On May 5th, 2017, Randy, Molly, me, and all the other seniors graduated. All of us decided to celebrate by going over to some rich teen’s suburban mansion for a graduation party. There was alcohol and weed, so, automatically, I shown up. Molly wanted to go, which meant Randy had to go, which didn’t make him happy, considering the fact that he didn’t like to go to parties for some reason.
Molly and Randy were dancing on the huge dance floor in the rec room, while I was sipping red wine from a red cup while taking puffs from a blunt. I was so fucking high, I swore to God I saw a unicorn fucking a cheerleader from behind. Suddenly, my stomach started growling, and I felt something rise up to my mouth. Bile touched my taste buds, and I realized that I must’ve drunk too much, because I was going to throw up. I made like the linebacker that I was and tackled everyone who just happened to unfortunately be in my way, and I ran straight to the bathroom. The bathroom, I’ll admit, was elegant; however, there was no time to admire the elegance of a God damned bathroom. Closing the door behind me, my stomach heaved something fierce, and I barely made it to the toilet before the bile started seeping out of my mouth. When I reached the toilet, I threw up into it. I didn’t know how long I was in there, but I must’ve been in there for a long time, because when I got out, there were only 15 people there, when it used to be over 50 people. Among those 15 people was Molly who was sitting by the bathroom door, texting on her phone.
Molly and I haven’t talked much about the kiss that happened two years ago, but we talk more frequently now, even when Randy wasn’t around. “Molly, where’s Randy?” I asked her. “He left, along with the other people. He said that he was going home,” she replied, not looking up. “Who are you texting?” I asked, sitting beside her. “Randy. I just told him that you finally got out of the bathroom. He asked me to give you a ride to your house,” she replied, getting up from the floor, “You ready to leave?” “Hold up. Let me get something right quick,” I said. I went over to the refreshment table, grabbed an empty bottle, and started pouring red wine into the bottle. Then, I filled my pockets with as many leftover blunts as I could carry. When I came back, Molly was laughing her ass off. “Oh my God! I can’t believe you!” she exclaimed with laughter. “What? I can’t smoke some weed?” I asked with a cocky laugh.
Soon, we went out of the house and into Molly’s pickup truck. It was red and it looked new. Molly got it from the money she earned at her job at a local auto parts retailer, where she is paid to fix other people’s cars. When we got inside, we drove off. As we were driving, Molly asked, “Is it true that you and Randy live together?” “Yep,” I replied, staring out the window. “Why? Does he have any parents? Do you?”Molly asked. “We don’t have any parents. We both never knew our parents. Before my aunt came along, we were both foster kids going from home to home until we eventually found each other. Then, we became friends. And soon, we became brothers. I would never hurt my brother,” I explained. At first, she was silent. Then, she asked, “So that’s why you won’t marry me?” At first, I was confused, but then I realized what she meant.
“Yeah; I don’t want him to be heartbroken. Plus, I’m over you, girl. I only see you as a little sister. I’m sorry,” I replied. “Brian, I’m a year older than you; I’d be an older sister to you. And there will always be people who will hurt. There will always be people that you have to hurt in order to get what you want,” she said, putting her hand on my lap. “You don’t understand what it’s like to have a brother to look up to. I look up to him; he’s my older brother and the only father-figure I ever had. He cares about me the way that no one has ever cared for me. Not even my parents could care the way he does. I don’t want our brotherhood to be broken by anything or anyone,” I explained, taking her hand off of my lap.
“You’re right; I don’t understand to have a brother like Randy who would care about me the way he cares about you. However, I have an older sister named Rachel; she cares about me a lot, and she wouldn’t let anything happen to me. She’s gone, though; I need someone to protect me,” Molly said. “Molly, Randy will protect you and care for you the way he cares for me. What do you see in me that makes you want to leave Randy so much?” I asked. “You don’t know it, but you’re kind, caring, funny, supportive, misunderstood, and cute. You and I have something in common: we are both missing links. We don’t know where we belong in society, but maybe we cannot know where we belong together. It’s what my heart wants and needs. I’ve had a crush on you since the 6th grade, but I couldn’t get the courage to talk to you. Then, Randy kept following me everywhere I go. He is annoying, selfish, egotistic, uncaring, stupid, and lame; Hell, he wouldn’t understand what I go through all the time. You do, however. You understand, because it’s what you go through every day, right?” she explained, keeping her eyes on me instead of the road in front of her.
When I saw the headlights of an off-road drunk driver, it was too late…
When I opened my eyes, the bright lights of the room I was in made them squint really hard. After my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room, I observed the room; I was in a hospital and I was lying on top of a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown. My head was bandaged, both my arms were in casts, and my right leg was in a huge cast. My entire body felt incredibly numb, and I could barely think straight. This wasn’t the first time I was put in the hospital…
Eventually, a tall man in a lab coat came into the room, and he was followed by two nurses and my aunt, Junebug. While the doctor was running some tests on me, the nurse were helping out the doctor in any way that they could. While they were all doing that, Junebug was cussing me out, telling me that I “should’ve died in the crash”. I was so high, I didn’t understand a single word she said except that. Then, Randy came, and Junebug started yelling at him, so he started yelling back, but I still couldn’t understand what they were saying. I think they may have numbed my hearing with whatever the fuck they injected into my bloodstream.
