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JACE POV
I straightened out the tie I wore along with the black dress shirt and slacks as I took a seat near the front next to Cara who sported a black dress. Many people were here. Some I knew, some I didn’t. I saw Dillon’s parents in the front talking to some people, which automatically made my fists clench up. They shouldn’t be here acting like they knew her so well.
A priest stood in front and was talking to a sunken in version of Dillon. Ever since the death of his little sister he’s done nothing but weep. It’s weird seeing my best friend like this since he’s never shed a tear before in his life but with the circumstances, it’s expected.
During the past week since the fire happened, I’ve done my own fair share of mourning. I still believe that this is my fault and I’ve punched the walls in my bedroom far too many times to count now.
As I looked around some more I saw people from school. Lauren who seemed both broken and regretful. Luke who silently sitting with his head down, something very uncommon for him. Chase who wore a blank look on his face as if he didn’t believe it. Then there was Kayla whose facial expression was something I couldn’t even tell.
I decided I couldn’t sit down any longer so I stood up and walked around. I finally stopped in front of a headstone that read Peyton Brandt on it.
I stood there with my hands in my pocket, not wanting let my feelings all come out before I whispered four words: “I’m sorry for everything.”
[AUTHORS NOTE: HAH! This little section above this was ALL fake. Anyone who I talked to got me telling that that Peyton's dead when really, I never planned that all along. I just felt like tricking everyone :) I didn't change it or anything because someone convinced me not to kill her, I planned for her to live this whole time. I just wanted to break up the tension with a little joke pulled by me.
SO I REPEAT: The part from the funeral above NEVER happened. It was just a little joke I put together. It's not even a part in the real story. Now enjoy the REAL chapter below :) ]
Chapter 28. Peyton's POV.
A steady beeping and a muffled snoring filled my ears while I stayed in darkness. A pain went through my body and I actually breathed in a little gasp in surprise, which in turn actually hurt even more. Where was I? What was going on? Why did I hurt so badly?
In an act of intense strength, I managed to open my eyes to see nothing but white, sterile walls. It took me a moment to realize that I was in a hospital room and the snoring came from Dillon sleeping on one of the chairs.
“Dill?” I croaked out but stopped myself from finishing the rest of the name because my throat felt like it was on fire. Sadly for me, my brother didn’t move an inch and continued sleeping away.
Why was I in a hospital? I looked down at my body and saw a white blanket resting over my body. One leg bulged out much higher than the other one and when I tried moving it, I realized that a cast must be on it for whatever reason.
None of this was making sense to me. What happened that made me injured enough to be in a hospital? I reached up to run a hand through my hair but then stopped when I saw a huge bandage covering my arm. The only part that wasn’t concealed was my hand, which had huge red welts on them that seemed to be scabbing over. After seeing that, it hit me as to what happened.
A fire.
The memories of the fire burst into me. How I knew I was going to die, my silent goodbyes, just everything sprouted out and I remembered. Tears welled in my eyes from the memory and I started shaking. Why am I not dead? I should be.
To my surprise, a little scream left my sore throat and made it hurt even more. Dillon sat up quickly, rubbed his eyes, and then stared over at me in surprise.
“Peyton?” He asked in disbelief then stood up quickly, running over to me to wrap his arms around my body carefully. “Peyton! Oh god, I can’t believe this. You’re awake! The doctors said that you might not wake up—“
“What do you mean? What’s going on? I know about the fire but why am I here? I should be dead!” The words burst out of my pained throat, which made another question come to mind. Why did it feel like I swallowed a million knives?
My brother pulled away from me and I was surprised when I saw tears in his eyes but they didn’t fall. “You were in the fire and Jace was going to go talk to you but realized you were in the shed. He got you out, called the ambulance, and got you here. From the fire you got many third degree burns, a broken leg from who knows what from, and your lungs are seriously messed up. You went into a coma from lack of oxygen to your brain and they told me that there was a huge possibility that you might not wake up from it but you did.”
