Short stories

Colton

I waved him off. "Nothings wrong. Colton just scared the crap out of me."

He stared at me funny then shook his head in annoyance before ambling back towards his room, muttering under his breath as he went. "My door," I called after him.

"Close it yourself!"

Colton chuckled in amusement before smiling back at me. "He seams to be in a bad mood. How about we ditch him and spend the day together."

"I have school," I groaned as I drug myself out of bed.

"Ditch it," he said as if it was the obvious answer.

"Not happening."

"Why not?" He wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug as I picked out my clothes. "We can have a much more interesting day than you could ever have at that stuffy old place."

I rolled my eyes. "I responsibilities you know."

"What responsibilities? Who other than Tara would really care if you didn't show up? Your parents who leave you alone with your brother all the time?" He pet my head. "Stay with me today."

I stared into his pleading eyes and thought about telling him no, but I sighed and said: "Okay fine, puppy eyes. You win."

He pumped his fist into air. "Yes!"

I laughed then playfully shoved him. "Idiot."

After showering and getting dressed, I bolted for the door where Colton was waiting outside. "Where are you going?"

I turned to see my brother standing at the door of the kitchen with a suspicious gaze on his face. "School," I lied.

"Without your bag?" He snorted. "Sure you are. Where are you really going?"

"Out," I answered. "With Colton."

He paused, staring at me with that same strange expression. "With Colton. Right. I—uh—I don't think he's a very good influence, Alice. You should stop listening to him."

I sighed. "Who would really care if I went to school today, Ethan? Hm? Mom and Dad, who leave us alone for days at a time? Colton wants to hang out with me."

"Fine," he sighed, looking defeated. "If the two of you are thinking about doing something illegal, call me first, yeah?"

I nodded then stepped outside to Colton.

We spent the entire day together. We went walking in the park to feed the ducks then snuck into the movies. Colton threw popcorn at me when I didn't laugh at something he thought was freaking hilarious. We stopped for lunch at a place with a section outside. The waitress gave us funny looks when I ordered for Colton and myself. I guess she figured it should be the other way around. Halfway through our lunch, Officer Ling approached us. "Hello, Alice. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

I shrugged. "My brother already gave me the lecture, Miss, but I decided to spend the day with my friend Colton." I waved my hand in Colton's direction, and he raised his cup in greeting at her.

"Officer Ling," he said, smiling mischievously at her.

She glanced in his direction but ultimately ignored him and continued talking to me. "You should go to school, honey. It's better if you do."

I shook my head as she walked off. "If you say so."

Colton laughed then drank what was left of his drink.

Later that night I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I begrudgingly took it off the nightstand and held it to my ear. "Hello? Alice?" Colton's voice squeezed through the receiver.

"Colton? What's wrong with your reception?" It was difficult to understand what he said next, or maybe I was too tired to hear him well, but I could have sworn I heard him say to meet him at the bridge. "Okay I'll meet you at the bridge." I hung up then slipped on my sneakers and bolted out the door.

That's how I came to be standing on the bridge at one in the morning in the perfect position to fall to my death. It wasn't the plan, but I just wanted to feel the wind while I waited for Colton. A bad decision in hindsight.

The water was cold and I couldn't breathe. That's all I remember before it all went black.

Ethan POV

"She's sustained multiple injuries," the doctor told me as I sat next to my sister in the hospital room. "She's lucky to be alive."

"Will she be alright?" I asked, as I stared into her sleeping face, willing her to open her eyes.

He shook his head. "It's too soon to tell. All we can do is wait."

I nodded. "Thank you."

"Do you need me to call your parents?" He asked.

"No, I'll do it."

He nodded and shuffled out of the room.

My gaze didn't leave my sister. Our parents were never there for us so they could wait while I sat alone with her. I'd called the police earlier that night telling them my sister had wandered off. They called back a few hours later to tell me she was at the hospital after falling off a bridge. They said that she had been waiting for her friend Colton and fell over the side. I wished with everything that I was that I could have gone back in time to prevent this, because I knew that I could. I was just so scared they'd take her away from me if they found out.

They know now, I told myself, and if she does survive, she's proven she's a danger to herself and they will take her away. "As long as you're safe, I'll endure the separation," I whispered to her. "Just come back to me, Alice. Please."

I'd known for a year that something was wrong. I was the only one who'd seen how she acted and what she did long enough to realize the truth. She'd talked about Colton a lot. Our parents thought that he was a school friend. Tara thought he was one of my friends that I'd bring home or something. I let them believe that, because I didn't want them to know the truth. I didn't want her to know the truth either. She seemed so happy with him, and I don't know how she'd react if she found out.

I'd told the doctor the truth, about him, about how she talked to and about someone who didn't exist. He said that she most likely had a mental disorder but that we should wait to see if she would wake up before running any tests.

"I'm so sorry, Alice," I whispered again. "Please come back to me."