Chapter Nineteen: The Cast.
Ever woke up to realize you were crying in your sleep?
Just letting you know that whatever it is that makes you cry in your sleep has to be freaking terrible.
In my case, it was my arm. It hurt so bad, I couldn't even begin to comprehend how terrible it was.
I was sobbing before I even opened my eyes. And when I opened them, I saw the last people I ever wanted to see.
"Violet, you're awake." Hale said softly and stood up from the seat near the bed.
"Call the doctor, Hans." Franca said from behind him, looking down at her phone.
A tear slipped down my face and I tried to raise my right arm to wipe it away but I couldn't, first of all the pain was on another level and secondly, my lower arm was stuck in a cast, elevated.
I was in a hospital.
"I didn't mean for this to happen," Hale continued and tried to touch my face but I instantly jerked away from him before I realized.
I didn't look at him, I just kept staring at my arm. I broke my arm.
He didn't attempt to touch me again.
"Don't fuss over her, Hale, people break their bones more often than you know, she's not special." Franca said dryly.
I felt weird. Normally I would feel a kind of anger or fear or sadness over her words but at the moment I couldn't feel anything. Except for the pain in my arm.
"If you had just listened, this would not have happened to you," Franca came to the bedside and pat my hair. "What a waste, but I don't need you anymore, Hale, let's go."
"B-but Mom, she's my girlfriend." Hale said.
Franca sighed and paused at the open door. "Of what use is a girl with a broken arm? You'll find someone else and don't worry, even your cousin won't want anything to do with her."
Hale thought about this for a while, and from my side vision, I saw him studying me with brown eyes before realizing his mother was right and following her out.
They passed by Dad and the doctor who spoke briefly with them before coming to see me.
"You're finally awake," Dad sighed, coming to sit on the chair near my bed. "Are you alright? I- I mean besides the obvious, how do you feel?"
I couldn't even answer him. But he didn't stop asking questions.
"How did it happen? How did you manage to fall down the stairs, Violet? Why aren't you saying anything? Should I call your friends....?"
"Mr. Adams, I think your daughter may be currently overwhelmed." The doctor said.
"Oh, that makes sense..." Dad said, "I'll be quiet."
The doctor went on to check my arm, asking yes or no questions.
Does it hurt? Yes it would hurt for a while but the pain would subside later.
Can you move your fingers? Yes? That's a good sign.
I nodded and shook my head as best as I could. Besides that, it was just a blur.
There was food, I don't know what it was, can't remember how it tasted. It was like I'd taken a backseat in my mind and I'd set my body on autopilot.
They put my arm in a sling, more pain. I downed some painkillers. Sleep. I was home. More tasteless food, more medicine, Dad fussing.
Still auto pilot.
Then Moo came from nowhere and landed in my lap, purring loudly as she repeatedly nudged at my face with her nose and fuzzy face.
"What the heck," I mumbled, stroking her back with my left hand. And she kept nudging me and meowing and purring so much I concluded she was actually trying to make me feel better!
"Hey you've never done this before!" I chuckled, trying to avoid her cute head bumps. "Stop, oh my goodness..."
I was on the couch in the living room, in front of the television. Dad came out of the kitchen with his phone at his ear and he smiled when he saw me.
"Feeling better?" He asked, hanging up the call. "I made crème brûlée."
I shook my head and his shoulders slumped. "Will you eat anything? Sandwich? Help me out here, I don't know what to do."
"Call Mom," I said. My voice was so different to me.
"I tried, I can't reach..."
"I'm going to bed," I said, getting up from the couch.
"Violet." Dad called and I paused on my way up the stairs. "Talk to me, please. What happened at the Franceses? I barely left you for thirty minutes and..."
"I slipped and fell." I replied quietly, supporting myself on the wall with my left hand as I went upstairs.
I'd have to do everything with my left hand from now on. Wasn't that great?
I should have suspected the nightmares the moment I laid on my bed. It was like I'd walked right into a trap and I only escaped when Dad hurried into my room to the sound of me living out my bad dream.
"Violet, I'm here! Wake up!" He said, probably just as disoriented as I was as he knelt near my bed and tried to shake me awake.
I recoiled the instant he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Don't touch me!" I cried.
"I'm sorry, just...take deep breaths, Violet." He said and got up. "I'll get you some water..."
Then he left me with my horrible thoughts and the pulsing pain in my lower arm. Why was this happening to me? All I had were good intentions and now, this?
Till the sun rose, I didn't sleep a wink.
Annie and Susan came, taking my house by storm and showering me with apologies and kind words and food they thought I'd want.
I only broke down when they both hugged me and it wasn't because I was moved by their love. It was how painful their touch was.
It was hard to explain and it wasn't even the physical kind of pain. But how would I even start to tell them that?
"Please don't cry," Annie begged, letting me go so she could sit back on her knees. "We're here for you."
Susan could only nod in agreement.
The worst part was that their affection only added to my inner turmoil. All I really wanted was to curl into myself and hide from them and everything else with my dumb cast and pathetic tears.