I recalled falling from trying to reach the window to receive this broken leg. The burns were expected, as were the lungs because of my asthma but a coma? The thought scared me. For all I know, I could be thirty right now but I hardly believe that considering how Dillon looks the same if not a little bit scruffy on the cheeks.
I breathed in and out before speaking again, “How long was I… in the coma?”
“Almost two weeks. It’s pretty late right now so everyone is home but so many people would visit you during the day, Peyton.” He nodded over to a table, which overflowed with cards and flowers.
“What about mom and dad?”
He froze and I automatically knew the answer. “They’re too ‘busy’ to fucking come here,” He said through gritted teeth.
What great parents we have. I sighed and rested my head against the pillow but not before seeing the singed ends of my red hair. I don’t even want to know what my face looks like.
“Wait,” I paused when I recalled what he had said before. “You said that Jace saved me?”
My brother nodded. “He went into the shed when it was on fire to get you. He got only a few second-degree burns and some lung problems but is doing pretty well. He left around an hour ago, he stays here almost as long as I do. The only reason he doesn’t stay more is because his mom is super protective of him now and wants him home early.”
Jace saved me? That’s unexpected due to all the stuff he’s done to me. I would think that he’d be happy if I were dead because he’d get to leave that Kayla-clan and get his money. I guess he’s better than I thought he was.
“I guess I should probably call the doctors now to check up on you… They told me to get them if you ever woke up.” He pressed a button on my bed and within a few minutes, a pair of doctors came in with bright smiles. They ushered my brother out and checked to make sure I knew who I was and what happened to me before doing a body check. With the blanket off of my body, I saw the puckered, red skin that came from the burns. They’re much worse than the one I got when I was five on my back…
They told me that they had to keep me for another few days to make sure that my body can support itself. I’d have to be in a wheelchair due to my broken leg and my burns covering my body wouldn’t be able to hold myself up that well. They gave me some medicine that immediately made me knock out and I regretted not being able to say goodbye to Dillon.
When I woke up again, light was shining through the windows and some people were talking. I looked up and saw my brother, Luke, and surprisingly Lauren sitting there. Her blue eyes wandered around until they met mine and a smile lit up her face as she ran over and engulfed me into a hug. I guess with me being in the hospital, I’m going to get a lot of hugs.
“It’s so nice to see your eyes open! I was so scared that you wouldn’t wake up and I couldn’t ever make things right between us again. I was stupid. You have every right not to accept my apology because I was a complete bitch. I should’ve let you talk and explain everything instead of believing whatever I wanted to! I’m so, so sorry!”
I looked at Lauren and I could tell that she genuine was being. What she did was horrible but what I did was bad as well. I’m not forgiving her completely but maybe, just maybe things could go back to how they semi were before the whole Jace thing.
“It’s okay, promise,” I forced a smile—which was painful—and she grinned back. Things weren’t even close to being okay but it was lonely without having my best friend around.
After Luke’s ‘you’re awake!’ speech, we called in the doctors who today helped me get out of bed to go to the bathroom. My broken leg and charred up one couldn’t hold myself up so as soon as I took one step, I almost fell to the ground.
“Careful now, you don’t want to fall.” I turned my head as the doctors each grabbed an unhurt part of my arm to hold me up and I saw Jace standing at the door. He walked in with a slight limp and a smile on his attractive face. I immediately didn’t want him to see me like his. I didn’t need any more people’s pity.
“Let’s try another step but with help this time, Ms. Brandt,” One female doctor said. I nodded and tried stepping but I couldn’t hold my weight at all. They finally just lifted me away so I could do my business and when I was washing my hands, I avoided looking into the mirror.
When I was done, they brought me back to my trusty bed and everyone started talking animatedly to me but I barely caught anything. Jace was the only one who didn’t speak while his light eyes bore into my dark ones. Why did he save me? It would’ve helped him out a lot if I had just died.
Finally when he seemed to not be able to take all the chatter, he cleared his throat—which made a look of pain cross his face—and spoke, “Uh, guys? Can I talk to Peyton alone for a few minutes?”
