Breaking Down ➳ m.n.z.

Sixteen

Chapter 16
Nia's POV

It's gone. How can something I once took as granted be the source of all my problems. I can never dance again, I can never walk again, I can never be looked at as normal again.

Paige's POV

"Chloe!" I yelled out as I shot up in bed. I had had yet another nightmare, just like the past couple of weeks since the accident, only this time, it was about Chloe.

As I wiped away the sweat on my face I glanced at my phone, 2:54 a.m. it read. I stared into the darkness. The black swallowed everything it's path. So dark a shining light couldn't be seen through it, so quiet a pin could be heard if dropped. It reminded me of the crash, the only thing missing was the sudden...

"RINGGGGG! RINGGGGG!" My phone called out. I squinted my eyes as they were blinded by the light in order to read the caller ID, Christi Lukasiak.

My mind raced with questions. What if Chloe stopped breathing? What if they think she's gonna die? What if she is dying? What if she's dead...?

I answered the phone and a voice bombarded the quite throughout my blackened room.

"Paige..." Christi said.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Paige, Chlo stopped breathing. They think she's gonna die. They said she's dying and she has till sunrise."

****

I woke my mom in a panic. She spoke with Christi on my phone for a minute before she hung and and said,

"Paige, grab your coat and get anything you want to give to Chloe before morning, it's gonna be a long rest of the night."

I tore through the hospital doors and ran up the steep stairs, no one has time to wait for an elevator when it could be the main purpose you never get to see your best friend again before they die.

"Christi!" I screamed, seeing Chloe's mom sitting in the chairs outside her room.

"Paige!" She said, getting up. "Go in there and tell her you love her, she needs to hear that. The other girls are all in her room already."

I shuffled towards the door, took a deep breath, and turned the handle. Inside the room I saw Maddie, Brooke, and Nia. They were all crying too as well as myself. I forced my feet to move forward, I knew what I had to do, yet I still looked at Brooke for support, who nodded. I faced Chloe, sat down on the corner of her bed and held her hand.

"How could you do this?" I asked the still body before me. "You promised me one day you'll go back to the studio and dance the way you used to and everything will be the same. You can't give up, you can't surrender. I need you, Chloe. I love my twinnie. I love you, with all my heart and soul. Who cares if they don't think you'll make, I know you'll make it. Please stay here, please! I won't tell you I'll miss you because that just let's you know it's okay for you to go, and it's not. You promised me, Chlo! You promised!" I screamed at her.

"Paige, she'll be alright. She can't keep all the promises she's made, nobody can." Said Nia.

"But she promised!" I yelled, turning around and burrowing my face into Brooke's soft shirt she was wearing. She stroked my tousled blonde hair, until my screaming sobs turned to a muffled cry.

"Go on," ushered Brooke. "tell her what she needs to hear so she can go be happier somewhere else." I swiveled around to face Chloe again, clomped over to her, and gently took her hand in mine as I grasped onto it tightly.

"Chloe, that fighter inside of you has been through so much, and no matter how much I want you to stay and keep fighting I understand that it's time for you to surrender." I said to her between my hiccuping cries. "I love you Chlo. You're the best inspiration to me I could've ever imagined..." I paused for a moment, thinking whether I should say it or not, until I finally decided that it's me who wants her to stay, not her. "...I'm gonna miss you" I whispered, one of my tears rolling off my cheek and landing onto her rosy one as I reached down and pulled her into a hug.

I laid there for a minute, not ever wanting to let go of her until I had too, until there was a small, weak movement from underneath me.

"Paige," a voice whispered softly. I lifted my head from her chest to find myself staying into her electric blue eyes. One of her arms slowly shifted out from under the blanket, and in her and was a small white envelope with my name in curly letters. She handed my it and said,

"I'm sorry, but I belong with Kenzie and Kendall now." she whispered. "I'll always be there, there can't be twins without two, so therefore- you'll always be my twinnie, no matter where we are."

A smile spread across my face as I whispered back to her,

I knew you would say that."

Her eyes slowly closed and the room grew silent, until an ever lasting beep broke through. Tears rolled from my eyes and down my tired face. I ran to Brooke's arms again, and only when I drew myself away, did I see Maddie pinning a little pink bow with a rhinestone heart in the middle to Chloe's gown.