Oh my lord, we haven't updated in forever!
I'd like to start out by saying, then, that we are SOOOOO sorry and would absolutely love to get back in the habit of posting for those of you who read this story.
Recently, we've been quite busy with our own personal projects and as such haven't worked as much on this story (or our newest collab. More information on that to come in the future) as we'd like to. But, we've been getting back into it, so expect more updates (though the whole 'Thursday' thing is no longer a guarentee).
In conclusion, thank you all so much for your continuous support, and we will try to get out some more works for you all!
Love you all!
~Effy
Chasity's Perspective:
It’d been two days since the traumatic events that took place that day, though we were still huddled in the hospital waiting room, waiting for them to allow us to see Garrett after giving him another checkup to decide for sure what was the matter with him. I sat in a chair between Pat and John (they’d let him out already. He’d hardly been hit by the bullet, thank the Lord) with Alayna, Kennedy, Jacki, and Jared with his new girlfriend, Sassy Rivera. Yep. Her name was Sassy.
Finally, the nurse came out to tell us everything they knew about Garrett’s health. They’d made us be extra careful before, in case he were contagious, so it was nice to get to know if it was worth it or not. “So?” I asked the lady, standing.
“He had the flu,” She said, looking to Alayna who’d stood along with everyone else. I shot John a look, remembering our conversation a while back. “You three were very smart to bring him when you did.” She nodded to Pat, Kennedy, and Alayna. “He isn’t contagious in the slightest and he shouldn’t have to stay here for much longer.” I sighed in relief; hospitals freaked the f**k out of him.
“So can we see him?” She nodded and led the way to his room, leaving us when we reached his door. We decided to go in shifts, so as not to overwhelm him, so I stayed behind with John, Jacki and Pat as Kenny, Jared, Sassy, and Alayna entered.
“The flu, huh?” John said, looking down at me with a smirk. “I thought your worry about that happening it was just a cover-up.” I shrugged, wanting to make a big ‘I-told-you-so” speech, but deciding not to.
“Me too,” I said truthfully as he pulled me into a small side hug. I smiled a little as he kept his arm wrapped around me until we entered Garrett’s room. I then broke free of his embrace and rushed to Garrett’s side to ask him how he was doing and tell him how brave he was to face all of this pain. He, of course, didn’t receive this as happily as I gave it, but smiled weakly nonetheless. Sometimes I felt so fortunate to have such friends who put up with my weird quirks.
John then said hi and talked for awhile about some sort of guy stuff that I would never understand, and then finally, Pat walked over with Jacki beside him and waved slightly at Garrett, trying not to freak out over the fact that one of his best friends had pneumonia.
After this little ‘meet and greet’, we decided to go out for lunch and let Garrett rest for a little while - which I’m sure he didn’t appreciate. But hey, we didn’t want him getting any worse than he was. John, seeing my concern for my dear friend, held his arm out to prevent me from getting into the car before he could give me a big hug.
God I loved his hugs. You’d imagine they’d be uncomfortable due to his boniness, but they were actually quite calming; they were soft, warm, sweet, and protective, without being too overbearing. Kind of like his kisses, which I’d had the pleasure of experiencing on multiple occasions. I thanked him under my breath before climbing into the passenger seat. He, of course, drove as it was John we’re talking about. In fact, if I recall correctly, our first ever argument was over the fact that we both wanted to drive.
Those were the times.
Over the next few days, we continued to visit Garrett, not even bothering to think about the fact that Trey still hadn’t been home from mini-vacation with Debbie to worry about his only brother suffering pneumonia in a hospital. Though, I had heard he would be home today. Or at least that’s what Garrett said. Honestly, I didn’t understand why no one would call him to tell him so that he could come and visit, though it was quite possible that Garrett threatened death to anyone who would do this, in fear that he’d bring his apparently freaky girlfriend.
I would never understand boys.
I lay on the couch at John’s house (why had I not moved back in with Alayna, you might ask? Because I couldn’t bring myself to leave such a wonderful place, and John honestly seemed thankful for the company) with him stroking my hair idly with his left hand, though his right arm had almost completely healed in the week since it’d happened. I smiled up at him, about to bring up something I’d been thinking about for awhile, when the phone rang and John answered.
