren't here, I wouldn't be able to do this." He lifted Chloe's chin up slightly, leaned his head down, and allowed their lips to meet. Chloe had to turn her head away periodically to release a sneeze, but other than that, it was absolutely perfect.

[v a n i l l a]

The bell sounded. Austin and Chloe slowly pulled apart.

"I'll meet up with you in the gym," Chloe replied hoarsely. She held onto the wall lightly for support as she headed into the locker room to change back into her original clothes. She pulled off her gym clothes, which now smelled faintly of pine, and slid on her navy jeans that were unintentionally dotted with a bit of paint near the cuffs. She changed into an ivory, lace tank top and a navy sweater as well, and she pulled on her tan Ugg boots. She was halfway out of the locker room when a throbbing pain leaked from her forehead, causing her to wince. She put her hand to her forehead to massage her temples once more, and withdrew her fingers immediantly as she felt heat radiate from her head, indicating that she had a fever. She groaned as she entered the gym, resting her back against the wall. Austin materialized in front of her.

"I'm officially cologne free!" he announced jokingly. When Chloe only gave a slight smile, it caused Austin to become a bit concerned, which he'd be sick of feeling by now, had it not been concern for Chloe. "Hey, you okay?" he inquired.

It took Chloe a moment to respond, but she gave him a small nod. In all honesty, she felt like she was going to die. Or pass out. Or both. Her head was killing her, she was freezing and sweltering at the same time, her nose was insanely sore, she couldn't stop sneezing, and she was simply sick of being sick. Austin was interrupted by the bell before he could speak. They two headed out of the gym, but Austin caught Chloe by her elbow. "Look, Chloe, if you need to go home, then go home," he ordered. "Besides, if you go home early, it doesn't even count as an absence."

"Can't..." she mumbled, becoming somewhat delirious. Austin would have snapped at her if she didn't look so miserable.

"Why not?" he demanded, managing to sound soft.

"I have a fever... Can't come back tomorrow..." Her sentence was missing a few words, but Austin got the main portion of what she was saying. The halls had emptied, and it was just Chloe and Austin, as everyone else had rushed off to devour their lunches. Austin put the palm of his hand on Chloe's forehead, withdrawing it immediantly.

"You're burning up!" he exclaimed, sounding shocked. "Look, you need to go to the nurse. Right now." It wasn't a question. Chloe was too exhausted and too out of it to argue this time. Austin began guiding her towards the nurse's office, which was on the other side of the school. He wore a triumphant smile, glancing over at Chloe to crack a joke. However, when he turned to face her, his grin turned to a gasp of horror as he watched her go completely limp, cascading onto the floor, her head knocking into the ivory cement. She was unconscious.

[Yuuki]

OMG amazing *O* feverish Chloe fainting *O*

[v a n i l l a]

@recuchii: Thanks! :3

@Sneezelover123: Thank you!!

[Sneezypeezy]

This keeps getting better! More please <33

[Yuuki]

are you going to continue this?

[Bgrace27]

so i just read this entire story. PLEASE continue it it is sooo good!

[Yuuki]

so no continuation to this? o.o

[v a n i l l a]

Sorry! I'd sorta forgotten about this thread. I'll post a continuation asap!

[v a n i l l a]

And, of course, I forgot. Okay. Here's an update, because I feel awful for forgetting for so long!

Austin felt as if he's just been run over by a bulldozer. "Oh, gosh, Chloe!" he exclaimed, immediately leaping onto his hands and knees to help her in any way he could manage. "Chloe, please, please, please be okay!" His heart was racing, and the only thoughts that could process through his mind revolved around getting Chloe to the nurse, immediately. He attempted to pick her up, though this was a foolish idea, as she was much to heavy for him to carry, though she was much lighter than usual, as she was limp and unconscious. However, he didn't have much of a choice. He staggered backwards a bit as he stood with Chloe in his arms, and he dashed, or, at least, ran as quickly as he could manage, over to the lunch tables, where he was sure he would find Shelby and Thalia. He wasn't particularly eager to speak with Thalia at the moment, but he didn't seem to have a choice. To his slight relief, Thalia wasn't present when he showed up, only Shelby, who was horrified.

