Veronique the Brat (Chapter 2)

Later that day, the girls made their way over to Madeline's house so they could meet her cousin, Veronique, from Quebec. Debra got into Madeline's car after school so they could get there together. Skye hitched a ride from Andrea so Lizzie drove with nobody else in her car. Madeline let everybody into the empty mansion and made them wear hospital masks which were resting in a box on the living room table. They all walked upstairs and made it to Madeline's room. She opened the door and the girls caught a glimpse of a girl resting in Madeline's huge royal-like bed. The girl had long, red hair with an orange sheen and grassy green eyes. She was pasty-faced and wearing a hospital mask along with pink, elephant-printed pajamas. She was trying to sleep, pushing the pink, glittery covers up to her neck. She opened her eyes and groaned when she heard the door open.
"How is it going, Veronique?" asked Madeline, muffling through the mask.
"I'm in pain, you floozy," Veronique almost mumbled.
"Nice to see you, too."
"Madeline, I don't want to see people."
"Relax. These are my friends. They hardly see you."
"Mmm..."
"We're here to help," said Lizzie, perky as always.
"Good 'cause I need it."
"Is there anything you want, Ronnie?" asked Madeline.
"I want to go to sleep. But since you guys are here, can I get some medicine?"
"Sure, anything you want," responded Skye. "As long as you have money." She walked out of the room to go to the bathroom.
"Can someone take her temperature?" requested Madeline, pulling out a thermometer from her back pocket.
"I'll do it," volunteered Debra, taking the thermometer.
She sprinted towards the bed and kneeled before Veronique.
"Say 'ah'," she kindly demanded.
Veronique took off her mask and opened her mouth wide.
"Ahhh...." she uttered.
"Don't breathe on me now," demanded Debra.
Veronique stopped making a sound but kept her mouth open. Debra stuck the thermometer under Veronique's tongue. Veronique sucked on the thermometer as the bohemian stood up.
Skye came back with a little orange container of white pills. "I believe this is Veronique's since it got her name on the label."
"Give it to her," Madeline quietly commanded.
Skye walked over to the bed and stood next to Debra. She handed Veronique the pills which she held for a while. Debra took the thermometer out of her mouth and checked the temperature on the tiny screen.
"Dang!" she exclaimed. "This says one-hundred-fifty-six degrees!"
Madeline groaned.
"How did you get Lyme disease by the way?" asked Skye.
Veronique twisted the cap off of the container. "I was vacationing in France and got attacked by a deer tick. When I came home, I was cold and hot at the same time." She shook the container over her hand until two pills fell in her palm. She stuck the medicine in her mouth and swallowed it dry. "And what's crazy is that I was talking to a guy when I got bit. That's what I get for messing with French candy, you know what I'm saying?"
Skye laughed. "So how much money did it take for you to go to France?"
"Skye!" called Madeline.
"What? I want to know."
"You're very pretty, Veronique," remarked Lizzie.
"Thanks," Veronique responded.
"Maybe one day, when you're not diseased of Lyme, I can do your makeup."
"I would like that."
"This 'taking care of Veronique' isn't so bad, Maddie," said Andrea.
"You didn't even do anything yet," said Madeline.
"That's why it's not so bad."
"I think I might like you guys," admitted Veronique. "Madeline has been a pain. The whole time I've been here, she kept saying, 'Don't throw up in my bed. Don't throw up in my bed. Don't throw up in my bed.'"
"Sorry I don't want vomit all over my Michael Amini sheets," said Madeline, crossing her arms.
"You need to stop being a she-devil."
"Just don't throw up in my bed."