“Hello?” He said in his raspy voice. “He what? Well is he okay? Oh God, have you told him that? Sure, we’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone with a mildly worried expression on his face as he stood, lifting me with him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him as he wrapped my legs around his waist so that I was in a piggy back ride position.
“Garrett hasn’t been eating, apparently, or sleeping much, for that matter, and the doctors are worried. Said he wouldn’t talk to anyone but us, so they want us to try and see what’s up.” My jaw dropped; I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t thought of this before, as I’d unconsciously noticed his sudden, rapid weight loss. But I honestly hadn’t put two and two together to realize that he must’ve been regularly skipping meals. In retrospect, I didn’t recall seeing him eat once since he’d reached the hospital.
And so I dropped off of John’s back and we walked quickly towards the car. “Wait,” I said, holding a hand out as we reached the driveway. “I wanna make one stop first.”
***
Garrett's Perspective:
I covered my face as yet another doctor came into my room in an attempt to get me to eat. They talked to me of how I needed food and rest in order to get well again, yet they could say nothing to get me to take even the smallest bite of the soup they’d put in front of me. I didn’t see what the big deal was; it was just food. It wasn’t like I was going to die from skipping just a week’s worth of meals because I wanted nothing more than to get out of this hellhole that I’d been trapped in for seven f**king days.
Another doctor entered a few moments after the last one left and crouched down beside where I lay, feeling too weak to talk much. “How are you feeling?” She asked me. She was actually quite pretty, for a nurse, with black, curly hair and slightly tanned skin. But even her semi-normal exterior (in comparison to some of the doctor’s) wasn’t enough to make it feel worthwhile to speak. So I merely shrugged.
She picked up the thermometer on the side table and motioned for me to allow her to at least take my temperature, even if I wouldn’t let her hear my voice. I obliged, as I still wanted to get better just because it meant not only no longer feeling like complete s**t (again), but also being able to leave. After a few moments she took it out from under my tongue and read the number while I watched the ceiling with more interest than I should’ve been. Until she bit her lip and stalked off, returning not too long afterwards with the main (no pun intended) doctor.
“His fever’s gone back up some,” She said to him as he watched me carefully. “It’s almost reached 105 again.” This didn’t surprise me, as I certainly felt the familiar sensation of a high temperature (shaking uncontrollably and feeling like you’re freezing to death, even though your skin is burning hot). And then he approached me. With a needle. And I freaked.
I’d had enough of this stupid f**king hospital and all these s**tty doctors and nurses who needed to learn to keep their hands to themselves. And I don’t know what caused my sudden outburst, but as the needle punctured my skin, I felt every single cell in my body go ballistic.
I watched as the doctor left the room with some of my blood, the nurse trailing after him without so much as a glance in the direction of the poor boy who’d just gotten blood taken with no warning whatsoever.
Over the time span of about two hours, nurse after nurse came in to try once more to get some sort of food in my body, though I rejected it all, often saying that I felt too nauseous to eat (which wasn’t a complete lie) and other times just saying that I wasn’t hungry. Which, once again, wasn’t a complete lie, as the pangs of hunger had faded after a few days and I now just felt weak and dizzy.
But finally, after what felt like forever, the doctor returned with a clipboard (for no apparent reason). “Well,” He said, looking up from the papers he’d been reading. “Your condition has worsened, as you can obviously feel, due to lack of proper rest and nutrition, and as you won’t speak up as to why you’ve given up eating and sleeping, we’ve decided it best that you stay here a while longer.”
And I’m going to come right out and tell you the truth, even if you think of me as a complete baby afterwards; I cried. I seriously shed tears upon hearing that I would be stuck here longer. And not just the simple, light crying; I honestly yelled, attempted to get out of bed to run away, and then began to feel tears rolling down my cheeks when I was recaptured by the doctors and placed back in bed.
I f**king hated it here with a burning passion that cannot be put into words. Altogether, it’s easier to explain it by telling you the honest truth: this place was complete hell.
