The Program
Chapter Nine
My first kiss was stolen when I was fourteen, resulting in a bloody nose for Tommy Markham, the boy who stole it. But since I was shy little ole me, I wasn't the one who hit poor Tommy's nose. Maddie did, only because I asked her to.
It was an awkward experience, with the random meshing of someone else's lips against my own. Which not only wasn't enjoyable, but also made his teeth and nose clash with mine because he had done it quickly so he would throw me off guard. And his hands got tangled in my hair when he tried to pull, more like force, me closer to him.
Which only made the scene worse that day as he was rolling around in pain, blood squirting from his face and a bunch of my blond, and a light red from the blood, hair pushed to his face that was stuck to his palm while trying to stop the bleeding. But that was mostly because when I forcibly pushed him away, he thought he would yank at my scalp to make it harder, resulting in a soreness for me over the next few days due to his childish ways of pulling my hair from my head.
I could have sworn he was like ten or something because of how he handled the whole situation. But he was actually two years older than me.
Way to make me lose all faith in your, and I guess my, generation, Tommy. You did a fantastic job.
And there you have it, the first and worst kiss of my life, which was in no way my fault.
But this kiss was my fault, me being the one who placed my own lips on Jack's and all. That's okay though, because just like all the other kisses i've shared with Jack, this one was also the definition of perfect. From the beautiful connection of our lips to the smile I felt him make before he pulled me closer, cupping my cheek in his hand and wrapping his arm tighter around my waist. And if fault shall be placed on me for that, I will willingly take full responsibility.
"I get the feeling that you like me, princess." Jack spoke a moment later once we had somewhat separated, our lips now mere centimeters apart. I did a fast paced nod without even thinking about the response I was going to make, inching near him again as I did so, and brushed my lips across his quickly. "And what about you and John?"
I had to literally stop myself from letting a laugh leave my mouth. "Just friends." And then as an afterthought added, "I mean, we're aware of the other person's existence anyway."
"So, absolutely nothing at all is going on between you two?" He asked.
"Would I have gone on this date with you if there was?" I said.
"I kinda forced you to." He pointed out, no doubt smirking while doing so.
I let out a long breath and and spoke again. "No, me and John are not, and could never in the history of ever, be an item." And this time I knew he was grinning, moving his lips to mine again and causing me to feel that smile that i'm sure matched my own.
When he pulled away this time, slightly out of breath I might add, he said, "Good." And as if he suddenly remembered I had actually brought up a touchy subject before this moment, he added, "And this thing with you wanting me to remember, what's that about?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. And even if you did, it would only make you hate me." I explained, hoping that maybe that would change the subject, my words I had accidently let slip before the kiss now coming back to my now fuzzy brain.
"I highly doubt I would be able to hate you over whatever it is." He responded.
I wanted to tell him, really I did. But I needed to remember why I hadn't before now and why I had scolded my big mouth for already saying what I had. To keep me, and most importantly Jack, safe from anything Reid might do. So, I found myself pulling away hesitantly and getting up from the sand covered ground. And while dusting off my shorts, which actually got a small bit of melted ice cream drips on them, and seeing a very confused Jack below me, I said, "Maybe you should just take me home, it's getting late."
"Huh?" He said. getting up too. "But we just-"
"Take me home. Please." I cut in.
I couldn't tell him. And from what i've learned from the test, it was hard to keep my mouth shut around Jack, the person I seemed to trust most. I heard him huff a bit and then finally agree, us making our way to his truck. The ride home was silent and not something I enjoyed. But I put up with it because I knew I didn't have a choice, I knew that if I spoke again it would most definitely be something I would regret.
Once he pulled up at my house awhile later, he grabbed my arm before I could open the door and made me face him. "Can't you at least explain why you won't tell me?" And I couldn't help it, I couldn't just sit there and not do anything while Jack's green pleading eyes stared into my soul, I just couldn't. So, I went for something that I hoped would ease my own mind and stump Jack's, reaching forward and placing the tiniest peck on his cheek, just like I had before I shut down the test. And let me tell you, I was relieved when he didn't push me away.
"Reid is bad." I whispered, mentally slapping myself while giving him that slightest answer to his question before I quickly pulled my arm from his grasp and left the vehicle, making my way to the front door of my house and closing it behind me without another glance as I heard him start up the vehicle and drive off.
Maybe he didn't hear me. Oh, that was stupid. Of course he heard me, my mouth was next to his freaking ear, he heard. But luckily, he didn't know his dad as Reid like I did, the Reid I referred to as bad when it slipped out.
God, I knew I shouldn't have said another stinking word to him, it only resulted in one majorly stupid decision leaking from my lips and I was definitely right when I said my next words to him would be regretted. Because at this moment they were being severely regretted.
With my head in my hands and a now buzzing mind, I leaned my back against the door and slid down it, trying not to focus on the horrible events that took place.
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I suddenly found myself lying in a room of white, which was always the beginning of the dream i've had since I came out of the coma. And when I tried to move from my spot on the floor, I found it difficult, my body seeming to be stuck there, which had never occurred during the dream.
Then the room went black, like someone had flipped a switch. And in an instant the white was back, as well as the three frames from my dreams placed in front of me on the ground.