"What happened!?" she shrieked, leaping to her feet at once. Her eyes were widened in alarm, and her breathing was short and rapid.

"She had a high fever or something, and I was taking her to the nurse, a-and she passed out!" he blurted out, beside himself with fear. He couldn't afford to have anything happen to Chloe. He would never forgive himself for allowing this to happen. "Can you help me carry her so that we can get her there faster?" Before Austin had even finished his sentence, Shelby was by his side, putting her arm around Chloe. The two dashed towards the nurse, ignoring the curious faces and constant questions. They burst through the door, and Austin immediately blurted out everything that had happened to the nurse while Shelby placed Chloe on one of the beds. The nurse took Chloe's temperature and did a basic assessment of Chloe's health as Austin retold the story. The nurse then snatched the phone and dialed 911.

"Thank you for bringing her here so quickly. You may return to your classrooms," the nurse replied. Austin stiffened.

"But... it's lunch. And I want to stay here," he objected tentatively. He didn't want to upset the nurse, as that wasn't necessarily the best way to get her to let him stay, but he was relieved when the nurse's expression softened.

"You may stay for a bit, but Chloe will be brought to the hospital as soon as the ambulance arrives to make sure she has not had a concussion." the nurse explained. Austin hesitated a moment before responding.

"Can I stay until they come?" he inquired softly. He could tell that he was pushing his luck, but he couldn't help it. Seeing Chloe laying limp on the bed like a corpse freaked him out; he needed to make sure that she was alright. The thought of Chloe having a concussion made him nauseous. The nurse gave a nod after a moment of consideration, and Austin relaxed. He swept over to Chloe's side, his stomach churning with nervousness. Please be okay, he begged silently. Please.

[zaiphon]

this story is so awesome!!!! so glad you updated

[Yuuki]

awesome!!!!

Finally the update ^^

[v a n i l l a]

Would you mind if I skipped until Chloe was out of the emergency room and back at school? I have another idea for this story for when they are at school, and the emergency room wouldn't have much sneezing anyways.

[ValkyriePleasant]

Would you mind if I skipped until Chloe was out of the emergency room and back at school? I have another idea for this story for when they are at school, and the emergency room wouldn't have much sneezing anyways.

Pretty sure nobody minds, haha. I know I don't

[hay-choo]

i dont mind

[v a n i l l a]

It was the first day Chloe had spent back at school since the fainting incident, and she wasn't too eager to quench everyone's curiosity and inform everyone individually want had happened. She could hear them already. "What happened?" "Did you really pass out?" "Why didn't you just stay home that day!?" The incident was incredibly embarrassing now that she looked back at it, and she did long to have stayed home that day. She was sitting on one of the school benches, awaiting the arrival of her friends. Thalia still wasn't speaking to her or Austin, so she would look for Shelby and Austin. She grinned with delight as she spotted Austin enter the school campus. "Hey!" she chirped in greeting. Austin wore a wide grin upon spotting Chloe.

"You're back!" he noted cheerily. They'd spoken through texting and messaging while Chloe was out for a few days, but she hadn't informed him exactly when she would be returning. Chloe nodded in response. She paused as Austin ducked a soft, stifled sneeze into his elbow. "Heh'sch."

"Yep! My mom said I was good enough to come today," she informed him. Her expression gained a slight element of confusion as she saw Austin rub at his nose. Considering that he had an exceptional immune system and he didn't have allergies, and always sneezed in singles, this confused her slightly, though she didn't say anything of it.

"Huh'ncch, ncch. Nncch!" Now Chloe was a bit skeptical, though she still didn't say anything of it. She knew that she hated being badgered about being sick, and she doubted that Austin would appreciate it if she did that. Is he sick? she asked herself silently. T-The kiss! Oh, gosh, why did I kiss him when I was sick! If he is sick, then it's all my fault. She decided to forget her worries and worry about this if it became a problem.