***
Alayna's Perspective:
It’d been almost an hour since I’d gotten the call from John, saying that we – as in Kennedy and I, if not Pat, Jacki, Jared, and Sassy as well – needed to meet him and Chasity at the hospital. He’d actually sounded concerned, which was rare for him as he was the most ‘chill’ person I knew, so I knew that the situation needed to be taken seriously. Or as serious as you can take something that he was late to, even though he’d been the one to call.
I leaned back in the chair I sat in, waiting to see a familiar, lanky form or head of brown curls; really anything that signified that my friends had arrived to tell me what was going on that was of such high importance (not that I doubted their judgment, I was just curious).
At last, Pat stood and ran to hug John, who was standing with Chasity and Trey, a few feet from where we sat in the waiting room. He made a confused face and patted Pat’s back (try saying that three times fast!) in an attempt to get him off of him. It worked, and so I didn’t the slightest bit awkward walking over to him and flipping my blonde hair from my face before asking, “So, what’s up?”
“Garrett,” He started and both of our eyes shot to Chasity, fearing that she might start crying. “hasn’t been eating or sleeping,” He said shortly, making me nod, but not move my gaze from Chasity’s sweet face.
Seeing us watching her, Chasity raised her eyebrows. “Is there something I can help you two with?” She asked in a bitter tone that surprised me greatly, coming from her.
“We just thought you might be bothered by our talking about Garrett’s condition,” I spoke impulsively, only to realize seconds later the big mistake I’d just made.
“Why would I be bothered?” She sneered, blowing a stray curl from her eyes. “Why is it that everyone treats me as though I’m broken and can’t take care of myself?” I exchanged a look with John, who seemed to be thinking the same thing as me; she sounded just like Garrett. She shot us a dirty look, making me wonder if she had mind reading abilities or something, as she next said, “I know what you’re thinking and I am not at all like Garrett, and you know why? Because A big part of caring for yourself is knowing when to ask for help, and that’s something he’s severely lacking.”
“Actually-” I started, but was cut off.
“I know he asked for help this time!” She yelled. I’d known Chasity long enough to not be bothered by her outbursts anymore, but this time it was different; she didn’t look furious, as you’d expect. In fact, she looked like she might cry. And then I was once again reminded of how John always seemed to know what to do, as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head gently.
“Chaz, we treat you like you’re fragile because we know that you’re not. You’re very strong, but that doesn’t mean you should have to face more hurt than anyone else. We know you’re upset and concerned, and so we’re trying to protect you from having to feel any more pain than is absolutely necessary. And you can take care of yourself, but you don’t always have to. We’re just trying to help,” He said, making me feel a pang of mild jealousy that I didn’t have a relationship like Chasity had with John.
Just then, a nurse came out to tell us that we could see Garrett now, and so we trudged after her deciding what shifts we would go in today. Seeing as Chasity was the most concerned (other than Trey who’d just found out that his brother had pneumonia), we decided to let her go first, John and I along with her.
The second the door to his hospital room opened, Chasity ran in and threw herself to the floor beside Garrett’s bed, stroking his hair gently and holding his hand. She whispered encouraging words, as she (and everyone else for that matter) could see that the whole hospital scene was getting to him and he needed an escape. John and I leaned against the wall near the door, watching the two sit there, crying to each other (yep, Garrett was crying. This place really freaked him out), and I couldn’t help but notice the look in John’s eyes as his best friends shared a moment; it was one of slight jealousy that Chasity was holding another’s hand, happiness that the two were glad to see each other, and most of all, love.
Love for the way Chasity brushed the tears away from the corners of her eyes using only her thumb; love for the way she tucked her wavy hair behind her ear in order to better see Garrett’s face, and him hers; love for the way her big eyes shone, not only with tears, but with happiness to see her best friend since elementary school again, even though they saw each other quite a lot; love for the way she scrunched up her nose when she was fake mad; love for the way she screamed when you tickled her; love for the way she talked, the way she walked, the way she sat, the way she breathed. He loved her, and I could tell. And I couldn’t be happier for them.
