One Could Only Imagine

Chapter 6

By the time the movie was over, it was 11:03 pm. I groaned as I forced my body to stand and just as I was about to pick up the mess, Adalyn volunteered her and an unsatisfied Sydney to do it. While they were cleaning up with Cat, I limped over to the laundry room and stared at Sydney's dress, hoping it wasn't ruined.

  I bit my lip, inspecting the green material, looking for the obvious tear. Surprisingly, I couldn't find anything, so I sighed out of relief and handed it over to its owner who carelessly wrapped it into her winter jacket when Cat and Adalyn weren't looking. 

   "Oh rats, it ripped, guess I'll have to stay in these old things," she announced loud enough so Cat and Adalyn could intentionally hear it. I gritted my teeth, refraining from panicking over the fact that she was lying just so she could wear my sister's clothes longer. You're so stupid, Jess! I thought watching as Adalyn and Sydney got ready. 

  "I got everything, do you Syd?" she raised her brow at Sydney who bit her tongue.

  Since Cat was staying the night, she left her belongings except for her phone and purse, and then I raced up the stairs, grabbed the only purse I owned off of my bed and rushed back to the main level.

 "You good?" Cat brought over my grey Columbia wind-proof winter coat, even going above and beyond by helping me put it on as we headed out the door. She even locked the house up. 

  Sydney and Adalyn who were huddled together, waiting for Cat to unlock the car. When Cat did, they expressed gratitude when they got in. I opened the passenger and buckled up as Cat backed up, listening to Adalyn's directions, but then somewhere along the way, I spaced out.

  Ten minutes later after dropping off Sydney and Adalyn, someone called me. "Kinsley, can you hear me?" I cleared my throat. 

  "Yeah, I can hear you," she replied with my stomach formed into knots.

   "Cat's on speaker too. What's wrong Kinsley?" I tried my best to not sound like I was impatient.

  "Brandon and Quentin are at the hospital," I started hyperventilating. 

  "Are they going to be okay?'' I asked, but all I could focus on was her yelling and the connection picking up her sniffles. 

  "No, well, I don't know anything because I'm not family." She whimpered. No! I thought as she continued. "Both of their parents are here but they're busy talking with the doctors. Quentin looked worse than Brandon.'' Kinsley stammered as Cat swerved, changing lanes. And I knew by her determination and being stuck in a small town that we were nearby the only hospital for miles. 

  "Kinsley, we're on our way," I informed her, but before I could hear her reply, my phone disconnected and I picked it up, frantic with worry. "It died!" I groaned as Cat hissed as she was cut off by yet another vehicle. Were Brandon and Quentin going to be okay? What happened in those few hours since we last saw them? I wondered. 

  As soon as we pulled into the hospital parking lot and paid for it with my dad's credit card, we both sprinted indoors and after the receptionist checked our id cards, we found ourselves in the waiting room with Kinsley in tears. 

I raced into her arms and what came as a shock to me was that the crying girl outstretched her arms for Cat too.

"It's been an hour, and no one will tell me anything." She put her head on my shoulder, both of us had glossy eyes.

"It's okay, you're going to be okay," I soothed her as she repeatedly blamed herself. "It wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault." I reassured.

I pulled away from Kinsley's grasp, "Kinsley, what exactly happened? " I asked with a hint of worrisome in my eyes.