Second Chances

Chapter 11: Why Me?

Chapter 11
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(Lacey’s POV)

Adam walks through the door, his face reflected all of the worry he is clearly feeling inside.

“Lace, are you al-” I didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. I jumped into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably, burying my face into the hollow between his shoulders and neck.

He immediately wrapped his arms around me, “shh, it’s going to be fine, everything is going to be okay.”

(Adam’s POV)

I gently cradle Lacey in my arms, she seems so fragile and vulnerable. She is also getting my shirt wet with her tears, but i don’t mind. The only thing i care about right now is to make sure she is going to be okay.

I walk over to one of the hard plastic chairs in the hospital waiting room and sit down, pulling Lacey onto my lap.

“Is it..?” I ask, cutting off so I don’t upset her more. She nods her head fiercely.

My heart sinks below my stomach. It already hurts so much to see Lacey in pain, but... Even in the short time I had known Cullen he had been so nice and kind.

I bury my face into Lacey’s soft, curly hair. I mutter a few comforting words to her, trying my best to make her feel better.

“Excuse me” I look up to see a nurse with a clipboard. “Are you family of Cullen Robinson?” She asks.

“Uhm.. no, we’re not” I say after I realize that Lacey wasn’t exactly jumping at the opportunity to chat with the nurse.

“Well do you know their numbers or anything so we can get a hold of them?” She asks. I can tell she is getting annoyed. She shoots a dirty look at the clearly devastated Lacey.

I mean, I understand that dealing with crying people on a daily basis can be a bit overwhelming but seriously! Her best friend just died, cut her some slack, lady!

“Lace?” I ask as i rub her head softly, “Do you have Cullen’s parents’ number?” I ask.

She nods, her face still buried in my shirt. “iths tin my thone under misthes wobinsthon” she sniffles as she pulls her phone out of her pocket.

I hand it to the nurse who writes down the number and hands the phone back to me and walks away. I slip her phone into my pocket and stand up.

“Lacey, i think we should get you home, okay?” I tell her. Now I’m no expert but I know that the moment Cullen’s mother is going to walk through those doors she is going to start bawling her head off and i think that is just too much for Lacey.

She doesn’t complain like i though she would. She just nods and continues to cry.

I lift her into my arms, she is so light, as if she weighs nothing. As I walk out to my car, the only thing i can think about is Lacey. I can’t stand to see her in so much pain, and it kills me that i can’t do anything about it.
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(Lacey’s POV)

“Unggh” I groan and roll over. I so do not want to get up right now.  I yawn, open my eyes, and sit up.

Wait. How did I get home? I look around my room, taking it all in.

Desk? check. Basketball trophies and medals? check. Random piles of clothes on the floor? check.

Yeah, unless this is a parallel universe, I am definitely in my room.

I start to get out of bed, but then the events of last night hit me.

Oh hell no, I am never leaving this bed. I crawl back under my covers and try to fall asleep.

After about oh, say twenty minutes of squeezing my eyes shut and trying to let slumber overcome me, i realize that i am not going to be able to sleep for a while.

I roll out bed, grudgingly, may I add.

I glance over at the mirror. My hair is in a giant, golden rats nest upon my head, my eyes blood red and puffy, my clothes rumpled and wrinkled, and... need I go on.

I look like crap. I feel like crap. Awesome.

I roll my eyes at my reflection. Screw this.

I slip my feet into my blue fuzzy slippers and open the door out into the hallway. I start to walk down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Wait. What was that?

I stop moving for a moment and listen very closely.

Then, I hear it; murmuring coming from the direction of main dining room.

I freeze. Oh, maybe it’s just Albert, ordering groceries or calling the maid or something. I knew they had a thing for each other!

I started to walk again.

I reached the end of the hallway and stopped. It wasn’t Albert.

I could hear the voices more distinctly now. There were two people. I could pick up a female voice and a male voice. The Man’s voice was too deep to be Albert’s.

OH MY GOD!!! maybe I was kidnapped!!!

I ignored the sensible part of my mind that asked, ‘then why are you home?’

I crept around the corner and picked up a lamp, unplugging it in the process. I held it up behind my shoulder, as if I were getting ready to bat a baseball.

I quietly tip-toed towards the dining room. Once I was by the doorway, I stood with my back flush against the wall. Taking a deep breath, I stepped away from the wall, then burst through the doors and into the room.

“What on Earth do you think you’re doing?!”

I stare dumbfounded at three very confused faces who look just as surprised as I feel.

“Uhm... It was... broken?” I say, setting the lamp down.

Broken? I mentally roll my eyes at myself. I can’t make up an excuse to save my life.

Aunt Julie gives me a weird look, “Well, um, we’ll get it fixed then.”

A very uncomfortable silence follows.

I hold up my hand awkwardly, “Hey, Uncle Leo. Hi Adam.” I squeak, waving.

By the burning in my face I can tell I am blushing; probably a lot too by the feel of it.

“sooo,” I draw out the syllables as long as possible, “what were you guys talking about?”

They all give each other a sideways glance. How they manage to do that I do not know. It is very difficult to make eye contact with two different people at the same time. trust me.

“well,” Julie started, “We were just talking about you actually.”

Me? Why would they be talking about me?

“Why?”  I ask confusedly

“After everything that has happened...” she paused, looking flustered as if there was something she was afraid to tell me. “I just want to make sure you are okay, you know? sooo” She shoots a sideways glance at her husband, “I thought it might be best if you started counseling.”

I admit. I missed my parents and Cullen terribly, my eyes prickled just at the thought! but i don’t think I need counseling. Only crazy people and people that need help see a professional counselor. I am NOT one of those people!

I give everyone in the room a stern look. “I. do. not. need. counseling.” I state through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw.

“Honey, I really think it may be best” Julie attempts to soothe me.

“NO!” I scream, “I am most certainly NOT going to counseling!” I yell with what I hope is a note of finality in my voice. Unfortunately i am pretty sure my voice quavered at the end.

I run out of the room, slamming the french doors behind me.  I rushed down the hallway, everything a blur as i raced back into my bedroom.

The tears were falling nonstop now, the wet drops leaving hot tracks down the length of my face.

I looked over at the picture on my bedside table, the one of Cullen and I last year. In the picture we are lounging in lawn chairs by the beach.

I remember that day perfectly. The first day of summer, nothing but having fun and catching some rays on our mind. Neither one of us knew what could happen, what would happen. We were both painted in that portrait. A perfect moment without end.

Suddenly, that moment was a little too perfect.

I walk over there, anger and pain blurring my senses. I take the picture in my hands and slam it into the floor. Glass flies everywhere. I sink down to the floor in tears with my head in my hands.

Dealing with my parent’s death was hard enough, and now I have to deal with Cullen’s too.

Right now the only thing i can think of is- why me?

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A/N: First off- we don’t mean to offend anyone in our work so please, if you don’t like something, don’t take it personally. Another thing: I know some of you really did not want Cullen to die and probably hate us now but sorry, that’s just how the story goes