***
The way she walked was beautiful; full of grace and effortlessness. I watched her in awe as the cold drops of rain settled on her cheek until they would be washed off by another. Her thin arms bent at the elbows so that she could feel the water hit the outstretched palm of her hand as I came up behind her, admiring not only the careless beauty she possessed in her sweet face, but also in places that I felt guilty for looking at moments after.
I’d felt seriously poetic and sentimental since the moment it hit me that I loved Chasity in Garrett’s hospital room about thirty minutes ago, and I was mentally beating myself for not noticing the feeling sooner. I wondered silently if I wouldn’t have felt so cheesy if I had. But all the things I said before were true (yes, even looking at awkward parts of her such as her legs, butt, and boobs. I’m a boy with needs, okay?), and I couldn’t help but watch her carefully as I opened the car door for her before closing it behind her and going around to climb into the driver’s seat.
She actually seemed all right with me driving from here on, showing me that it’d merely been worry for her friend that made her so content to argue when Agnes passed (heh, passed. Told you I was feeling cheesy and sentimental). She turned to look at me after a long while driving as the sun set behind the window she had been looking out. I glanced at her with eyebrows raised before turning my attention back to the road. “You hungry? We can stop somewhere, or just drive through, if ya want,” I offered as she flipped her hair from her eyes.
“A little. But I don’t care either way,” She said in her gentle voice. I shrugged.
“Neither do I. Pick a side, one represents drive-through and the other represents stopping somewhere.” She giggled and chewed at her lip for a moment.
“Left.”
“Drive through it is, then. Where do you wanna go?” I said, glancing at her to see that she was smiling.
“Hmm,” She put her feet up on the seat so that her chin rested carelessly on her knees and looked over at me. “Arby’s.”
After we’d gotten our food and were driving off towards my (our?) house, I glanced over at her again. I opened my mouth to ask her something, when she unwrapped my sandwich and held it out for me to take. “Sorry, ma’am, but I gotta have two hands on the wheel at all times.” She smiled.
“Open.” She gestured for me to open my mouth and I did so. And she fed me. Could the girl get any cuter?
We drove all the way home with her feeding me in between bites of her own roast beef sandwich, laughing and talking as we went, and in no time at all, we’d reached the driveway and the end of our journey.
We went inside and sat down on the couch as darkness fell over the outdoors, leaving only the light coming from the little table lamp. After a long time in silence with Chasity’s head on my shoulder, she spoke what I’d been wanting to talk about all week.
“John?” She said. “Why did you take that bullet for me?” I looked down at her, feeling the weight of her head leaving where it laid.
“Because I couldn’t watch someone I lo- care about get shot,” I said, narrowly avoiding use of the word ‘love’. Her eyes lit up.
“John?” She asked me again, raising her eyebrows hopefully. “I love you.” As she spoke these words, my heart stopped.
“I love you too, Chaz, but how l-”
“A while,” She said, answering my question before I could fully ask it.
“But what would Garrett think of us, you know, going out? Or anyone else for that matter?” She seemed to ponder this for a long time.
“If you’re worried, we can keep it a secret,” She practically whispered. I thought about this solution for awhile, wondering if I thought it wise to hide such a thing.
“Just for the time being.”
“Of course.”
“And no one would know?”
“Not unless you wanted them to,” Chasity said with a faint smile.
“Okay,” I said. “Then Chasity Hunter, will you be my girlfriend?” I asked her nervously.
“I’d be honored,” She whispered, planting a kiss on my lips as she took my hand and interlaced our fingers.
And we kissed (of course) for a long time until air became absolutely necessary and we broke apart. I looked at the clock and, seeing the time, turned to my new girlfriend with a smile. “Time for bed.” She frowned as I stood to walk towards the stairs until she’d be forced to follow me, but she sat up and held out her arms.
“Carry me,” She said. And so I walked over and wrapped one arm around her upper back and slid the other behind her knees so that I could carry her up to the room we still shared, though her nightmares had gone after she’d defeated Javier once again.
I kissed her forehead after laying her tiny body in bed, and then crawled next to her with my arms wrapped around her waist.
“I love you, John,” She whispered, barely conscious at this point.
“I love you too, Chaz.” And with that, she fell asleep.