The Dawn of Autumn

Ride or Die (I)

A/N: This is another chapter that I split due to length's sake. Will be posting the next update in a few hours, so be on the look out for part 2.

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Chapter 12:

Ride or Die

Emily's parents hadn't arrived until after midnight. It had taken them hours to get there because the parade route had closed so many roads. The crowds had been insane.

They were still in their costumes from her mom's charity work benefit. It was trippy as hell for Emily to see her mom and dad dressed up in their Great Gatsby costumes. Her dad looked dapper and her mom was a flapper.

The unintentional rhyme in her head made her laugh out loud.

The room was spinning around her, so the dreamy theme of their costumes fit. Her dad was very handsome in his tux and bowtie. Her mother had gone for a more conservative look, which was ironic considering the look was supposed to be a conventional way to misbehave in the 1920s. Her diamond-colored dress was sparkling in the low light. She had a matching band on her head and gloves on her hands. She had on all kinds of gaudy jewelry.

But their carefree costumes did not match the somber looks on their faces. Emily could see the concern radiating off of them.

Usually she was fairly independent, but it was a relief to see her parents after the night she'd had. The hallucinations had been rough. She had checked the baby's heart rate every time her eyes opened. Her hand had not moved from her stomach. She wasn't sure if the baby could feel her, but she wanted her to know she was there.

Her dad walked to her bedside and kissed her forehead. He tentatively put his palm against her belly. It was the first real connection he'd made with her child. It took away some of her pain. The soft look on his face reminded her of all of her good childhood memories. It reminded her that there hadn't always been tension between them. It reminded her that no matter what, her parents did still love her.

Her mother looked like she'd been crying. Emily wasn't sure why. It wasn't the first time she'd been in the hospital. She'd been a fearless kid, which equated to scars and sprains. She had broken her hand when she was seven, but luckily it healed without complications. She was fortunate that none of her injuries hindered her swimming.

"How are you feeling?" Her mom ran her fingers through Emily's hair. Her fingertips grazed the bandage on her head. She glanced at it and sighed. "Oh, honey...that's going to bruise."

"It looks worse than it is." She tried to put on a brave face, but she could feel a throbbing pain that was cutting down to her skull.

"Mrs. Montgomery tells us you were quite the hero tonight." Her dad had something resembling pride in his eyes. He'd taught his daughter well.

"I just did what anyone would do." Emily shrugged.

"Don't be modest. She says it could have been much worse."

"Caleb and Mike are the real MVPs. If they hadn't gotten control of the chainsaw it would have swung back at us and then hit the crowd."

Alison had told her all about how the guys had sustained rope burns to try and steady the giant decoration. It was shame someone had tampered with it and had ruined the dance. It had been a really good set-up. Mona and the committee had worked hard on it.

"Caleb...that's Hanna's boyfriend, right?" Her dad asked.

"Mmhmm." Emily nodded, slowly blinking. Her sight still felt fuzzy. "He works at the coffee shop."