(╭☞•́⍛•̀)╭☞
"Olivia, you're not listening to me... No I need you to listen, she broke her arm...yes I know that, no you can't just...I have- listen to me!" Dad was saying into the phone, heatedly. Olivia was my mother and he didn't know I was eavesdropping from the kitchen door.
"I said she broke her arm, her arm! Can't you leave the noisy area? Yes, Violet, your daughter. I just need you to come over, she really needs you right now. And I'll be gone for a week... you just got back, what are you doing in SA?!"
There was a long pause as he listened.
"Olivia we both know you can come back right now if you wanted...that's it, you're a self-centered, entitled princess who doesn't care about anyone else. Good bye."
I peeked around the wall and saw him leaning on the island with his fingers pressing on his nose bridge.
I guess I won't be seeing mom for a while.
He looked up and startled when he saw me. "Um...how long have you been there?"
I shrugged and entered the kitchen, pulling out bread and jam from the fridge one after the other to make a sandwich.
"Well, remember that trip I said I was going on?" He asked, nervously passing his phone from one hand to another. "I'll be leaving on Monday, I'll call your Aunt to come stay with you, help you out with a few stuff?"
"Don't call her, I'm fine." I said, trying to open the jar with one hand. It just slid around the counter uselessly.
"Violet, you can barely open a-"
"Don't say it!" I grabbed the jar and tried to hold it with my other hand but I couldn't get a firm grip without stressing my arm. "Ow!"
"Let me help you." Dad said and made to grab the jar but I stubbornly pulled it away and it slipped out my grip and landed on the floor. CRASH!
I let out a frustrated scream that made Dad take a step back.
"Okay um," he swallowed, "maybe I'll just cancel the trip, I'm sure some other business opportunity would-"
"Don't you get it?!" I yelled, "I want Mom back, I don't need you! You can go on your super important trip, I don't care!"
Dad stared at me with wide eyes and I slowly realized what I just said.
But I didn't care, I was the one with a broken arm, he didn't get himself pushed down the stairs by a crazy ex!
He blinked severally, clenched his jaw and left the kitchen.
"Ugh!" I groaned and crumbled to the ground next to the broken jar, sobbing.
(╭☞•́⍛•̀)╭☞
He left before I woke up on Monday. The house seemed strange and scary.
I called Mom, maybe she'll listen to me, but I was sent straight to voicemail.
Moo didn't stop meowing loudly till I fed her. I was genuinely worried about passing my depression to her which in turn made me even more depressed.
Anyways, I found myself in the cafeteria at lunch (yay, autopilot), Susan was braiding my hair and talking about the fresher air since Hale was gone while Annie just kept watching me worriedly as I picked at my salad.
Then she looked up and sighed, "Finally, where have you been?"
"Busy."
His voice suddenly piqued my interest and I looked up from my food.
Susan got up from my side and he replaced her. I turned my head to look up at him and was met with his grey stare.
"Angelo," I mumbled. Seeing him was such a relief. I didn't realize how much I needed him around until now.
"Hey," he whispered, staring down at me with those smouldering eyes of his. I really, really missed him. "I heard what happened, Violet, you really don't deserve that." Then he reached out to hold my free hand which I suddenly jerked away.
We were both surprised. "I- I'm sorry, I just can't-" I started to explain but he shushed me.
"Hey, hey it's fine. I get it, really. No touching." Angelo said and shrugged, "I'll get that hug you owe me when you feel better."
I think I chuckled, it was more of an exhale than anything though. "I forgot."
"I could never," He replied and when he noticed his hand was gravitating towards mine again, he turned it into a fist. "This is going to take some getting used to."
A giggle escaped me and I had to cover my mouth with my hand before it turned hysterical. "I um... I'm glad to see you." I admitted.
"You are?"
I nodded.
"I'm glad to see you too."
I smiled and when I turned to look at Annie she was whispering something to Susan, who had her camera up and was giggling to whatever she was hearing. I could guess what they were saying.
"I didn't tell you, but Hale and I are done. Officially." I told them, "Turns out he doesn't need a girl with a broken arm."
The three of them just stared at me. In shock, perhaps?
Finally, Susan said something. "Girl, we should have broken your arm ages ago."
"Susan!" Annie gasped.
But it was actually funny so I laughed. And I laughed. And laughed. And I almost fell off my seat.
Susan and Annie burst into giggles too while Angelo stared at us in wonder.
Some girl paused by our table with her friends.
"Hi, you're Violet right?" She asked and I nodded, wiping away my tears. "Hale's girlfriend?"
"Ex." I corrected.
"Oh, we're in Biology class together, sorry about your arm, can we sign your cast?" She asked and her friends nodded with eager smiles.
I looked down at my arm which had Annie and Susan's names in pink and green markers already. I wasn't even aware that they'd done it.
"Of course." I said with a small smile.
"Just be gentle," Annie said as she slid over a pack of markers specially for this occasion.
By the end of the lunch period, practically everyone in my class had signed their names.
~UwU~
I had to become a bit sad so I could write this chapter properly...but I ended it on a good note!
How did I do?
Don't forget to vote! ❤️
Rhodes.