Lauren and Luke immediately nodded while gathering to their feet while Dillon stayed put, not wanting to leave me alone.
“I’m fine,” I spoke up now which made my lungs ache. “Just leave, Dillon. It’s not like I’m going to go into another coma.” My words were meant to be joking but I hardly doubt they came out like that. Regardless, Dillon got up and left with the other two leaving Jace and I in a silence.
“So…” He said awkwardly then raised his arm up to run his fingers through his hair. I saw the puffy skin that laid on his arms and I knew that those marking were from the fire. “It’s nice seeing you awake.”
“You’re hurt,” I said in a low monotone while continuing to look at his burns. He slowly lowered his arm and concealing the wounds from me.
“It’s no big deal—“
“You got hurt to save me. Why? Why did you risk your own life to save mine?”
He was silent for a moment while I didn’t once lose eye contact with him. “I’ve already ruined your life so much. After you danced, I followed you home but I was twenty minutes or so behind you. When I got to your house, I saw the shed was on fire and when I realized you were in it, I ran in to get you out. You’re only sixteen Peyton, you’ve barely even lived your life. You’re funny, smart, beautiful, and talented. Things like that shouldn’t be thrown away.”
This time I snorted which hurt me as he said the last two sentences. “Beautiful? Jace, I’m a burned up mess. My whole skin is disgusting and I can’t even look at myself in the mirror! I’m not nor will I ever be beautiful after this. I can’t even walk to the bathroom, which is two feet away! My parents can’t even visit me! I’m worthless. That’s the right word to describe me with, Jace.” The words tumbled out of me and I couldn’t stop them. All the anger and frustration I’ve gotten since I’ve woken up from the coma came rushing out and I didn’t stop it.
“I think you’re forgetting that this is the second fire you’ve survived. Of course you’re not going to come out unscathed, if you’re a real survivor then you never do. Even with the damage which doesn’t even matter, you’re still beautiful, Peyton. How many times do people have to say it for it to get through your head—“
“Give me a mirror.”
Jace paled, “I don’t think that—“
“Give me a mirror now!”
He sighed and reached over onto the table to pass me the small mirror. When I looked into it’s reflection, I gasped at what I saw. The girl in the mirror had a huge mark that was barely scabbing over going from the side of her face all the way down to the chin. Smaller burns marred her face but nothing nearly as bad as that big one. Her hair was charred off at the ends and her face was sunken in the slightest bit from lack of proper food. This girl… This girl was me.
A little tear fell from my eyes and down my scathed cheek and I felt a hand on my unbroken leg. Surprisingly it didn’t hurt when it was touched. I looked up at Jace and threw the mirror on to the ground. It landed on the plastic side so it didn’t shatter into a million pieces to make my luck even worse than before.
“Like I said before, worthless. I’m not beautiful and after this, I never will be.”
He surprised me by taking my face into his hands while staying clear on the huge gash. “Don’t ever say that. Everyone has flaws. You either learn to accept them or hate them your entire life. Choose the first choice because it’ll do you much better.” He stepped back and released his hold on me making me feel cold. “Wear your scars proudly. Be proud that you survived something that should’ve taken your life.”
With that, he limped slightly away and opened the door, ushering the others inside. They came in with smiles other than Dillon who eyed my facial expression and red eyes. He knew I had been crying but didn’t question it.
“When do you think you’ll be home, Peyton?” Lauren asked.
“They said around a week or so. I don’t know if I’m going to school though—“
“You’re not. You need to rest as soon as you get home. Once you can walk again, you also have to take physical therapy.”
I glared at my brother because back when I was nine and broke my ankle, I hated going to physical therapy. He just shrugged in response and went back to slouching in his chair. I was about to say something about it when a pair of nurses walked in with a cart.
“Hello, Ms. Brandt! Do you want to try eating?”
Eating? I haven’t ate since… Well, since before the coma. I don’t know if my stomach could take the food. But I had to try so I nodded and they gave me a spoonful of some plain mashed potatoes with nothing on it. I scrunched my nose up in disgust but I figured this was the only thing that can help me get better right now.
