Perfectly Mean

Just a Friend

Ava flew down the highway at 75 miles an hour, praying that there were no cops along the side of the road.  She was already ten miles above the speed limit, and she was still accelerating.  Her exit finally came into view, and she slowed making sure to put her turn signal on as she changed lanes.  There was no way on earth she would let herself loose her license the day she got it. 

Her windshield wipers were squealing at full speed in the pummeling rain.  She pulled up to a stop light, straining her eyes to look for other cars.  Not that she planned on running the light, of course. 

The light changed to green, and Ava drove through the intersection, scanning the area for the hospital sign.  She had to see Hayden.  She just had to. 

"Your destination is on the right," her phone announced.

"No it's not!" Ava grumbled, craning her neck in the attempts to spot any sign of the hospital.  The rain let up, suddenly revealing the building.  "Oh.  It is."

She sighed and pulled into the parking lot.  Every spot even remotely close to the entrance was in use, so she had to settle for one in the very back.  Even with the use of an umbrella, she was still dripping by the time she ran to the entrance. 

She stepped through the sliding doors into an empty lobby, with one receptionist sitting at a computer.  Her burgundy glasses were perched on her nose, and the sleeves her grey cardigan covered most of her hands as she typed.  Her chocolate hair, which had obviously been styled down, was pulled up into what Ava had to admit was an adorable sloppy bun.  The petite woman looked nice enough, so Ava approached her.

The young woman looked up.  "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, actually.  I'd like to visit a friend, but I don't know what room he's in."

"Okay, what's his name?" The receptionist seemed to be pulling up something new on her computer.

"Hayden Pike.  H-A-Y-D-E-N and Pike...is spelled like the fish."

The woman smiled.  "He's in room 304.  There's a note here that says visitors must be immediate family, so you'll need to check in at the desk on that floor."

Ava breathed a sigh of relief.  This was going much better than she thought it would.  "Thanks!  Have a nice day!" She waved to the woman as she headed for an elevator. 

Her wet boots squeaked on the tile floor, echoing through the empty halls.  Apparently, she was the only visitor crazy enough to take on the weather.  She walked up to the elevator door and pressed the up button, and as the doors slid open, she stepped in.  A large mirror in the opposite the door revealed that her hair and makeup were a mess due to the rain.  She did her best to fix it before the bell rang to let her know that she had reached the 3rd floor.

She turned away from the mirror and left the elevator, scanning the hallway for a desk.  She spotted one just around the corner, and an African American women sitting at a computer quickly noticed her.

"Hi," Ava started, walking over.  "I'd like to visit Hayden Pike.  He's in room 304.  The receptionist said I needed to check in with you."

The woman smiled and turned, revealing her name tag.  Debbie.  "Are you immediate family?"

Ava drew in a long breath, deciding not to lie.  "No...I'm just...I'm just a friend."

Debbie's smile faded, but her expression remained soft.  "Well, I wish I could let you in to see him, but the doctors restricted all non-family visitors."

Ava wasn't going to give up that easily.  "Please, just for a minute.  I just want to talk with him and then I'll leave."

"Oh, honey, you won't be talking with him." Debbie's face grew graver than it already was.