Happier

➸ EIGHTEEN

"No." I said softly. I pulled my face away from her grasp and started walking off to my next period, only to be pulled back by a very concerned Riley.

"Go home and sleep." She demanded but with her angelic voice, nothing she says will ever come out intimidating. It was like a baby kitten was attempting to order me around. It just doesn't work.

"No—"

"Yes." Nathan, who I forgot was even still with us as I assumed he had already left, spoke up strongly. "I'm going to visit the guys at the hospital, I'll drop you off on the way." His voice was way more convincing and effective. He, himself, was extremely intimidating. His tall structure towered over people in the hallways. Even the teacher sometimes seemed a little bit thrown off when he entered the class or spoke back to her.

I observed him quickly as he spoke to Riley about the guy's conditions. His muscles were being shown through his grey t-shirt, and that widened my eyes immediately. I should've looked at his arms earlier, maybe then I wouldn't look so lifeless and they wouldn't be making me go home. I can't sleep, even though I would kill for a nightmare-less sleep. I've tried for months and months, it just never lasted long until the incident replayed and I wake up anxiously. I was afraid to even close my eyes, in fear of seeing the scene happen all over again.

"Thalia?" Riley snapped her fingers in front of me and I rubbed my face almost aggressively, I just wanted this to go away.

"Yes?" I replied, helplessly.

"Nathan's driving you home, go." I looked around and noticed the halls were suddenly empty, indicating everyone was in class by now. I looked at Riley and she noticed too as she started running down the hall. "You better get some sleep!" She yelled over her shoulder as she cut into the left corner.

Nonna drove me to school this morning, I was too tired to drive myself. My eyes were shut closed. Nathan took my bag that I held in my hand and started walking to main doors that led outside. I get to leave school because I'm tired, I'm not complaining anymore as that information just started to sink in.

"Normally people skip school to go get high or whatever, yet you're skipping to go to sleep." Nathan practically read my mind and I chuckled, realizing how ridiculous that sounded.

"You guys suggested it, not me." I said while walking through the parking lot, hiding my face away from the sun. It wasn't too hot today but the sun was still out and glaring right into my sleepless eyes.

I felt him pull my hood over my head and I silently thanked him, I also silently cursed at myself for not doing that sooner. We reached his car and got in wordlessly.

His phone started ringing loudly which caused me to jump at the sudden noise. "Yeah?" He answered in a bored tone. The person on the other end seemed to have screamed loudly as I watched Nathan pull his phone away from his ear. "What's wrong with you, get Ethan back into the room. Why did you let him leave in the first place?" He rubbed the side of his face as he spoke.

If I wasn't so out of it right now, I would've broke out laughing knowing Ethan was probably doing something he shouldn't be doing. Even in a hospital and in terrible condition, he still manages to fool around.

"Okay, where's Carter?" Nathan said shaking his head and turning on the car for it to warm up. He reached over to grab a sweater from the backseat, his bicep being right in front of my face. I was waking up more and more.