I took it into my hands and swallowed it. I immediately figured out why it was so plain: the spices and other condiments would’ve made my throat burn ten times more than it already was from eating this.
I finished off the small bowl full they gave me after they figured out I was—semi—capable of eating. They smiled and promised to be back soon to see how I was doing.
When they finally left, I collapsed in my bed and groaned while my friends laughed away. “This sucks. I can’t even eat mashed potatoes without it hurting me.”
“Who cares if it hurts?” Luke piped in. “As long as you’re alive, right?”
I smiled slightly and shifted my broken leg so it was situated in a more comfortable position. I was starting to get tired but I didn’t want my friends to leave but they had different plans.
“Wow, it’s getting late. I have to go, Peyton! I’ll swing by tomorrow,” Lauren stood up, gave me a little hug, and then left the room.
“I should probably leave to. It’s nice to see you awake, Pey,” Luke smiled, ruffled my hair, and followed Lauren out the door leaving me alone with Dillon and Jace.
“Aren’t you two going to leave?” I asked them.
“Nope, we stay until closing time which is in two more hours. On some nights they’ve let me sleep here,” Dillon told me.
A loud beeping filled the room and my brother pulled out his phone. “What?” He answered and his features filled with anger. “Oh, so now you finally care?” He rolled his eyes and held the phone out to me. “It’s for you.”
Confused, I took it then held it up to my ear. “Hello?”
“Peyton! It’s great to hear you awake!” My mother’s voice filled the receiver. I recalled what Dill had said about them and started to get angry at them as well.
“Yeah and it’s nice to see that you’re here! Oh wait, you’re not.”
My mom was silent. “Honey, your father and I were filming a movie—“
“Do you think I care about that? Dillon and I both know why you two aren’t here. You don’t want to deal with me. I’m the reason why you two are gone so much! You can’t take it when I see fire or when I get asthma attacks! You know what, you two are lousy excuses for parents because you shouldn’t be here. Only the people who care should.”
“We care—“
“Oh yeah? Then why aren’t you sitting by my bed right now?”
That got her. She couldn’t answer it because she and I both knew that I was right about everything that I had said. She and my father couldn’t deal with me. In some ways, Dillon had taken over my parental figures in my life ever since they started leaving us alone.
“Exactly,” I said before I hung up the phone on them.
I breathed in and out once, twice, before I looked at Jace and Dillon. I gave them little smiles and tossed the phone back to my brother. “Well, that was a pleasant conversation. Now tell me what I’m missing back at school.”
Dillon smirked. “I haven’t gone since you went into your coma because I’ve been here. Everyone’s been bringing me my work so I’m not falling too far behind.”
I turned to Jace awkwardly because there was a tension between us from our last conversation. “So what’s going on?”
He shifted in his seat a little. “I, uh, haven’t gone either…”
I raised an eyebrow. “You were really that hurt—“
“No, I’ve been here with you as well.”
That stopped me. He was here with me skipping school? Education was a huge thing to him so why wasn’t he going?
“I do know that everyone’s talking about you,” He took in my facial expression and changed his words. “In a good way. They’re happy to hear that you woke up so you’ll probably have a lot more visitor since it’s the weekend tomorrow.”
Great. More talking and more people seeing me look like some sort of fire mutt. I really didn’t want anyone to visit me but I guess I have a lot of thanks to give out due to all the people who gave me flowers, cards, and such. Right now my only priority was getting better. I’m already starting to hate this white, sterile hospital room so the faster I’m back home, the better.
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So the story DOES NOT end in the next chapter. It ends in around ten but I promise things will continue to be entertaining! I'm sorry for anyone who's mad about my little prank, I've wanted to pull one since I started writing on this website!
IMPORTANT NOTE:
I'm going on vacation and I'll be gone for around two weeks. I won't have internet access for most of it so I'm not bringing my laptop or anything to write chapter with so you guys will have to hold it out until then! Luckfully I didn't end this with a cliffhanger so you'll be fine :) I should be back to writing on the 28th so Happy holidays everyone! See you soon :)