I woke up and my vision was immediately filled with white. I was thinking I had died and gone to heaven when I caught the top of chair in the corner of my eye.
I sat up in the bed as my head immediately became heavy, causing me to lay back down.
I heard soft murmurs from outside the room. I recognized the voice was Asher's.
"Yeah," he was saying. "I think she should stay with us a bit. Yeah. I'm not sure. The nurse should be back in a few and then I'll check. Yeah, okay got to go mom. Love you. Bye," he finished.
At the word 'mom' my heart cringed as I remembered everything. The phone call, running in the street, Asher saving me, him kissing me. From there, my mind went blank and I couldn't remember anything else that had happened.
I began crying. My mom was dead. I was now the only one in my family alive.
All the things I'd said to her like whatever, I don't care, stop bossing me around. All the fights we had gotten into. I suddenly felt guilty for wanting her to go away for the week on this dumb trip.
My crying turned into big hysteric sobs.
Soon, the door opened. I turned to look up at Asher.
"Oh, Riley, it's okay," he told me as he sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around me, allowing me to cry into his chest.
"No it's not," I told him.
He hushed me as he began stroking my hair. A minute later, he spoke up. "There are some people that want to see you," he told me as he got up and walked over to the door.
I suddenly felt cold, his arms not around me anymore.
"Only one at a time," I told him. He nodded in response.
"Wait!" I called to him.
Asher turned back to look at me.
"One at a time for them. I want you to stay with me through them all," I told him.
As he went outside to see all the people waiting to see me, I sighed and rested my head back, tired from crying.
I hated these hospitals. All they brought back were stupid memories. Seeing the one you loved die in front of you and not being able to help them. The worst part? Knowing it was your fault they were there.
My thoughts were interrupted when Asher walked in with a nurse. The nurse gave me an apologetic smile and it took me a little while to recognize her.
"Angela?" I asked.
She smiled at me and hugged me gently, as if I would break any second. Which I possibly could.
"I can't believe it," she told me. "You know," she started. "I told them to let you stay at my house because I know how much you hate this place."
I sighed. "It's not the place, it's just the memories," I told her.
"Well, I have something for you. I know you already cried and I don't want to make you but I know giving you this will make you want to cry again, " she told me, "I just wasn't sure if you still had any pictures."
She held a picture in her hand and handed it to me.
I flipped it over and gasped, tears already coming on.
"Thank you, Angela," I said hugging her.
I chuckled slightly. "God, I miss them so much," I cried.
"Remember this though," Angela told me. "They miss you too, but do go killing yourself," she said sternly.
I ducked my head. " I still can't get over the fact that it's my fault," I told her, my eyes welling up with tears again.
"It wasn't your fault, sweetie," she said, wiping away my tears. "He wanted to protect you and you know that he doesn't want you being hard on yourself."
"Me, Brian, Dad, Mom, And Cocoa," I said laughing at the picture.
I looked over the picture again. My parents looked so happy together and so did I as I hugged my older brother and Cocoa, our old dog, was jumping on us.
"I have to go back to work but I'll stop by later, OK sweetie?" she asked me.
I nodded in reply. "Thanks so much again, Angela." I hugged her again before she exited the room.
"I need a few minutes before the next guest comes," I told Asher.
Angela popped back in again and gave me another set of pictures, all of my family, before heading back out.
I glanced at them as Asher came to sit next to me and look at them, too.
There was a picture of Brian and I. We were at the beach and he had let me buried him. I was only five then but he was eight.
There was another picture of us on the Ferris wheel together, his arm slung around my shoulder. We were lucky and the ride stopped so that we were on the tippity top, overlooking the rest of the carnival.
Then there was a picture of my parents at the beach. They were walking along the shore, holding hands. They had just ditched this crazy party. Looking at it, I couldn't keep from thinking about Asher and I and how we could be like that.
I slid the photo behind the stack and looked at the next. I laughed. It was my birthday party and Brian had shoved my face in the cake. In the picture, I noticed Lauren. I made a note to show her it next time I saw her.
"So who's this kid?" Asher asked pointing to Brian.
I sighed and blinked to keep tears from pouring out.
"That's my older brother," I said quietly.
"Oh," he said quietly. I could tell he wanted to know more though.
"You can ask, you know," I told him.
He shook his head at me. "I don't want to force you to, "he told me.
"Brian," I began. "Was my favorite person in the world. We had that close brother-sister relationship. We always had each others backs and he was the funnest person ever. We used to live in California but there was an incident so my mother and I moved over a few towns when I was 13 and then later on in the year, we moved here. I had a boyfriend back in California. A few actually. And I could name them all but I don't want to. I was out one night getting ice cream with my family. I had gotten mine first so I went outside to pick a table while I waited for my family. A few of my ex-boyfriends were hanging out together and tried raping me. Luckily, my family came out soon. My brother was the first one to come to my rescue, my dad following as my mother stood there in shock, her eyes tearing up.
"My dad had just gotten home the week before from the hospital. He was a smoker and because of smoking, he had gotten cancer. He was told not to stress to much but who isn't going to stress when someone you love, like your daughter, is trying to be raped. Or well, people are trying to rape her. It turned out into this huge fight and my dad ended up dying. My brother ended up dying too after a few days of being unconscious in the hospital, his heart gave out.
