Wake me

12: Luke? Charles...?

"Who is it?" Anna asked as I clicked decline and shoved the phone in my pocket.
"D-don't k-know...." I murmured, feeling dizzy again. I held to the wall unsuspiciously for support. "Why don't you, um, go out or something?"
"Is that alright? I mean, Tanya wanted me to help with math homework and-"
"It's fine, I'm feeling okay." I tried my best to sound as believing, although the mumbled words didn't sound too clear from my numb and needled lips. I watched Anna leave the bathroom before I grabbed out my phone and sunk the floor, my back against the wall. I looked at the name on the screen; Luke - Mis-Call (1)
Why was there a miscall from him? He couldn't... He wasn't... He didn't.... I couldn't think. I slammed slippery fingers on the caller and rung his phone, but besides the endless rings and voicemail tones, he didn't pick up. I checked the time and after seeing it was one 'o clock, I rung Wanda.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Wanda!" I stammered nervously.
"Grace, hello! I just finished-"
"Wanda, is he awake?" I asked.
"Luke?"
"Yes, Luke. Is he awake?" I asked clearly.
"Grace, no, why? I wish he was, sweet pea, but-"
"He called me. Now, right now, I just got a mis-call from him, Wanda. Who has his phone?" I stuttered. Wanda sounded confused and tense on the other side of the crackly line. "His phone was destroyed in the car accident, Grace..." Wanda trailed off, "You know that." I could've kicked myself. Was I forgetting things already?
"But then how- why?"
"Grace," Wanda sounded serious, "I know you haven't taken your pills, I can tell by how edgy and shaky your voice is, and no, don't blame it on the signal. Go take your pills and have an early nights rest, I think you deserve it, alright dear? You must have been dreaming or something, Luke doesn't have a phone. And no, he hasn't woke up. Believe me, you'll be the first to know!"
"Alright, yes, you're right, I'm sorry. Bye, Wanda, I'll chat another time. Yes, yes, okay. Bye." I ended the call and lay my head back. I glanced down at my caller box and checked miscalls, but Luke's name didn't appear. Why in the hell had I imagined it, then? Clear as daylight? I shivered and decided to go take my pills, and then disobey Wanda's second piece of advice and go for a walk.

Unlike the other night, this walk was hot and sticky. My palms were clammy and my hair felt scraped back in its plait, strands of hair falling stiffly out the sides. My jeans seemed ten times thicker as I walked past the willow tree, around it then down a corridor. I sat myself down on a bench next to the vending machines, and was grateful for the cool wall behind me and the buzz of the vending machines. It was almost comforting; the way they sounded like hospital equipment made me feel a lot more at home. The pills were working, I could tell, for my shoulders began to relax and my vision began sharper and less blurred. My head was alright, and I was able to think about one specifics topic at a time. I slowly pulled out a pen in boredom, and began drawing around on my hand. Soon enough, ivy patterns were growing up my arm and flowers like daisies and roses were creeping down my fingers, leaves and loose petals flowing graceful along my visible veins. "You can get ink poisoning, you know," came the familiar voice. I turned and saw Mister Rhodes standing there, arms held loosely at his sides, hair messy and bed-ridden. "I know," I nodded glumly, "That would be nice." He shrugged and took a seat next to me. Although he was a teacher, he didn't seem awkward at all the way he lay spun around the bench next to me. I didn't say anything, but continued drawing on my arm, allowing the thoughts of Luke and Tina to fade away as slowly as they had come. I didn't want to forget what they looked like... Or what their voices sounded like, although the whenever I tried to remember how Luke's sounded, I was left with a hair-raising scream and grunt. "How are you enjoying college, Grace?" Mister Rhodes asked finally. He didn't smell like anything today, thank goodness, I wasn't in the mood for head-throbbing scents and rich colognes.
"It's alright, Mister Rhodes." I shrugged.
"What's your deal, anyway?" He asked curiously, folding his arms slightly but still seeming relaxed.
"What do you mean, Mister Rhodes?" I asked with a slight raise of an eyebrow.
"Your deal. I don't think you are who we all think you are." Mister Rhodes took out a pen himself and reached slowly for my arm. At first, it felt wrong, but when his warm hands took hold gently of my thin wrists and pulled them towards him, it felt so right. He slowly drew doodles of mandalas on my palm, and I began talking, as if the mandala had some magical effect on my self-consciousness.
"Mister Rhodes," I cleared my throat nervously, "I don't think we should talk about this."
"It's alright," he whispered, "I know." I was surprised at his last two words, and edged closer to him in curiosity. What did he mean? How could he know? I hadn't told anybody anything here.
I felt a tear drop down my chin and I turned away, but to my shock Mister Rhodes hands snaked their way to my face and pulled me to face him. His face was inches away, I could feels his hot, minty breath on my face and all of a sudden I realized he was wearing cologne- the one Luke always wore. I shivered and all of a sudden, within a small fragment of a second, his lips found mine. It felt so wrong, but oh so right. His lips were warm against my icy ones, and his hands snaked up into my hair as I kissed him back unsurely. Then, without thinking, I pulled away from him. I shuffled my seat away, and looked at the tree awkwardly. He was staring at me, his gaze as hot as his mouth. "Grace," he whispered, "You're different. I- you - you're just so mysterious and beautiful."
"Mister Rhodes-"
"Please, call me Charles." He said softly.
"Charles," it sounded strange, "I don't think you know who I am, let alone my demons." Was it just me, or was it getting colder? I shivered and stood up abruptly.
"I must get going, Mister Rhodes," I shivered, "I have things to do."
"Grace-!" He called out as I jogged away, but his calls just seemed to echo at the back of my mind.