"Okay." I raised my hands. "Let's calm down."
From the corner of my eye I saw James turning away from us and hiding behind his pillow. I almost chuckled.
"CALM DOWN?"
Jesus.
"You're in the hospital!" Trevor was fuming. He was red faced with pulsing nostrils. "What did that idiot do? Where is he?!"
Trevor then scanned the room. His eyes landed on James, that by now was trying to hide behind his pillow and bedsheets. "YOU! What the fuck happened?"
I cringed feeling bad for James.
"Um... well." James looked at me pleadingly. If he narrated to Trevor the real story, he was as good as dead.
"We were waiting to cross the street." I spoke up. "When the light finally changed a bicycle came out of nowhere and crashed with us. In a mess of screams and limbs we ended with the broken finger and an ugly hit to the head."
"Where's the guy of the bicycle?" Trevor rose an eyebrow.
"Um..." James was so dead. "He didn't get hurt, so he's not here."
"I'm not buying it." Trevor narrowed his eyes. "And you know it."
"Okay! Fine!" James snapped. "I was trying to kiss her doing that dipping thing and we fell. She hit her head with a wall and I broke my finger when she landed on me."
Trevor turned slowly to James and with a chilling voice asked. "Are you out of your mind?"
"It was a miscalculation." James tried to justify.
"Miscalculation?! You, dumb fuck. She could have gotten seriously hurt!" Trevor was about to storm to James' bed, but I held his wrist to stop him.
"Hey." I tugged at his arm when he refused to turn away from James. "I'm okay. I haven't passed out, I don't feel like throwing up. It's probable that I only have a slight concussion."
Thankfully the doctors arrived before Trevor could continue with his storm of rage. A cute doctor with blond hair on a high ponytail approached James. I didn't get to hear what she was saying because my own doctor walked to us and good gracious was he a sight. Tall, blonde, blue eyed and with a kind smile made him look like the perfect doctor model.
"Hello, Dakota." He read my name from his chart. "I'm Dr. Philips from neuro. It says in the chart that you hit your head pretty hard. Can you tell me what happened?"
Trevor interjected before I could say anything. "That idiot over there tried to kiss her with the 'dip-move' and ended up banging her head against a wall."
James was apparently listening to our conversation because he felt the need to reply. "I already said I'm sorry!"
Trevor didn't even spare him a look and closed the curtain between the beds. At that the doctor chuckled. I looked at him and shake my head with an amused smile.
"So, you hit your head. Can you tell me where so that I can examine it?" Dr. Philips asked.
"It's right..." I pointed to the place it hurt the most. "...here."
The doctor moved my hair around to search for any visible injuries and I winced. Even by touching my hair my head hurt.
"She's going to be okay, right?" Trevor asked anxiously.
"I can't see any superficial injuries." Dr. Philips looked at Trevor and then turned to me. "You'll probably develop a bump in the next couple of hours and I just have to make a few more tests and ask you some questions."
"Okay."
"Are you feeling dizzy? Urge to vomit? Tiredness or sleepy?"
"No, I was dizzy but now I just have the headache." I replied.
"Okay, I'm going to check your pupils." He took out a small flashlight from his lab coat. Dr. Philip turned it on and examined my eyes individually. "Follow my finger."
I did as told. The movement hurt the back of my eyes but apart from that there was nothing weird.
"Everything is okay. You just have a mild concussion. I'm going to give you a receipt for painkillers and just take it slow this weekend." He smiled kindly. I looked at him with dreamy eyes and his slight smirk told me that he knew I found him attractive.
Trevor cleared his throat. "We can go now?"
"Yes, you are free to leave." Dr. Philips pulled out a note pad from the chart and wrote something. "Here's your receipt for the medicine."
"Thank you." I smiled at the doctor and he walked away.
"Ready to go?" Trevor asked.
"Yes, I just want to check up on James." As emphasis I sneaked an arm past Trevor to pull the curtain. James was getting his hand in a cast.
Trevor rolled his eyes, sent a death glare to James and stormed off. "I'm getting the medical bill."
"You don't have to do that!" I shouted after him standing up from the bed, but he ignored me. James chuckled beside me.
"That guy has it bad." He commented.
"I know! He acts like my big brother, always over protective." I rolled my eyes getting nearer to his bed. I offered a small smile to the blond doctor that was working on his hand.
"That's not what I meant." He looked at me like I was the dumbest person on earth. "He definitely does not see you as a little sister."
"Pff..." I try to wave off his comment. "We're basically family."
"I can see that you care for him and he'd go mad if something happened to you. He just did, and it was nothing too serious."
"He's always like that. Worrying about me all the time." I shrugged.
"Look... I don't know how to say this." He paused momentarily. "I had fun today, but I don't see us becoming anything more than friends."
Oh, okay.
