Freefall ✓

31 | wrong

I barely got time to think about what was going on when she shoved me against the wall abruptly, hurling her body on me. Her lips smashed on mine, the noxious tang of red wine almost blinding me. It took me a good second to wrap my mind about what was happening and struggle out of her grasp, finally pushing her off.

I turned to get away from her, completely dumbfounded. 

When my eyes found Audrey standing right in front, her expression aghast and feet turning to run, my heart dropped. 

Oh no. Please not this.

She started running away, frantically. "Audrey!" I called after her, chasing behind. "No!" 

No no no no no no no. This couldn't be happening. Out of all the wrong places and wrong times, this was the wrongest combination imaginable.

I shot after her like a bullet, following her through the terrace and down the stairs. I couldn't catch up. She was speeding like the clappers. 

Running down the stairs, I saw her lose both of her shoes. I picked them up unhesitating, not diminishing my speed, and almost falling down due to that.

I don't remember how many times I'd yelled her name. She wouldn't stop. Wouldn't look back. Some people noticed the scene. Some of the ones I remembered as her dancing pals joined me in the chase and the calling. 

It was when she ran outside of the house, barefoot, that I felt the grenade explode in my gut. She was running straight towards an open road. She wasn't stopping. 

She wasn't stopping! "AUDREY!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs. There was a car coming from her left, at full speed. 

No no no no no. I pushed my legs to their limit, going absolutely insane at the thought of not reaching her in time.

Which was exactly what happened.

* * *

AUDREY

Waking up hurt. The blinding whiteness of the ceiling prickled at my eyes, and the sharp, bitter smell of antiseptic and peroxide grated at my nostrils. Scrunching my nose, I blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings.

It took me a moment to realize that I was lying on a hospital bed. Right. The last thing I remembered was being hit by a car. The instant shooting pain. . .the color of metallic blue. . . quickly to be replaced by a sheet of pitch black. 

"Aud?" I turned my head in the direction of the tentative voice. It was Hailey. There was a wild look of disquietude amidst her eyes. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," the word came out hoarse. I cleared my throat.

"How are you feeling?" She was holding my hands. She had been even before I'd woken up, I realized.

"Peachy," I curled my lips, tiredly. "What time is it?"

She let out a heavy breath she'd been seemingly holding in for a long time, releasing my hands. "It's. . ." she turned around to read a clock, "ten AM. Well, ten-thirty. You've been out for the whole night."

I frowned. "It's Sunday?"

"Yeah," she breathed out with a smile. "Nice long sleep, huh?"

I made an attempt to sit up, but Hailey stopped me softly. "It's better if you get some rest—"

"I'm fine," although my head felt like it was being hammered with a spiked mallet. I went ahead and sat up, peeling the white sheet off my body.

She sighed again, with another smile. "The doctor said there's nothing serious, thank goodness. Nothing broken. Just considerably bruised and a little scratched."

I nodded, slowly. "You scared the crap out of us, Aud." She leaned into a hug. "I love you," she said desperately.

"I'm okay," I squeezed her back, murmuring into her hair, "I love you more."

The door to the room creaked open. "Audrey! You woke up!" Syd had come in, carrying a white plastic bag. "How are you?"

"I'm alright." She came over to hug me too. Her expression had a troubled air about it. "We were so worried!" 

"You've brought it?" Hailey peeked inside the bag. 

"Yeah!" 

"What's that?" I asked as Hailey took a paper box out of the bag. Although I didn't need an answer as soon as she did.

The overpowering aroma of lemon bread answered my question for itself.

"You didn't!" Mouth agape, I opened the cardboard box, uncovering the freshly glazed lemon loaf. My favorite. It was even still warm. "From Barry's?"

"Yeah, and straight from the oven! I got there right in time for their first batch of the day."

I just stared at them. "What did I do to deserve you two?"

"What? You really thought we'd let you suffer the hospital breakfast?" Syd tried to animate the atmosphere among us.

"Shh, you better not get caught, though. I don't think Dr. Dallas would be too excited to find out we've been sneaking you cake behind her back," Hailey warned. "I'm gonna go get Mom. She's probably still filling the papers," she stood up.

"Tss. K-k," I replied, as Hailey exited. "Oh my gosh. Now you know why I stay away from big parties," I looked up to Syd.

She sagged down onto the white bed. "What the heck happened though?"

"Oh, Syd. If only I knew myself. . ." I tried to block out the memory that was so quick to turn up inside my mind.

"Oh, by the way. There were also three girls and one boy that came to see you last night. They didn't get the chance cause, well. . . you wouldn't wake up."

"What boy?" I wondered.

"Dunno him. Blond hair, gray eyes. . ."

"Oh." That was Justin. 

"And obviously, Cameron. Goes without saying. He was terribly overwrought, though. Wouldn't talk to anyone. He stayed overnight, you know."

I felt that dry lump tighten in my throat again. "Is he here now?"

"Not right now, no. Your Mom was trying to get him to go and sleep at home for the whole night, but he wouldn't listen. She eventually forced him only in the morning. He left just a few hours ago."

He'd stayed overnight? I pushed the thought back. I didn't want to think about it. My head was hurting enough.

"Dr. Dallas said they'd probably let you out today, already," she gave a small smile. "If it all goes well."

"Well, I hope they do. This place already feels claustrophobic," I hugged my knees.

She pursed her lips. "Aud. I think you should. . .I think you should talk to Cameron. Whatever it was that happened. . .the dude's been walking around like a cat on hot bricks. I doubt he's gonna sleep today, at all."

"Mhm," I breathed out, barely audibly, to fill the pause. 

But to be honest, part of me just wished I'd fade out again, to not have to deal with all of those unsolved matters that enhanced my headache.

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