"Bless you," she chirped casually. Austin rubbed slightly at his nose, which was turning a delicate shade of pink.

"Thanks," he replied, still trying to sound upbeat like he always did, despite the fact that he could tell that he was gradually acquiring the symptoms of the common cold.

[ValkyriePleasant]

I knew that would happen >

Amazing story, for real. I should learn from you, my story isn't any good. Teach me your wayssss :c

[bless]

great now Austin is getting sick too. its a wonderfull story.

[sneffnie]

has this finished this story?! x

[Not_Telling]

This is a gorgeous piece of work, and...

Wow. Just wow.

[CuteSneezeGirl]

This is so cute! *faints* Seriously, the way you wrote it just... Awwww! And yay, Austin got sick~ *Laughs evilly*

I love your spelling of sneezes, by the way. Please continue! <3

[v a n i l l a]

Oh my gosh, I feel awful for abandoning this fic 3: This was my first fic, and I actually had a lot more that I planned to write for this story. I'll try to update more frequently!

As she entered her Biology classroom, Chloe glanced frequently in Austin's direction, attempting to gauge whether or not he really was getting sick without making it obvious what she was doing, as Austin sat only one table away from her. However, this didn't seem to be too big of a problem. Though he managed to conceal his symptoms quite well, Chloe knew him well enough to notice the absence of the sarcastic, playful texture in his expression, replaced by a somewhat disoriented and zoned out aspect. Her suspicions were once again confirmed when his pink glazed nose ducked into his elbow.

"Hmp'ktsch. Mmh'phkch. Hur'ktschoo!" No one seemed to take notice of these symptoms aside from Chloe, who was now dismayed with guilt for single-handedly infecting Austin. She winced as she heard him stifle another silent sneeze into his palm, and she mentally scolded him for wearing short sleeves with no jacket during the winter. It was as if he was trying to get sick. She sighed, pointlessly attempting to redirect her attention onto the lesson until the bell rang, indicating the end of the period. English seemed to race by, most of it taken up by silent reading and hushed conversations between Chloe and Shelby, both of whom appeared to be over their illnesses. When Geometry arrived, Chloe was reluctant to see that Austin had somehow gotten worse rather than better since first period. His skin seemed to be a paler, and his under-eyes had slight dark circles enveloping them. She prayed silently that everything would go alright during this class, and that Austin wouldn't have another fit. The last thing she needed was for Mr. Flost to scold her and Austin being sick. Chloe decided to check up on him briefly before going to her seat; she figured that she should at least grant Austin the opportunity to admit to being ill.

"Hey Austin!" she chimed, her lips tilted into a lopsided grin. Austin's demeanor rapidly changed. He suddenly sat up straighter, and Chloe could tell that he was making a conscious effort to look more alive than he felt.

"Hey Chlo'," he replied in his usual greeting, though his voice was becoming a bit hoarse. His voice trailed off a bit, and he cleared it, which resulted in slight coughing.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" she inquired gently, managing to keep her tone light and brisk. Austin raised one eyebrow in mock confusion.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he insisted, his voice cheerful and playful. Chloe grew more skeptical than before.

"You sure? You seemed like you were getting sick," she admitted, deciding to stop beating around the bush. To this statement, Austin began laughing, which irked Chloe a bit.

"Chlo', you can't seriously be worrying about that. You're just paranoid after you passed out and all that. Stop worrying and lighten up!" he teased, pushing her shoulder playfully. Chloe pretended to believe him, and returned the smile with a brief nod before she slipped back over to her desk, as Mr. Flost was approaching. She could tell that he was lying, she knew him too well to fall for that. Already, he seemed to be battling off an impending fit. But she had already tried to help him, and he'd refused her help. So, she'd wait until he was too sick to argue anymore, like he'd done with her. It was a technique that seemed to have worked in the past.

[CuteSneezeGirl]

Such sweet denial! <3 He's so nice, just so she won't worry... C: It's a really amazing story! I hope you write more soon... :3

[Not_Telling]

:o YOU'RE CONTINUING!!!!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! So glad I didn't unfollow this story. I thought it was over~