(thirty six)
JOHNSON'S POV
I'm tired of these games. By the look on Ella's face, she was just as irritated by the tricks or because she'll have to take care of Jack for awhile.
"Okay? Where do we start then?" Brooke says impatiently. Sam looks at her and I gaze at the floor that suddenly became interesting at that moment.
"I think we should check out the roof. Didn't Jack fall off and into the trampoline?"
"I didn't see any trampoline anywhere outside, Sam. Maybe it's in Pepper's room. Since we almost tore the curtains by accident, fighting over some video game once."
They nod and follow me up the stairs. There's no sound from upstairs other than the sounds of the floor creaking under our feet.
"Alrightie. I see no flag whatsoever." Brooke says very irritated by the speed we were traveling at.
I kick the door lightly and flip the light switch on. Before I could even analyze the room, Sam walks over toward the curtain and pulls it open.
"Here it is." He carelessly tosses the flag to me which I barely catch.
"Quit messing around. I'm betting on you. Don't let me regret it. P.S. Look up." Nathan reads over my shoulder. At least he had the manners not to breath on me.
All of us look up at the ceiling to see nothing. A blank space of emptiness. What is Jack playing at?
"He probably means the roof." Ella remarks. I forgot she was even here for awhile since she was so quiet. I think she's taking the nurturing G back to health very hard. Sam walks toward the exit in a weak motion and looking back at me with a goofy grin.
"Sssooooo.... I was right, hm? Who's the idiot now, hmm-" He walks right into the wall with a thud. He bounces back from the impact and stands there slightly confused about where the wall suddenly came from.
"You are."
"Are you sure you're not still tipsy right now?"
"Are you okay? Or do you have to join Gilinsky?"
Ella and Nathan quietly snicker as Brooke and I briefly start to roast him.
"Awh, shut up, would yah?" Sam says slightly amused with his own blunder and irritation at himself and us. He walks out muttering something like "I can't ever have a little glory around those people."
"Come on. Let's get to the roof already." I chuckle lightly to myself. I still couldn't get the image of Sam's reaction to the wall out of my head. That idiot.
We didn't care to make it out as quietly as possible and surprisingly no one came out and shot us as we did.
Sam was already standing outside looking up at the roof when we joined him. Brooke was still joking about Sam's failure and Ella was quietly following behind us.
"Alrightie. How's this goin' to work then?" Sam shrugs and opens his mouth to reply when Brooke cuts him off.
"You're asking the guy that walked into a wall?" She asked incredulously before bursting out in a fit of laughter. Sam exhales an irritated breath, but holds off on the insults.
"Why don't you look at the chimney? I mean, it's going up too. Right?" Ella awkwardly states the obvious.
We look at her for a moment before groaning at the obviousness.
"So... We're going back inside?" It was impossible to ignore Brooke's loud stomping which could easily be the root of our demise.
"We're just walking back and forth! What the f*ck?"
"Shut you stunk *ss up." Sam says and Brooke amazingly shuts up.
We walk into the house yet again and head towards the chimney. I look up the chimney expecting Santa to pop out of no where and slam dunk my face, but there was a box that fit in the hole of the chimney.
I pry the box out and a huge stick comes falling down.
"Lucky aye." I toss the box to Sam who rips the box open revealing the many small flags.
I pull out the team flag and prop it up proudly.
"I guess we win."
"But we still haven't shot Pepper yet." Ella speaks up.
"You're right. But we still need to report someone that we found all of the flags." I say in a bored tone since this game was starting to rather boring. I walk off, absent mindly, not caring if they followed me or not.
I'm a little touched when they do follow me though. It made me feel like a dependable leader. Without me, they're just be helpless little kids in a war.
"Where could Pepper be hiding?"
"Let's check up stairs again. Maybe he's hiding under the beds up there."
"Expected from a pussy."
We head up the stairs. I nonchalantly walk upstairs without a care in the world. Even if someone managed to shoot me, it's not going to stop me from avenging Gilinsky.
