Cheater Cheater

fifteen

~ Hudson ~

The next four days are the craziest days of my life. I spend all my time at the hospital and the police station, getting questioned by cops and interviewed by reporters. Every time I leave the hospital there's a news van there, waiting for me or anyone else with a connection to Taylor's case. 

Taylor's case, to the police, is frustrating and not going anywhere. No one knows anything about why Taylor was down at the pier or if she was with anyone. Of course, Grayson and I lied to them the multiple times they interviewed us. We were suspects for a couple days I guess because someone had figured out what was going on with Taylor and Grayson and told the police. They had suspected that there was some fight between Grayson and I, but we convinced them that we had no idea what happened.

Taylor's parents showed up the day after Taylor was found and they haven't left the hospital since. I'm surprised they're staying since they don't ever show Taylor any affection at all. I don't think they've even talked for months.

I haven't seen or talked to Grayson since the day Taylor was found, and it's a miracle our stories lined up enough to get the police off our asses.  They probably just didn't want to deal with the whole cheating thing even though it probably solves a lot of cases for them.

Taylor hasn't woken up yet, and the doctor tells me her condition isn't changing at all. She's either going to slowly get better, or she'll suddenly stop functioning and die. The doctor also says that if she does wake up she will have permanent brain damage and will likely never walk or talk again. They also think that she won't remember anything when she wakes up. That would be good for me and Grayson, but I would feel so guilty.

The guilt has been eating away at me so much. This is really all my fault. If I had just ended things with Taylor when I realized I was gay this never would have happened. She could have been with Grayson without it being secret and she could have been happy, but I ruined that. I had to let my reputation get in the way and get mad at Grayson. I went to push him and that obviously ended well. I almost turned myself in but I wouldn't survive a day in prison. I would also have to explain everything and still only a couple people know I'm gay and I don't need that getting out.

Today I leave the hospital while the doctors are checking on Taylor and I go to the school to talk to teachers and get work that I've missed. When I walk into the building, it's lunch time and when people see me it goes silent. I quickly walk down a hall where no one can see me so I can collect myself. Was everyone quiet because they feel bad and don't know what to say? My phone vibrates and I immediately check it. It's from a guy I usually sit with at lunch.

'Everyone knows about Taylor and Grayson.' is all it says. No 'I'm sorry' or 'I hope Taylor gets better,' just 'everyone knows about Taylor and Grayson. I start texting all my friends and checking social media to find out what happened.

After an hour I've pieced together how it got out. Long story short, one of Taylor's wannabes thought she saw Taylor is Grayson's car the day before the accident and followed them to Taylor's house and got pictures of them making out in the car. When she heard about Taylor being found at the beach she went straight to the police.

After I talk to all my teachers I go sit in the parking lot until school gets out. I happen to know what car the little wannabe drives, so when the bell rings I get out of my car and go lean on hers. She's only a sophomore but her parents spoil her and bought her a brand new Corvette and she brags about it all the time. I wait for what seems like forever before she leaves the school and heads toward her car. She's talking to her little group of brats so she's almost to her car before she notices me.

When she sees me she freezes in her tracks and makes all her friends leave her. She straightens her appearance and slowly walks toward me.

"Hello, Hudson," she says smugly. I scoff and roll my eyes, which gets a confused look out of her.

"Jamie. You know this whole thing isn't going to get you anywhere, right?" I ask. She lets out the most frightening laugh I've heard from a girl.

"Oh Hudson, you don't know anything. I was going to use the pictures to blackmail Taylor into letting me into her little group of princesses. I wanted to get close to her so she would leave me in good standing for next year so I could take her place. When I found out she was out of the picture I posted the pictures and I let things go from there. I have juniors practically worshipping me now for exposing Taylor for the person she really is."

"You don't know anything about what was going on in Taylor's life. She-"  My phone rings, cutting me off. It's the hospital.

"Taylor's getting bad, you might want to get down here," a nurse tells me. I can hear Taylor's mom freaking out in the background. This has to be happening now.

"This conversation is not over, Jamie," I say before I get back in my car and race to the hospital. Just in case, I call Grayson and tell him to get to the hospital. He tells me he's already there. Huh.

As I'm running down the hospital hall towards Taylor's room, I can hear doctors and nurses frantically running around trying to help Taylor. They've forced Taylor's parents and Grayson out into the hall so they aren't in the way. They're all pressed against the window, watching in horror. I get to the window and look in and I can tell that the doctors are panicking. They don't know what's happening and they obviously don't know how to stop it or fix it. 

The heart monitor is facing away from us, but the tell-tale loud, high-pitched tone starts and Taylor's mom screams. The four of us at the window run into the room and the doctors try to restart Taylor's heart. Nothing the doctors try works, and after Taylor has been flatlining for a couple minutes, everyone in the room becomes quiet and somber.

Taylor's mom is sobbing at Taylor's bedside and her father stands by her side, expressionless, but with tears streaming down his cheeks. Grayson stands silently for a minute and then angrily hits the wall and breaks down crying. I stand in shock, unable to truly process what happened.

I killed Taylor. Taylor is dead because I couldn't handle giving up my tough, masculine image and let her go. I was selfish and it killed someone. I walk out of the room and walk, in a daze, to my car.

I end up at home, but I don't remember getting there. I don't remember driving or anything, but somehow I got myself home without getting in a wreck. Before I even get out of the car I start beating myself up for not being sad. All I can feel right now is anger. Anger for letting myself be so selfish. Anger that I ruined so many people's lives by letting Taylor get into this situation.

How could I let this happen?