Ben's POV
I keep texting Olivia but she isn't texting. I keep calling her but she isn't picking up. And the thing is, I'm doing this with someone else's phone.
I go through the rest of the day without a word from her. During biology, Jason comes into the classroom while Mr. Watkins is talking.
Jason looks at me. "Ben is being excused."
The teacher takes one look at me, knowing our friendship.
He finally lets me go.
Jason doesn't look at or talk to me until we reach his office. We don't go in; we stay in the hallway.
He clears his throat before beginning. "Have you heard from Olivia at all?"
"No."
"Ben, I tried calling her apartment and she isn't picking up there either. I need you to go find her. Search her apartment first." He sounds about as nervous as I do.
He sends me off and I walk out the door.
I take the short walk to her apartment. I stop by the lobby first and ask Tim if he saw her.
"Haven't seen her. Except for this morning." I nod and head upstairs anyway.
I knock on her door but there's no response. I take my key and go in. I check every room, but there's no sight of her. I am about to go up to my apartment when my cell rings. I lean up against her couch in the living room and look at the screen. I don't recognize the number.
I pick up anyway, in hopes that it is Olivia.
"Hello?"
"Hello." A woman's voice fills the receiver but it's not Olivia's. "Are you Ben Morrison?"
"Yes." Suddenly my voice is really dry.
"Hi. This is Katie from the hospital. As I recall you are one of Olivia Payne's emergency contacts?"
WHY IS SHE TELLING ME THIS?!?
"Yes. I am."
"Great. I just wanted you to know that Olivia was hit by car early this afternoon."
I am suddenly glad I am leaving up against the couch. Otherwise I would've collapsed. I am waiting for her to start her next sentence with the words "I regret to inform you..." because that is how it was when I learned about my father.
"She is fine Ben. She has a broken leg and she might be asleep for a while... But she's fine."
She's fine. I just keep telling myself that. She's fine. She's fine. She's fine.
I hang up with the woman and run out the door.
I run as fast as I can to the hospital, and when I get there it feels like my heart will burst.
At least if it does, I'll be in the hospital already.
I scold myself for joking at a time like this and I try to find Katie.
I go to the desk in front of me.
"Hi. My name is Ben. I talked to someone on the phone before. Her name is Katie.
"I'm Katie. How are you doing Ben?"
"Well, " I nervously laugh, "as of a few minutes ago I thought my best friend was safe in her apartment."
She just nods. "I'm sorry about that." She directs me to follow her. "Olivia's room is just down this way. Like I told you on the phone, Olivia definitely has a broken leg. And from the xrays we have her, she is definitely in a coma."
I only keep nodding because my throat is closing up. I just want to see her. Katie stops in front of a room that must be hers. Before she leaves, I stop her.
"You might want to change her first emergency contact."
"Is there anyone else who would be qualified to be her contact?"
"Yes." I give her Jason and Claire's contact info, and when she says she is going to call them, I stop her again.
"I'll call them.I just want some time alone with Olivia before I do. Katie nods and walks away.
I walk inside and take in her atmosphere. The room is white. Actually, everything in the room is white. The walls are white, the ceiling, the floors, the hospital bed, and also the face of Olivia, laying in the bed. I walk over to the bed, grab one of the white chairs, and sit down next to her. I look at her for a few minutes, and then I grab her hand.
"Hey, Olivia." This time I speak in a soft voice. Softer than the voice I used with her just a few hours earlier. "This is all my fault. I should have never followed you. I should have never yelled at you." My voice catches. "I was in biology when Jason excused me. And I know how much you love biology. And how much I hate it. I couldn't stop thinking about you during that class. I didn't know where you were. Now I know."
I let one tear fall and I wipe it away. "I need you to be okay." My hand keeps holding hers, but stronger this time. I decide to take out my cell and call Jason.
When he picks up, I choke back the tears when he asks if I found her.
"Yeah. I found her. Come to the hospital. You'll see her."
Jason hangs up without me or him saying more and about 5 minutes later, both Claire and Jason are in the room with me.
We stay there until 9 and then we all walk home. Claire is going to stay with her tomorrow. They want me to go to school.
But on days Claire isn't there, I will be.