"Amber!" My mom cries, teary-eyed. Before I even had a chance to answer, Mom gives me a long, yet reassuring...and tight hug! Feels like it's been forever since the last hug I got got from Mom.
Weird, speaking of forever...
When I finally remove myself from her hug, giving me air to breathe, "Hey Mom, can I ask you a question?"
"Ask away, darling." Mom responds with her eyes becoming serious.
"How long as it been...you know?" I nervously fiddle with my finger while waiting for her answer.
Mom hesitates for a bit but sighs as if she had no choice, "Two years." I open my mouth but Mom cuts me off with a serious tone in her voice, "And before you ask, you're 16 right now AND we didn't buy you a car."
"Boo-hoo!" I sarcastically pout. Then, something hit me...
Cori!
"Mom! Where's Cori! How she's doing? Is she alright? Did she move? Did Cori's brother gradu-" I ramble on but Mom cuts me off (again!) before I could even finish the word "graduate".
"She's fine! She's still lives in the same house before the accident...and yes, her brother graduated from high school." Mom answers like as if it was obvious. "But she's been dead worried about about you..." Mom adds.
I took a bit to think through my next question, "What about the other kids who rode..." I trail off, not wanting to finish my question.
"They're fine, the majority of them had no major injuries, including the bus driver... and the rest, are probably still in coma." Mom got teary-eyed on that last part.
Okay...what about my phone? I open my mouth, but close it as soon and I noticed my "daughter instincts" telling me that Mom is about to interrupt me.
"and my lucky baby is alive!" Mom cries, stretching out the "i" in "alive", and hugging me tightly but not for long.
"Where's my phone?" I finally say, gasping for air.
As soon as I said "phone", she immediately has that guilty eyes and started fiddling with her ring.
Her wedding ring.
Nostalgia kicks into me, an-or should I say, an recent image of Dad pops up into my head, causing me to tune Mom out. Why did Mom keep that ring all those years, even when Dad decided to leave us? Does she still miss him? Does she want to sell that ring? No, she shouldn't and wouldn't do that. That ring has too many memories of Dad.
"Earth to Amber!" Mom snaps me out of my nostalgist reverie, "Your phone is still at home, but the service is off! I'll renew the service sometime tomorrow and why don't you call Cori from my phone and tell her that you came back from the dead. Huh?"
"Um, okay..." I held out my hand for Mom's phone. Mom stares at my hand blankly, taking her only a second to remember. She hands me her phone and just as I was about to dial, "What's her number?"
Mom started laughing so hard, so hard that she just grips onto my shoulder, " You silly, just go to the contacts!"
Oh, duh! Way to push my buttons!
I go to her contacts and I see Cori's mom, Kelly's name on the list. I tap on it and the phone starts ringing.
I can't believe this is happening! I'm finally getting to hear my best friends voice after two years!
"Hello?" Kelly answers.
"Hey? Is Co-" I start, but go cut off.
"Amber? Is that really you?!" Kelly cries.
"Yeah, that's me!" I said, "Is Cori around?"
"Oh, of course! I'll get her in second! Hang on!" Kelly tells me with an exuberant voice. I glance at Mom as she gives me a thumbs up and a smile.
"Hello?" A voice, supposedly Cori's. Kelly must've made it a surprise for her.
"Hey Cori, Amber is back from the dead!"
I said with sarcasm seeping into my voice. I can hear her covering the phone up because she starts sobbing. Cori speaks into the phone with sarcasm, "Amber! Seriously Amber? Am I talking to a zombie?"
We both giggled through the phone. Suddenly, I get an instinct that something's off, but I couldn't put my finger on it to know what.
"Cori, is everything okay?" I ask, "Since the accident?" Silence, dead silence hangs.
This isn't good.
Cori replies with a higher pitched voice (also known as her lying voice), "I'm fine! I mean, sure things has been different without you..." She pauses bit continues on with her normal voice, "But now that my best friend is a zombie, everything just lightens up my world!"
Something sounds defiantly off about her...
"I guess I'll be able to see you someday?" I said, with hope in my voice.
Cori hesitates but replies, "Yeah! Someday."
She hangs up.
Something is totally wrong!
I hang up and gave Mom's phone back, sighing.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Mom asks.
"Nothing, I'm just tired even though I just woke up from a 2 year nap." I said, partially lying. I mean, I am tired but I have things on my mind! Like the "mystery" boy and Cori being on my mind like crazy.
"Why don't you rest and maybe watch some TV while I make some calls to break the news." And with that, she left.
I yawned and feel fast asleep just seconds before my head hits the pillow. Pulling myself into a dreamless slumber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"The insurance has it covered already and we'll run some quick tests on your daughter just to be sure." Dr. Bolland proclaimes, glancing at me. "And Amber, make sure you eat and drink well to make up your two years of missed meals."
Was that last part was sarcasm or not?...
"I'll make sure that she eats enough." Mom says, putting her arm over my shoulders.
Dr. Bolland jogs down something in his clipboard and bids us goodbye.
"I can't wait to go home!" I sighed with relief, kicking the covers off of me
"Not so fast," Mom quickly pulls the covers over me, "I know you want to go home, but the Doctor wants you to wait for another hour just to be sure."
I mentally roll me eyes, "Fine, but I want to you to help me stay up to date on what I've missed.
YOU ARE READING
Since Then
Romance.:Teen Romance Fiction:. Amber Hollen was just a ordinary 14 year old girl, on her way to home on a school bus, gets into a tragic bus accident that leads her in coma for 2 years. When she woke up, as a 16 year old, a boy was there telling her that...