The first two did what they would normally do, the glass breaking when I was finished looking at the the first one and it causing me to get cut, and the other just cracking down the middle and me having to see Reid's horrible eyes.
It was the third that was different, this time showing a picture of a house on fire instead of Reid's evil words going up in flames. The picture looked as if it was taken from a newspaper, typed words written beside it.
In front of the burning house stood a boy, that could be no more than ten years of age and had black hair, watching as the firefighters brought his three dead family members from his now destroyed home.
A tear formed in my eye as I realized who the boy was. And as it left and rolled down my cheek, hitting the ground, the flames finally filled the room like the always do at the end of my dream. Then the cut and blood grew worse on my leg as always. And then the dream ended, like always.
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I jerked awake, my head hitting whatever was in front of me and causing me to topple back and hit the door again. I must have passed out after I came in the house. My mother was before me and the second she saw that I had my eyes open, she grabbed me and held me to her.
"False alarm, Marcus. She's fine." She said, her words shaky and partly incoherent. "Or, at least she's awake anyway." I heard her say.
"Thank god, you had us worried, sis. Here, let me help you up." Marcus was saying but I wasn't really taking in all of their words, my head in excruciating pain and my arms stinging with the sensation of being burnt as he yanked me off the floor and brought me over to the couch.
"What happened? How, how long was I out?" I asked, my mouth barely able to say the words.
"Well, not for a month and a half." Marcus mumbled, laying me down and propping my head up though I fought him some. "And as far as what happened, I don't know. I heard you come home and then the next thing I know, i'm running out of my room because I heard a thump."
"Oh, so I must have fallen or, um, something." I suggested, the stinging still raciating through me. I was trying to brush it off but so much was mixed in my thoughts. Why did I pass out and have the dream? Why did the dream change? Why did I see the picture of Jack's burning house at the end instead of what I was supposed to?
"Yeah, that's what me and mom thought. She called your doctor, and the replacement one you met, Elody Clarke, when you woke up and they said they were on their way." Oh great, so Natalie would be coming. This is officially the best day ever, note the sarcasm. Okay, fine, besides for the kissing Jack part. It was after that splendid moment that things kinda went to crap.
"Actually, they just pulled into the driveway." My mom said, turning to us and then opening the door so they could come in. I may have groaned a bit. I just wasn't in the mood to see Natalie right now.
"You never answered me about how long I was out for, Marcus." I pointed out, watching as Natalie and my other doctor walked through the door.
"About ten minutes, maybe a bit more. It's kind of hard to tell, time flies when you're scared." He replied. A minute later and Natalie came and sat down next to me while the other doctor, who I learned was Dr. Rivers, talked to mom out of earshot.
"Okay, Lexi. How are you feeling? Dizzy? Have a headache?" I nodded, letting her know that both was happening. "Don't worry, it's normal. Your mother says you probably hit your head while falling and that will definitely cause a headache and the dizziness is there because you just woke up after you fainted. You should be back to normal soon."
Oh yeah, what about the dream? Give me a logical reason why that happened, Natalie.
"Thanks Dr. Clarke. And sorry for making you take time out of your life to come. If I knew it wasn't so bad I would have left you alone." Mom suddenly said, walking over to us.
"It's fine, you have all the reason in the world to be worried about Lexi. A little bump on the head was definitely a reason to call us even if it turned out to be nothing, especially given the fact that she was one of the many that were in a coma." Natalie answered, giving a warm smile. So warm in fact, I almost forgot that she was a friend in the test and now may possibly be someone to be leery of because of the whole John's parents thing. "Plus, me and Dr. Rivers were, ah, in the area anyway." Natalie added with a slight clearing of her throat in there somewhere.
"Really?" My mom wondered aloud with one of her strange smiles. What are you suggesting now mom? So what, they were in the same area, maybe together or maybe not. There's nothing really important about tha- wait, are you thinking that they were like together as in together?
God, mom, now is not the time to become a Mary.
I saw Natalies cheeks flood with a bright red at my mother's voice and choice of words, barely covered up by her brown hair that you could tell she was now purposely hanging in front of her face.
Is Natalie blushing?
I have officially seen it all.
"Yes, well um, we should get going, Debra." Dr Rivers suddenly said, calling my mother by her name. "Make sure you call us if anything else happens, the more we can find out or come close to finding out about this mystery coma, the better. But I suggest you let her sleep for awhile." He added, pointing at me. Yeah, sleeping, that I would gladly do after the day i've had. "Come on, Elody, let's go." And so they left, the red somehow still on Natalie's cheeks, and that was that.
So, I decided to force myself off the couch without help, though my whole body felt like it would fall over any minute, and make my way to my room. And most importantly, my bed. And I tried not to focus on the fact that the closest thing i've had to food in the past hour or so was a few licks of a vanilla ice cream cone that's now melted on the beach, contaminating the sand with sweet, sugary, and very sticky goop, as my stomache began to add to my noises of pain with a grumble.
And hopefully my mother would stop with any of her nosiness that seemed to form a bit in the last few minutes and not even think about asking me how my date went with Jack.
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Hey guys, here's another update. I hope you like it. Comment and vote if you do and, um, yeah.....until next time, bye :)