I found myself in a hospital bed. Hawk was asleep in a chair beside me and my dad was pacing outside of the room. I slowly started to move around to reposition myself, waking Hawk up.
"Thank god you're awake" he said as he came closer to the bed.
"What happened?"
"The doctors said you weren't eating enough. You passed out at Golf N' Stuff"
I sighed. I knew this would happen eventually.
"Have you been- starving yourself?" He asked hesitantly.
I didn't respond, how could I respond to that?
"Blair-"
"Eli, I'm sorry-"
"Blair!" My dad said as he rushed into the room and carefully wrapped his arms around me.
"I'll give you two a moment" Hawk said as he left the room.
"I'm sorry dad-"
"No, don't say that. I'm sorry. This is my fault" he said as he sunk into the nearby chair. He was struggling to hold back his emotions and yet, I couldn't smell any alcohol on him.
"What are you talking about?"
"I screwed up yet again by not paying attention. I was too invested in the dojo to even take notice to the fact that my own daughter was starving herself"
I started to choke up at the pain I was causing him. I never realized the impact this would have on others.
"The doctors found your cuts" he mumbled.
"What?"
"They found your cuts, Blair" he spoke up after wiping a few of his tears away.
"Dad-"
"Why didn't you tell me anything?"
"I was handling it. I haven't done anything in months, I swear" I explained.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"I'm so sorry dad" I said as my crying started to increase.
"I love you more than anything in this world. I can't lose you and will not sit by and watch you kill yourself" he choked. His breath was staggered and his eyes were filled with redness.
I couldn't keep this up if it was only going to hurt my family more than me.
"I'll stop, I promise. I'll do better" I reassured him.
He gave me a smile and placed a kiss on my forehead before leaving me to rest.
-
I had a few more visitors after I woke up. Hawk had gone to the cafeteria to grab some food for us. Surprisingly Sam entered the room. This was unexpected.
"Hey" she said from the doorway.
"Hey" I replied.
The conversation was awkward and uncomfortable. I could tell she was struggling to come up with conversation topics to make me feel better.
"I'm sorry" she blurted out.
"What?"
"I-I'm sorry"
I rolled my eyes in frustration. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Of all the times she could have apologized to me, she chose now to do it.
"Look, I know you hate me and you have every right to, just hear me out. I was jealous ok?"
"Jealous? Of what?"
"Everything. I was jealous of your life. You seemed like the perfect girl with no problems, and even if you did, you pushed through them with no problem. I could never do that. Instead I took my anger out on you. I had no idea what your home life was like until Robby and Miguel started to talk about you."
I was left silent.
"I don't expect you to forgive me, I just wanted to tell you the truth" she said as she held my hand. It all made sense now, all those years we had spent hating each other, was purely out of jealousy. Maybe if Sam and I became friends, we could end all of this karate rivalry. All I needed to do was forgive her.
"Thank you" I smiled.
She gave me a smile back before saying, "let me give you my number, call me if you need anything or in case you just want to hangout"
She entered her phone number into my contacts.
"Did you like Robby?" I asked.
"What?"
"Do you like my brother?"
She was hesitant on replying.
"Yes" she finally replied.
"Then why did you go on that date with Miguel?"
"I did like Robby, but ever since you came back he's been different. We broke up a few days ago. I thought this date with Miguel would make me feel better, but it only made this worse."
"So you used him as a rebound?"
She sank into the chair next to me and started to cry. I could tell she really cared for my brother, more than I imagined.
"Sam-"
"I didn't mean for this to happen"
"It's not your fault. If I hadn't come back into his life, you two would still be together"
"Don't say that, you're his sister, you needed to come back into his life" she told me.
"We'll figure this out" I reassured her.
I hope forgiving her was the right thing to do.