I was in the middle of planting my feet on a step when I hear a muffled sound from underneath me.
It sounds like voices trapped under us. How? We're on the stairs. How could-
A light bulb lots up in my head. Someone's hiding in Harry Potter's room. With the few seconds I took to process this information, the barely audible voices had silenced.
"Sam, watch out-" I turn and whisper.
"We meet again, Jack and Sam." We all turn behind us. At the down of the stairs stood Pepper and Maz, who I had just recognized.
"You think you've got it all figured out, don't you? You all think you're so clever-" Pepper was about to say more, but a BB was shot at him. He fell and started screaming.
I couldn't help, but burst out laughing at the seriousness of the situation and how it was cut short so suddenly. He didn't even get much fun before getting shot.
"I never understand why people waited for the villain to finish his little speech."
Brooke's comment made it even more humorous. I hunched over in laughter. Tears were submerging and I couldn't stop laughing. Soon, my little chuckles turned in hysterical crying.
I fell over on my side and grabbed onto the railing as Pepper's groans got louder. The others were on the ground with me crying as much as I was. I don't know how long we were laughing.
I almost pissed myself. As we rejoiced in laughter, Maz stood there trying to disburse his laughter. After all, he was supposed to be back up his friend. Instead of shooting us at our obvious obliviousness, he stood there shocked, but just as amused.
Sam tosses the box of flags down at him, which makes our laughing even louder.
"We win yet again, you sh*thead!" Sam bellows. Even if he was a bit tipsy, I could still feel the anger in his voice, which he masked in humor. We all stomp down the hall causing other groups to run towards us.
"For Gilinsky!" Nathan screams as we exit the door. Sam pops his head back into the house and says, "Don't forget to watch our game next Tuesday!"
GILINSKY'S POV
I groan and roll over on side when I realize that it's soft. The last thing I remember was the cold hard ground. I groan once more when I realized I've quoted Taylor Swift without meaning to. I nuzzle closer to the pillow because apparently someone put one on the floor.
It's so dark I think to myself. In the morning, usually light leaks into my eyelids even if my eyes even closed. The stiffness of my neck tells me that I've been laying in this position for awhile. I wonder how long I've been out.
My head is aching. I guess I should be used to this since I always drink at Pepper's parties. That British piece of f*ck. I was angry at him, but I don't exactly remember why.
The back of my head is specifically throbbing. It was entirely different feeling of pain in the back region of my head. I open my eyes only to see that it's pitch black.
Oh my God. Someone must have stuffed me in a closet while I was out cold from drinking so much. I wonder how much fun the party was. Especially since I'm in so much pain, it must have been the party of the century. I turn my head and I retract it back in its previous position when my neck hurts from the action.
That's the last time I'll ever drink that much. It's weird though since I don't remember drinking that much either. I blink a few times. I reach out in front of me to realize that there's no knob.
I pull my hands back and feel around the area. This is a blanket. I must be in a bed since my back is against something soft. I scrunch my nose.
What the hell?
I'm confused. Since when was I on a bed? I lay on my back for awhile trying to figure out what happened. I give up and start screaming in hopes that someone will hear me over the hype of the party if it was still going on anyways.
"What the f*ck! Pepper open the f*ckin' door!"
My screams are interrupted when I hear a door knob turn. I turn to look at the door.
"Uh, Mr. Gilinsky, what seems to be the problem? Would you will some Doctor Pepper? Is that what you were calling for?"
"No! No. Why-" Why was it sill dark? I know my eyes are open. I know I'm looking at the door. Why can't I see anything. I sit up.
"Why is it so f*cking dark in here?" I set my feet on the floor. I hear footsteps rushing up to me and she places a hand on my arm.
"Jack? Jack, please calm down, sir. We have to explain. Security! The patient is resisting!"
"Get the f*ck off of me!" I rip my arm away from her. I hear more footsteps rushing in. I'm being pushed and pulled down onto the bed as someone comes screaming at them.
"Let go of him!" What he said.
