One Door Away

Chapter 20

After taking a deep breath, I realized that the time elapsed was enough for the excuse I blurted out. It took me another five minutes to convince myself to go back to my room and study, despite the lingering fear of bumping into either Henry or Owen.

I was walking the quiet halls of the floor I live in when my phone vibrated from my pocket. Stopping my tracks, I stood in the middle and focused on my phone.

Jenna: Wyd, P?

Yesterday, Jenna and I studied with each other through asking paraphrased questions that would help us retain and remember information. Everything felt fine because I ultimately was half of a pair. She's like my other half of brain, without her I probably would have a harder time as I got used to our own approach in learning. It had been a long-concentrated night; we slept late, and our eyes became droopy without noticing it.

Another notification appeared on my phone's screen.

Jenna: Nvm, I'll be going there now.

Still standing on the same spot, somebody bumped into my shoulder. It hurt. The shock I received plus the fatigue I have been feeling intensified the amount of pain I received.

'Watch it!' A deep course voice seethed in frustration. He stole a glance at me, his eyes resembling somebody I knew. 'Peter? Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. I never meant to say that.'

'That's fine.' Still oblivious of my state, my face remained emotionless. My head started to get dizzy and lightheaded as I stare at him. 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, no. Yeah,' I answered, having difficulty in thinking. I coughed twice with the second one being rougher than the first one. 'Sorry, what were you saying?'

'I did not say anything –' My vision started to get hazy. His eyes were the only one thing I could get a clear view of, those resplendent beautiful irises. '– Peter. I think you should sit down first.'

'I'm fine,' I said. My vision started to get even more blurry and the room moved in a circular motion. 'Don't worry about me. Why were you like that earlier? Are you okay?'

Henry laughed gently, his voice becoming a soothing melody to my ears. 'Well, that's because –' My mind had been consumed by darkness before I could hear what he has to say.

*

My head was in a state of turmoil. It was confusing and scary at the same time. I attempted to sit bolt and upright, touching the bed sheets to keep myself grounded. My fingers fidgeted; my shoulders twitched every three seconds; my feet were trembling on the ground. I was having a panic attack. It got harder to breathe the more I feel disconnected from reality.

Mom? Why did I see you earlier back then? Thoughts about my mom was prominent in my head, as I dreamed of her holding my hands. We were walking through a path surrounded by numerous captivating flowers on the side of the pathway. At the end of the pathway was a large white gate that shone brightly. It was telling me to go, but I woke up with a harsh headache.

'Peter, you awake?' A relaxed voice said, coming out from the kitchen sink of the room. Henry walked to my spot. His reaction was a face filled with worry after seeing the state I was in.

'Peter.' His voice struck me awake. He held my back and sat down next to me on the bed. He asked me to take deep breaths as he instructed me to inhale and exhale with him at the same time. 'There, calm down.'

'What happened?'

'Mmm,' he mumbled. 'I bumped into you earlier, then you fainted for about ten minutes.'

'Where are we?'

'In your room. I took the keys from your pocket and laid you on the bed, wait –' He ran back to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and poured water in the glass. '– I prepared food.' He placed the plate on the bed while the glass of water on the drawer beside the bed.

'Here.' He picked a bacon and signaled me to open my mouth. 'Come on, open it.' He smiled after I gave in to his request.

'Wasn't so hard, was it?' He attempted to feed me again, but this time I took three bacon strips and shoved it in my mouth. I didn't want to be taken care of, not especially in this way. It was too awkward and unnecessary.

The noon sunlight hit my messy face while I was eating. The plate was on my lap, and I continued to be lightheaded. The world appeared so beautiful without complications of any sort. The calming sound of trees rustling as the heavy wind passes by, the pleasant silence, and the detachment of oneself to the world – these are what make life so lovely. It's sort of a stagnant paradise, reassuring you that the beautiful things won't ever change.

However, to my dismay, a loud bang bursted from the door. Great. Can't I at least have some moment for myself? Henry unlocked the door only to see Jenna wearing a double xL shirt without any pants on.

'Oh, my god! Henry!' Jenna squealed from shock. Although her underwear was concealed by the shirt she wore, she still instinctively used her hands to cover it. 'Why are you here?'

Jenna looked at Henry with interest, piqued by the fact we were hanging out when no further notice was sent to her before she arrived here. Henry looked at her, implying that there was nothing wrong with it. The two got into a staring contest for five seconds before Jenna walked inside.

'Why are you so pale?!' She strode to my position, checked my pulse, and held my hand. Jenna looked at Henry again, questioning what happened. He narrated the story shortly, which made Jenna even more apprehensive than ever. She glared at me. The nice kind of glare where she's mad for not taking care of my health. To be frank, I was okay earlier when I took the exam, but the moment I finished it, that might've been the indicator of my situation. I wasn't tired. Or that's what I thought.

'Please, please, please...' Jenna knelt on the ground holding both of my hands. 'Take care of your health. I don't want you to just dismiss it for academic's sake. Okay?'

I nodded. She was right. I needed to take care of myself. There were probably heavier problems I'm going to face in the near future, and besides, grades don't define your future. Right? Inside my head, I formulated a rough draft of my plans concerning my health even though I won't follow through it.

Another loud bang came from the door, but this time the boy just pushed without saying anything. He stopped midway, looking at the three of us asking for an explanation. Like what Jenna did, he ran to me and asked why I was looking pale. Henry, who has his feet on the table while he sat down on the couch, for the last time explained the situation. There was tension building up in the air between Owen and Henry, even Jenna, who was beside me, could feel it too.

'Don't worry much about me, Owen,' I consoled him. I flashed him a smile, relieving all his worry.