Under The Weather

29

"Get up!" Ophelia burst into my room.

It had now been a few weeks since I had left the hospital.

Today was my first day back at school.

"G-go away!" I playfully threw a pillow at her.

She smirked at me, "Guess I'll use the bathroom first then."

"Wait, w-what?"

"First come, first served."

I just huffed as she ran into the bathroom and got up.

Walking past my cane, which I barely needed anymore, I picked up my phone from my desk.

There was a text from the group chat, 'hospital buddies' with Luna, Lance and Abbie in it.

'Morning slugs.' - Abbie

She then added a smiley face.

'Yeah. Same to you.' - Lance

Ever since the day I had opened the letter, Lance and I had gotten closer.

I put down my phone and looked at the framed picture of us nearby which was on the opposite side of a picture of Jamie and me.

Her letter was framed next to it.

I smiled and looked back down at my phone.

'Going back to school today.'

'Ha, good luck!' - Luna

Luna was always the last to join the conversation.

'Thanks?'

'Don't mention it.'

***

Ophelia dragged me to her table at lunch, "Come sit with us."

At the table, there were two girls and a boy.

We took a seat and Ophelia introduced me, "Hey guys, this is my sister, Bailey."

They waved at me, each introducing themselves.

The girl with the glasses and short hair was Quinn and the other girl with freckles and dark hair was Chelsea.

The boy with chestnut hair was Zayn.

"Hope you're feeling better!" Quinn looked at me, "Your sister told us you were in the hospital for a while."

"Y-yeah, I'm d-doing a l-lot b-better."

They smiled at me.

*

The rest of lunch had been great.

Ophelia and her friends were very welcoming.

I ambled back to my locker to collect a few items.

"Look who it is."

I prepared myself to deal with the voice behind me.

"Rachel Scott." The voice giggled.

'Rachel?'

I turned to see that there was a cohort of girls surrounding Rachel.

"Just leave me alone." She slammed her locker shut.

"Why?" One of the girls inquired, "You're an easy target and besides its just a little fun."

They shoved her backwards.

I stepped forward, "L-leave her a-alone."

They all looked to me.

"Bailey Wyatt?" The came over to me, "What's with the stutter?"

"I d-don't k-know." I pushed past them and walked over to Rachel, "Y-you o-okay?"

"Just get out the way before you e-end up in a hospital b-bed again." They mimicked my voice.

"Yes, you a-and your 5-foot p-posse are g-going to beat up a g-girl that's r-recently been discharged f-from h-hospital." I smiled at them, "I t-think it'd be p-pretty obvious w-who started that o-one."

I took Rachel's arm, "L-let's go."

She followed me to the adjoining hallway.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because I w-want t-to."

"But –"

I stopped her, "But n-nothing. I don't c-care what y-you d-did to m-me."

She stared at me.

"Just d-don't d-do it a-again."

I began to walk away.

"I'm sorry." She called out to me, "I really am."

Turning back to her I smiled.

"Good."