"Unhand me you piece of filth!" I remember my comment to Benton's 16, which is weird. How could I remember that, but not what happened last night?
"Stop! I got this." It's Johnson to my rescue. The hands release me. Johnson is quiet for awhile, but I feel like he is right in front of me just staring. That's weird. I guess he forgave me at the party.
"You okay?"
"Well, yeah. Except for my head hurting and not being able to see." Suddenly, a lightbulb goes off in my head. I can't see. It's not because it's dark. I really can't see. I'm f*cking blind?
"Jack, am I... Am I..."
"They didn't tell you?" I sit there. I don't know how to feel. I partied so hard, I became blind?
"It's temporary... If you were wondering." Johnson whispers.
I was expecting a weight to lift off of my shoulders, but it feels heavier.
"Why am I here, Johnson?"
"You don't remember either?" I nod. At least I know he can see that.
"You must've gotten hit really hard. The nurse warned me that you might forget recent things."
"What happened?"
"We were at Pepper's-"
"I know." I can hear Johnson's voice start to crack. I don't want pity right now. I want answers.
"We were playing this game where you had to stack people on top of each other. I don't know what happened. I think Sam was a bit tipsy so we came tumbling down... And you tried to catch us."
I blink a few times before registering what he said.
"Did I catch one of you at least?"
"Do you ever miss?" I chuckle lightly at the joke.
"So, no damages done to you? You lucky bastard. You were always the f*cking luckiest."
"Well, no. I think you're luckier. Remember I pushed you off the roof that one time. You fell right into a trampoline..."
He pauses for awhile. I press for more answers.
"Well, it's not you in the hospital room right now, are you?" I laugh a little.
"Well, I landed on your feet. Only a few scraps on my knees." Johnson admits and chuckles with me.
"I thought you said I caught one of you?"
"You did."
"Then, who'd I caught?" It's silent for awhile.
"Ella."
ELLA'S POV
House arrest was better than this. Hell, even jail could be better. I stood outside of the hospital door. It wasn't even fair! Sam and Jack know for a fact that Gilinsky doesn't like me. For all we could know, he was the mastermind behind it.
To think about it, Gilinsky was the one who set up the game anyways.
So, why am I here? I didn't ask him to catch me. Although I should be grateful, I was still irritated at him. Why am I being punished? What did I do?
It wasn't my fault Sam was a bit tipsy. Why does everything seem to led right back to where we started?
I hate this. I really can't see how Johnson put me up to this. Instantly, I'm reminded by the little voice in my mind.
"It's only fair that you take care of him. You're the only one without a scratch." Johnson's voice echoed into my mind.
I sighed. Now that I think about it, it is my fault. I should've never came to a party that was hosted by someone I didn't know. I guess I do owe him.
I pull up in the parking lot, wondering if I should ditch or finish him off.
What if he's so mad that he tries to finish me off? I force myself to talk to the lady sitting at the desk.
"Hello. I'm looking for Jack Gilinsky." I cough. His name felt so strange to me. Just the way it sounds coming out of my mouth. Like it was meant to be there.
"Yes, yes. Room 304. Go to the left-"
"Alright, thanks." Did I mention that my mom is a nurse? In this hospital. I'd really hate for her to see me with a guy in a room alone. Even if I did hate him, it'd look different in a parent's eyes.
Not only will I have to explain why I'm visiting a guy, but I can't explain it without bringing up the party. Unless, I bull sh*t the whole thing.
But the party isn't really what I'm wondered about. I'm concerned about the part where she thinks he's my boyfriend. She'll kill me. Then, revive me to kill me again.
I slip into the room and I'm surprised to see Johnson standing there looking towards me. Gilinsky is sitting up turning towards him.
"Who's there?"
Johnson briefly looks at him. Then, he turns to look at me giving me a look that told me "what the f*ck are you doing" when he forced me to be here.
"Uh, wait here, G." Johnson pats Gilinsky's knee and smiles lightly, but he receives no reaction from him.
He pulls me out the door and shuts it behind him.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay..."
