I had left the bathroom, seeing a few teardrops had sunken into my jacket. I ran to the office at this point. Not wasting a single second. I had finally got in, and saw the people at the front desks.
"Austin, right?" Said the nice lady behind the front desk.
"Um, yeah."
"Okay, Dr. Carson!" She called for the damn principal.
Deep inside, I began planning what I was going to say. The problem is that I didn't know if Trent had snitched on me or not. It was a gamechanger, and I knew the principal wouldn't say if he did or not, so I'd have to wing it. Planning to improvise is not planning.
"Hello? Austin Keller?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Yes, please come in."
"Alright..."
I had to follow him into his little principal area. I remember how he had a plaque on his wall for being a fucking principal. What a douche nozzle.
"So it's come to my attention that you have been going through struggles recently... with the shooting and all."
"Yeah, it messed me up."
"Well... the thing is that, although you have been pardoned from the majority of your assignments, you seem to complain about some homework you need to make up."
"Yeah, because it's way too much."
"But you could have had way more as well, why disables you from doing it?"
"I'm unsure if you have seen people die in front of your eyes, principal."
"No, but I have also experienced loss and managed to push through it Austin, but this isn't about m-"
"Loss? Like someone's brains and pieces of skull on the ground and corpse laying there? I'm pushing through well, sir. But your criticism isn't helping me. Neither is this extra work."
"I'm attempting to encourage you to find that strength deep within, to do your work."
"No you aren't."
"Please do NOT argue at this moment with me young man."
"You're not my dad."
"Like you had a father figure, I'm just trying to better understand why you took off some violence on Trent Matthews."
My heart had sank from his first statement, I hadn't even cared what he said after that. I stared him in the eyes right after he said that, with the eyes of death. The eyes of hatred. Utter. Hatred.
"W-what the fuck did you just say?!"
"I'm trying to further underst-"
"No no no no, before that."
"I hadn't said anything."
"You know what happened to my parents don't you?"
"No, not at all."
"SHUT the fuck up and tell me the TRUTH!"
"Don't get aggressive, Austin."
"How would you like it, if I talked about your parents that way huh?!"
"Keep it down!"
"Answer me!"
"Your intolerable mother had killed my daughter!"
All the sudden I had felt a certain pain in my heart. No... no fucking way. I still remember the pain. It's like I was getting stabbed by ten hundred pin needles while my heart was hyped up on forty cans of red bull. I had a heart attack.
"Austin?! Austin!!!" I heard my biological father say in the back of my head. Images in my head ran through. The car crash, Mike's corpse, Angelo's wounds from a while back, My abusive mom...
I put my hand upon my chest, right where my heart is. Feeling the beats of my stressed heart. I whisper with shriveled vocal cords
"Son of a bitch..."
I fell out of my seat and the last thing I saw was Dr. Carson reaching out to me and getting out of his seat frantically. I felt like I was the one at fault. The one who killed his daughter. The one who made my parents alcoholics that didn't care anymore. The one that killed Mike.
I woke up, and felt like I was dead. Bright lights filling my field of sight as soon as I woke up, gradually my eyes opened from slits to wide. I had realized I was at the hospital. The heartattack was that fucking rough. Apparently I couldn't handle the stress that had slowly built up over time. The straw the broke the camels back was the fact that everything felt connected to me. Emphasis on FELT. I saw that Angelo was on my bedside.
"How ya feeling man?"
"Agh... I'm doing good, considering that I still feel like shit deep inside, not as bad though..." I whispered.
"You haven't been out for long according to the nurses. You'll be out soon enough, Austin."
"Hah... I remember seeing you in a hospital bed, just like this."
"Yeah. Now it's the other way around, hahah. No problem though."
"Ugh, it just hurts. I wouldn't expect this, at such a young age like sixteen."
"Yeah, it's just like getting cancer man."
"Unexpected."
"Exactly."
"Principal told me everything that happened. You gave some kid a black eye huh?"
I shrugged a little bit, looked a little guilty, but then with a full smile I said
"Yeah I did."
"That's my boy!"
A nurse had came in and told us that I'd be ready to go tomorrow.
"Good to see you'll be back on your feet real soon."
"Yeah."
"Alright, sorry Austin but I have to go, Juan called up and said he needed help for something. I'll see you tomorrow alright?"
"Yeah okay sure man no problem."
It was a while after he left, I couldn't sleep thinking about Alison. How I hurt her emotionally so bad. At that point she probably that I had died or something.
I whispered to myself "Fuck this." And pulled hard on the cords attached to me to get them off. Eventually, I stood out of my bed. I didn't care that I was still in my hospital clothes. Luckily my normal clothes were already close by for grabs so I changed and saw myself out... but how?
So I had checked through the door and saw that there were still nurses and doctors walking around working late hours. I decided that maybe instead I should just jump out the window. We were only on the second floor. It couldn't break my legs. Even if I was slightly weakened by my heartattack. I opened the window and looked down.
"Alright. No problem Austin, you got this you motherfucker."
I had grabbed onto the window frame, sat on the frame, then dropped down easy enough.
"Landed on foot... woo! Good enough."
Seeing the lights on the street, the car lights, everything reminded me of the night I snuck out. That event changed my life, forever.
After staring at the beautiful scenery of the city I had finally went to the more suburb-like place where Alison lived. I luckily still had my phone in my pocket, it was close to dying though. I was gonna make a call to her but it was too late.
"Ah shit" I whispered to myself.
So instead I found her house, then tried to climb up it, since she had a tree next to it, like every other house at the neighborhood.
I knocked on her window in hopes she would hear it and open them. Lucky enough m'lady did just that.
