Healing Hearts

Chapter 1

"We made it. We finally made it!" Alex shouted at the top of his lungs, and the room erupted into cheers. Even though I arrived an hour late, I could tell my brother was already drunk. He tended to get loud and emotional when he drank. His words lingered with me as I took a sip of beer. I had made it through the first year of med school, juggling two jobs and enduring long hours with minimal sleep. It was an achievement worth celebrating, and I decided to take a night off before diving into the search for a third job for the summer.

While Alex didn't have to work two jobs, thanks to our dad covering his college expenses, he had football practice every day. I still felt a sense of pride in him, even though we weren't particularly close. I made it a point to attend all of his games.

After a toast celebrating the completion of our freshman year, my brother and his best friend, Ryan, announced they were going away to play in a football championship tournament all around Europe. I found my spot on the couch and observed the lively scene: my brother talking to Ryan at the ping pong table, students engaging in body shots on the kitchen table, a group of friends playing truth or dare, and people dancing in the hall, illuminated by LED lights.

The thought of enduring sleepless nights for the foreseeable future started to give me a headache. I began to breathe slowly, trying to push away the looming anxiety and prevent another panic attack. As my eyes started to droop from accumulated fatigue, I felt a weight shift on the couch, and someone began playing with my braids. I had done them myself at the start of the semester, opting for a wash-and-oil routine for my natural 4c hair s. Surprisingly, they still looked good.  I opened my eyes to see who was beside me, before rolling them at the sight of Ryan, Alex's best friend. I closed my eyes, hoping he would let me sleep, but he persisted.

"Um... That's rude," Ryan, Alex's best friend, interrupted my attempt at sleep again. I turned my back to him, hoping he would leave me alone, but he didn't.

"You're breaking my heart, princessa."

"I didn't know it was so fragile."

"Now that you know, will you handle it with care?"

I chuckled before turning to him and shaking my head. He laughed before asking if I was okay.

"Aren't you worried my brother will kill you for talking to me?"

He smirked, flashing a beautiful pearly white smile.

"Maybe if you were nicer to him, he wouldn't want to."

His words stung, even if they held some truth. I always wanted to be close with my brother, but guilt kept me from it. I pushed him away, along with everyone else. He thought I hated him, but I didn't. I hated myself for ruining his life. Ryan's repeated question interrupted my thoughts.

"I'm obviously tired. How are you doing? You're going to be playing in the big leagues with the big dogs."

A hint of sadness crossed Ryan's face, likely thinking about his dad, a professional footballer who passed away when he was young. I remembered how much Ryan looked up to his dad; it was like his dad was Superman. We fell into an awkward silence as Ryan clammed up, took a sip of water, and stared at the ceiling. His dad was his role model, and after he died, Ryan wanted nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps.

I scanned the room for something to divert my attention. My life was too much of a mess to dwell on, and I didn't want to press Ryan further. My eyes landed on the dance floor.

"Can you watch my drink, kind sir? I need to dance," I asked Ryan, handing him my drink and breaking him out of his thoughts. It took him a moment to understand, confusion evident on his face when I got up. When he did understand, a sly smirk fell on his face.

"You know a proper lady would ask me to dance with her."

"Good thing I'm not a proper lady."

I walked over to the dance floor, partly to annoy Ryan and partly because I needed a night off to relax and have fun. After dancing for 5 minutes, I went to stand by the wall just before sleep crept up on me again, and I dozed off on the dance floor. I remember being violently shaken awake by Ryan. I glared at him, ready to yell.

"You're a dead sleeper, you know," he deadpanned.

He offered to take me home and I agreed  but before I could start walking, he lifted me up and carried me to his car.

Opening the door, he placed me inside and secured my seatbelt.

"Wow, if you're going to treat me like a baby, I want something sweet to eat."

"No problem, princessa."

I rolled my eyes before closing them and falling asleep.