"I wanted to kiss you because you're gorgeous and I wanted to see if I felt anything. I hope you don't hate me." He grimaced and tried to hide it with a smile.
"I don't hate you." How could I hate him if that's the exact same thing I was thinking? "I feel the same way. You're great and funny and I had a blast today. This date has definitely earned it place in the list of future anecdotes, but I only see you as a good friend and I hope we get to hang out more outside the classroom."
"I'd like that. Oh, Trevor's coming back." James gestured to something behind me. "Before he gets here I just want to tell you, as your friend, that that boy is losing it for you. You'd make a great couple."
I couldn't contradict him because I felt Trevor step up to us.
"We can go now." He said bitterly. He was in a mood again. I can't keep up with him.
"Okay." I looked at James. "You're going to be okay, right? Do you need a ride?"
"No, I'll be fine. Someone's going to come pick me up." He assured me. "Go home and rest. I can make it up to you next time."
"Sure!" I smiled brightly and leaned down to give him a peck in the cheek. "I'll see you in class on Monday."
Trevor lead me to his car in utter silence. We walked through the hospital, down one level in the parking lot and between cars to get to his precious way of transportation. All of it was in silent rage from his side. I wanted to laugh at him.
He opened the door for me and hurried to the driver's side. The car ride was awkward. I wasn't sure if Trevor was angry, or worried or what. He had no expression on his face what so ever and his silence was marking me anxious. We stopped at a pharmacy and Trevor went to buy me medicine, again in complete silence. I breather in relief and decided to wait for him in the car. During the rest of the ride I tried to break the silence but when I opened my mouth nothing came out. What was I supposed to tell him?
When we walked into the apartment and Trevor sill hadn't said I word I caved. "Thank you for the medical bill. How much was it? I'll write you a check."
Trevor placed the keys on the usual spot in the bowl and turned to me. "It's okay. You don't have to do that."
"Don't be silly, just tell me the number." I shrugged it off.
"Let's not fight about this." He walked closer and I felt intimidated with the sudden closeness.
"Okay..."
"How are you feeling?" He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear sliding his hand to the side of my neck and stared deep in my eyes. "And don't lie."
I was at a loss of air. "Just a bad head ache and I'm feeling nauseous again because of the car drive."
"I'll get you a glass of water for your medicine." He stepped back. "Why don't you get ready for bed? You have to rest."
I nodded, and he went to the kitchen. Once he was out of sight I winced. My head hurt like a bitch and it was hard to keep awake during the car ride. The only thing that kept me conscious were my anxious thought about Trevor's mood.
I changed into a loose t-shirt with UCLA written on the front and shorts. I brushed my teeth and my hair and walked back to my room. There was a glass of water on my night table and Trevor was setting up camp on my floor with a pillow and some blankets.
"What are you doing?" I frowned.
"I'm not letting you all alone here." Trevor explained.
"I'll be okay." I assured him. "Besides, your just down the hall."
"This is not up for discussion, Koda." He replied angrily.
"You don't have to sleep on the floor." I cleared my throat. "We can share the bed."
Trevor froze for a second.
"You know, just sleep side by side." I explained. I had to do something with myself. I took the water and swallow the pills.
Trevor clear his throat. "Yes, that makes sense."
I felt so awkward around him and I hated it. Why was I feeling like this? My thoughts went back to the night we kissed, and I shook my head to get rid of the memory.
"Are you mad at me?" I had to ask and with me turned away from him it was easier to get the words out. Tugging at my arm he made me turn around.
"Why would you ask that?" He was confused. Well, not more than me buddy!
"I just don't know with you anymore. You were silent all the way home. And what's you deal with James?" I tried not to sound accusatory.
"I'm sorry." He scratched the back of his head. "You had me so worried."
I couldn't deal with the intensity of his eyes. I sat down in the bed, cross-legged. Trevor walked to the other side and took the spot beside me in the double bed.
"You sent me that text saying that you were in the hospital and when I tried to call you it would go straight to voicemail. I was going crazy." He took my hands that were limply lying on my lap between his warm ones.
"I'm sorry. It never occurred to me that you were going to freak out. My phone died before I could say anything else." Trevor was playing with my fingers, avoiding my eyes.
"Koda, I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." He finally looked up at me and I had to gulp.
"I'm okay." I freed one of my hands to hold his cheek. "Nothing happened to me, it was just a bump to the head."
Trevor placed his hand over mine and intertwined out fingers with my hand still flat against his cheek. I yawned and blushed in embarrassment.
"You have to rest. We can talk more in the morning." He smiled lightly. "I promise I'm not mad."
"Okay..." I yawned again. I fell down on the pillow letting go of Trevor to struggle with the quilt. He followed my lead and we snuggled under the blankets. We weren't touching. We just laid on our sides staring at each other. At some point I feel asleep.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It's been ages. School and work are going to be the end of me.
Give me your thoughts!
Regards,
A. L. Pecka