Once Junebug was finally kicked out of the room by one the nurses, Randy went up to me and held up two fingers. He does this every time I go to the hospital in order to make sure I’m not disoriented. My brain felt like it was going to explode when I tried to speak; Randy saw how I was struggling, so he awkwardly put the two fingers down. He then went up to the doctor and asked him something. The doctor said something back, but I still couldn’t hear much of what they were saying, and when I tried to listen, my brain would start to ache. The car crashed, Brian. You could’ve been killed if it wasn’t for Molly. She saved your life by risking her own. She’s crazy about you, you pathetic, heartless imbecile!” the voice scolded at me all of a sudden, making my head pound.
“How’s Molly?” I asked, sitting up. The doctor looked over at me and sighed. “Good. You’re awake. I thought you wouldn’t make it,” the doctor said. “Molly lost a lot of blood. They’re saying that she won’t make it. This is my entire fault…” Randy said, his head hanging low. “Randy, don’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault. Molly was distracted by something. There was a drunk driver. He was driving on the wrong side of the road, being chased by policemen. We didn’t know until they all pummeled the car, with us in it. It was the driver’s fault, not yours,” I explained, “Does she need blood to survive?” “Yes, she does. She needs a large donation of O-negative blood. However, we looked into the blood bank and there happens to be no O-negative blood. I’m afraid your friend is done for,” the doctor grimly said. “My blood type is O-negative; you can take a large amount of my blood,” I said.
Both Randy and the doctor blinked in surprise. “Mr. Ortega…this isn’t necessary at all. Your condition may not be able to handle it,” the doctor warned. “Brian…you’d do that?” Randy asked, wide-eyed. “Of course I would. She’s like a sister to me,” I replied, smiling weakly at him. “Thank you, bro. I don’t know what to say,” Randy whispered. “Don’t say anything. Let’s just hope for the best,” I told him as the doctor wheeled me out of the room.
Several hours later, I woke up in a different room. I must’ve fallen asleep, I thought to myself. She survived…you didn’t have to do that, you know. What if you died of blood loss? the voice asked me in a tone of concern. “Doesn’t matter…as long as she’s…okay…” I replied, groggy. The doctor walked into the room and said, “She lived, thanks to you. She wants to see you. Is that alright?” I nodded in reply. So, the doctor and two orderlies helped me into my wheelchair and wheeled me down to the ICU section. As we passed the rooms, I grew worried, wondering what Molly would be like, or how broken she would be. Soon, we reached Molly’s room. We went into the room, and I was horrified by what I saw.
On the hospital bed laid a figure in a full body cast. Tubes were coming out of her body in order to keep her alive. Her head was bandaged, but her face wasn’t; she was smiling at me. “Hey, Brian…” she whispered in a hoarse voice. “Hey, Molly…” I replied back to her. They wheeled me over to her side, and the doctor said, “Take all the time you want with her. Then, call us when you need us to transport you to your room.” I nodded, and then turned my attention to Molly, who was smiling very brightly at me. “They told me that you gave blood so that I could live. Is it true?” she asked me, still smiling. “Yeah…of course…you’re my best friend…I’d never let you die this way,” I replied, giving her a weak smile, considering the fact that I was still a little drugged up. “Thank you, Brian. Hey…I told you so…” she suddenly said.
“Told me what?” I asked. “That you’re more caring than Randy. He didn’t even think to give me blood or anything. Hell, he didn’t even come to visit me once since I’ve been here. I guess he cares about you a lot more than me. That’s okay…at least you care, Brian… You will make the greatest husband for a very lucky girl. If I was that girl, I’d be so happy, I wouldn’t know what to do,” she explained, a tear coming down her smiling face, “I wish we were together. I know that you feel the same way I feel, too. I have an idea, Brian. Do you want to hear it?” “What is it?” I asked, leaning closer to her. “Let’s run away from here. Let’s go to someplace awesome, like New York or Los Angeles or something. We can get married and we won’t have to worry about that bitch, Randy, ever again… What do you say?” she asked, smiling sadistically. “Sure…that sounds cool…when do you want to run?” I asked, very groggy.
I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying at all. “Let’s go tonight! The doc’s not here. We can slip out of here without anyone noticing we’re gone,” she suggested. I laughed weakly at her suggestion, and then I said, “I think they’ll, like, notice a big, black boy in a wheelchair and an adorable blonde girl in a full-body cast exiting the hospital.” “No, they won’t. I’m stealthy, like a ninja,” she said, laughing, and then coughing. “Are you okay, Molly?” I asked, very concerned, but still disoriented from life. “Yeah…I’m fine,” she replied, giving me that cute smile of hers. “Damn…whatever the doctor gave me…it beats weed by a long shot…” I quipped, laughing. Molly and I were both laughing when a nurse came into the room with a syringe in her hand. “Molly, it’s time for you to go to sleep. You need to rest after that surgery you’ve been through,” the nurse explained as she injected the syringe into Molly’s arm.
And with that, she was out like a light. The nurse was about to roll me out when I said, “Wait! Can I do something right quick?” The nurse rolled her eyes and said, “Fine. But make it quick.” The nurse rolled me over beside Molly, who was knocked out by whatever sedative she was injected with. Even when she was asleep, she looked so beautiful. I reached over and gave a passionate kiss on her warm, soft lips. The nurse gave me a look as we went our way out of the room. As we left, I could’ve sworn I saw Molly smiling in her sleep…
I guess I was wrong; I wasn’t over her…I still liked her. Maybe even more…