"Ever since, I've had that bitch-don't-mess-with-me status. I tried not to get any boyfriends, scared of what would happen and knowing that this time, I'd have no one to help me. So I grew stronger and protected myself. Along the way, I found people that I trusted. Lauren, Tyler, Ashley, Logan, Travis, and now, you.
"And that's how I know Angela. She had been a nurse in California and saw me there. I stayed there all day long, not leaving my family's side, even after they were announced dead. A few years ago, Angela transferred and I saw her here the day I came to see Drew after he was born.
"And that's why I hate hospitals," I concluded.
Asher looked at me and I saw he was a little bit teary. I laughed.
"Asher, I should be the one crying, not you," I told him.
He wrapped his arms around me again and kissed my head. "I'm so sorry, Riley."
"It's ok. I guess I'm used to it by now. And telling you helped I guess," I told him.
I felt a tear on my forehead and saw him crying.
"Asher, don't cry," I told him as I kissed where his tears left trails.
"My sister died and my dad left us," Asher said suddenly.
My eyes widened. Guess we have quite a few stuff in common.
"I'm sorry," I told him, hugging him.
"It's okay," he said squeezing me tighter. "She had cancer, too. I would leave school early sometimes to go see her in the hospital, before she went in for surgery or a scan or something."
"You're so sweet, "I told him smiling.
He smiled back down at me. "And my dad, it was when I was little. I don't remember much except him coming home drunk all the time until one day he left."
I nodded slowly, feeling bad for him.
"We should probably let the guests in," I told him.
"Yeah," he agreed getting up.
"Asher," I said.
"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.
"I never thought I'd say this but go wash your face. It looks like a mess," I told him.
"Gee, thanks, Riley," he told me laughing as he walked over to the mini bathroom in my room.
After he came out I asked him another question: Why I was here and how I got here.
"Oh, well I carried you here in my arms and I brought you because I wasn't sure if you were passed out, or just had a heart attack or something. I just wanted to make sure you were safe," he told me, taking my hand in his. I smiled at him.
"Kiss me," I told him.
"What?" he asked shocked.
"Kiss me," I replied.
So he did that. He leaned down and kissed me. The kiss was gentle, passionate and full of love and lust. When we pulled away, we were both breathless.
I smirked. "Now go get those guests!" I told him.
*************************************************
After talking with Ashley, Logan, Eliza, Asher's mom, Travis, Tyler, Angela (again), Asher (again), Danny, some people from my neighborhood, Lauren and Sammy, I was allowed to change into my own clothes, seeing as though the were letting me out today since all I had done was pass out.
After, when we stepped outside, my eyes went wide and my mouth hung open. My eyes began to water at what I was staring at. Because there, in front of me, was legit the whole entire school. They had flowers for me and ah! I loved them.
I saw familiar faces like Amy (ew!), Mr. Jackson (bet he'd make me find a song for this!), Blake, Dylan, Jannette, Annabeth, Lindsey, and more.
I gave them all hugs even though it took forever. The hallway was really big but apparently not big enough for the whole school. I hugged Ms. Berkley and at the final end, Mason. He stood there with a dozen of blue and green roses, my favorite colors. I smiled at him as I jumped into his arms. He gave me a big hug and smiled back at me.
Instead of giving me the roses though, he handed them to Asher.
I looked between the two quizzically.
"Mason, you're gay?" I whispered.
He just laughed at me and shook his head as he pointed at something behind me.
I turned to see Asher holding them out to me, but this time, it had a little note on the top.
I took the flowers with a smile and read the note. "Walk back through the crowd, and tell me what you see," it read.
I shrugged and walked back through. I spotted Lauren with a cheeky grin on her face as she held a paper that said 'Will'. I then found Tyler holding a paper that said 'be my' and last but not least, I found Blake holding a piece of paper that said 'Girlfriend?'
"Why Blake!" I exclaimed. "Of course I'll be your girlfriend," I told him.
Everyone laughed and I shook my head. "I'm too funny," I told them.
I walked through the crowd back to Asher. He looked at me with pleading eyes. He also looked scared that I'd say no. I laughed as I stood on my tippy toes and gently placed my lips on his, letting them linger there for a second before pulling away.
"I'd love to be your girlfriend!" I told him smiling. He grinned and leaned in again, kissing me.
Then, I headed out of the hospital, hand-in-hand with Asher as we walked to his car. I wasn't 18 yet which meant I couldn't have the house. But all I had to do was wait till next week and then the house would be all mine. In the mean time, I figured I'd live with Eliza, but for tonight, since she was busy, Asher insisted on staying with me for the night.
His mom agreed but gave us a look that said 'don't try anything'. We laughed as she said, "No, seriously. I don't need a baby anytime soon."
At the moment, it didn't matter to me that I didn't have the rest of my family. I missed them but I just had to accept the facts. All that mattered to me was that I still had people that cared about me, I had Asher, and the whole rest of the school! Okay, so maybe not the whole school but most!
I held onto Asher's hand as he drove thinking, "I'm his girlfriend."
*********************************************************************************************
Author's Note:
Awhh! So sweet even though the beginning was sad. Don't worry, the story's not over yet lol. Calm down!
So do all that good stuff. Vote, comment, fan, and eat your vegatables, but not while walking across a street. HAHA. Jk I hate vegatables! Unless it's a potato lol I love potatoes! :]
Anyways, Thanks! Hope you enjoyed it! See a mistake? Point it out!
~writingfreelyxoxo~