"Oh my god, Austin! What are you doing here?"
"No worries... just let me in."
Of course she did as I asked and I was in her room.
"Weren't you at the hospital?"
"Yeah, but I made my escape to see you, princess" I joked.
"Uh, oh my gosh, this is why I was so upset with you."
"What? Why?"
"You do these unnecessary things, Austin."
"Babe, C'mon. I can change for the better."
"Yeah, but I'm just afraid that this stuff will get you in huge trouble."
"Awe, don't worry about it babe."
"Stop it, you." She playfully said.
She was pacing around the room as we kept our cutie talk up and I just dropped onto her bed, warm socks, dark jeans, nice jacket, the scent on my clothes just rubbing off onto her bed.
"So, what's been up other than what happened recently?"
"Well... nothing. Everything you saw is everything that happened. Other than my heartattack."
"Both of our hearts were attacked right there. I thought you would be dead... again."
"It's cute how paranoid you can get about my safety Ali."
"I just really care about you, Austin."
"Don't worry it'll all be alright."
"Hopefully you're right Austin."
"I'm always right about things."
"Well let's see if you'll be right about this."
The details of what happened next are unnecessary. But, I was definetly right at the fact that it'd be a great time.
I woke up the next morning, her laying against me, hand on my chest. I had slowly but surely slipped out of her grasp without interrupting her mini hibernation session. I had gotten my jeans and t-shirt back on but left my jacket. I went to the bathroom then soon after had went downstairs to see her dad was already in the kitchen.
"Don't try to hide young man..."
He had scared me.
"You can walk freely instead. I'm worn out too."
"Thanks, sir."
I had gotten a bowl, some milk, and some cereal.
Made myself a basic breakfast, but a good one. Cleaned up after myself too to set a better impression. I still had some gentlemen pieces left in me.
I decided to find Carlos' restaurant that Angelo had told me about.
I had simply looked for a Mexican restaurant, because what else would a heavily Spanish dude serve? Maybe at that time I was racist. Regardless I had found the place because I asked about the manager and they said it was Carlos.
"Yes what's up?"
"So Carlos, you're the friend of Angelo right?"
"Yeah, but who are you, to know this info?"
"I'm unsure if he's told you about me. But I'm his friend-- or son figure. However he sees it. I'm Austin."
"Oh I've heard of you! You're the kid who pulled him out of danger when I escaped with him and the others."
"Yeah. That's me."
"Well what did you come so early for today?"
"I don't know actually. I would've went back to the apartment-- But I wanted to make a visit."
"Well you're welcome here. Want anything to eat?"
"What do you serve here again?"
"Well, Mexican food. Some other things too. You can check our menu."
"Well, I might come off racist, but just give me any taco you got please."
"Got you Austin. You can take a seat."
"Thank you."
I took a seat at a table with three seats surrounding it. I looked around the place. It made it too obvious that the place served Mexican food, or Tex-Mex. I waited around. Thinking about what to do that day. For once it felt uneventful. It felt peaceful for me. I sat there, until I received my taco.
It looked very appetizing.
"Which chef made this?"
"I did. Whenever we don't have any chefs and little customers, I can cook myself. Some say it comes out even better when I do it." He laughed.
I laughed with him, and went for a nice bite at the taco.
It tasted amazing, beef, beans, melted cheese, lettuce, tomatos, and more. It felt like a mix of fast food and orderly restaurant food.
"Wow, this is amazing Carlos!"
He smiled at went back to the kitchen to check over the ingredients and such.
I ended up finishing the awesome taco. But after the cereal and this combined I wasn't hungry for more unfortunately. It was great though. Such a peaceful moment. I don't really know why I remembered this moment, but it felt like a great start to the day for me.
"Thanks Carlos. I appreciate the food."
"No problem, Austin. You can come back anytime."
"Yeah but first I have a question."
"What's up Aus?"
"What happened, when you were escaping with the others that night?"
"A long story. Took me a while to make up with them afterwards."
"Huh?"
"Maybe Angelo will tell you some day. I have more customers to serve today."
I was a bit disappointed with his answer. It left me thirsty for more. But I didn't wish to nag him too much.
"Alright. I'll see you later, fool."
We did a quick handshake and I left.
My phone was off so I turned it on and realized that Alison called me a ton of times. I got a bit nervous. Maybe she was wondering why I left that morning.
I called her back and she picked up.
"Ali! What's wrong? Or is anything wro-"
"This isn't Alison. I suggest that you stay calm and speak in whispers."
It was a deep voice. I was internally freaking the fuck out. I remembered that.
"Uh... where is Alison?"
"She's not important... yet. Listen closely Austin Keller. I know what you're the result of. So, come to this specified location alone. What I want you to do is come there, then talk to me. Negotiate with me. Because I want you to realize what is wrong hete. I want you to help me."
"But... who are yo-"
He quickly spouted out the location. It was next to where I found Angelo. It made me scowl to myself. I stared out at the atmosphere, and lost my breath.
"While you agree to this?"
"Yeah... I guess."
"Come tonight. Clear your schedule."
"Okay. When tonight."
I tried my best to keep my cool but my impatience was killing me and it showed.
"At 10:20"
"Alright"
He had hung up as soon as he heard me confirm my statement.
I went to Angelo's apartment. He was chilling.
"Austin? What the fuck are you doing here? Are you alright?!"
"Yeah man. I was fine so I left the hosptial. Don't sweat it."
"Okay man, I trust you."
I was struggling between asking about his past, or to ask for support about my confrontation tonight.
"Angelo..."
"Yeah? What's up Austin?"