"Okay-"
"Okay. I get it. I was just trying to..." He drifts off for awhile.
"What?" I say, dragging my words at annoyance.
"Listen. Gilinsky is temporarily blind and has a short term memory loss. He'll get in back in about a week..."
"And? What's the problem?" I say while trying to hide a smirk. He's got what was coming-
"Are you really happy about this?" Johnson's voice booms. His soft, sweet voice was angered. I heard footsteps around the corner.
"Is everything all right?" That voice. It's my mom's. My eyes widen and the look on Johnson's face softens.
"Uh, sorry. I just- Ella?" I push the nearest door open and leap in, leaving Johnson in a state of confusion.
Johnson is too forgiving is the only thing on my mind as I take a hiding spot in the room.
I hear a grunt as I slid under the bed. Hopefully, it's sanitary down here considering this is a hospital.
"Hey, who's there?" Gilinsky asks as he hears my scrambling. The door swings open as I manage to choose a comfortable position.
"Johnson?"
"Hello, Jack. No, I'm a nurse that happened to hear some yelling. Is Johnson the boy standing outside? Did someone come in here?"
"Ugh... Yes... And no?" Johnson asks wearily as Gilinsky started to say something.
"No one came in here." Johnson says more forcefully. Then, I watched as my mother's shoes disappeared out of the door.
"Who was that, Ella?"
"Ella?"
"Shhhh, Jack. I didn't say anything about an Ella." Johnson walks over to me and crouches down to look at me from under the bed.
He looks at me with a pure look of annoyance.
"My mom." I whisper to him. He nods once. Then, he jumps back up and goes to the door.
"Bye, Gilinsky. The nurse will take care of you, okay?"
Gilinsky shifts the bed and I become claustrophobic. I roll out from under the bed. I poke my head out to look at him.
He's really blind. He really can't see me. I stare at the body facing towards the window.
Gilinsky doesn't grunt or make any sound in response. Johnson leaves without another word.
"I know someones there." Gilinsky says without turning.
"I'm the nurse that'll be caring for you. Is that okay?" I say softly. He really is... helpless. He can't see. He can't remember. He's vulnerable. Suddenly, I feel guilty for laughing at him.
I'm the reason he's even here.
"I'm sorry..." I choke out almost bursting into tears at the thought that it should've been me in this room. I want to take back my words immediately when I remember that he doesn't remember me, but he responded quickly.
"For what?"
"Your misery." I gulp. I stand there not really caring if he replied or not. He has the right to be angry.
"It's not your fault." He says. "It's not your fault I couldn't catch a little girl."
"I bet you play a sport, don't you? You look like an athlete." I say back. "I bet you're a real team player."
I hear a sniffle. Is he crying?
The great Gilinsky is crying?
I tiptoe to look at his tears, but there was no sign of sadness in his eyes. I've never noticed how beautiful they were.
"That's really funny."
I stumble back a little, taken aback by his response. Is he opening up to me? Is he actually going to knock down his barriers to a stranger 'nurse'?
"A team player that plays for himself. That's what I am."
"... And that's all I'll ever be able to do right."
"That's why there's a tomorrow, Jack. There's always another day to fix the sh*t we didn't do right."
"It's not about the other days to fix it. It's about the chances you've wasted. They're counting tally markers. I'm starting to think that maybe this is really me."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" I ask barely making it a whisper. I'm stunned when I realized that I've said that out loud.
"I'll never see you again anyways. You won't remember me. You'll just remember my secrets, not my face. Not who I am. You know what? I was thinking some weight was going to be lifted off my shoulders. That's bull sh*t."
"Listen, I know it's not any of my business what goes on in your life, but I want you to know that life takes its turns. I'm not a preacher, but I'm going to preach to you right anyway... Karma bites you in the *ss and maybe it just happens to be happening back to back right now. Maybe, it'll open your eyes to make really matters right now." I fold my arms and let the words sink in.
"Was that supposed to be a pun?" He says. I can feel that he wants to stop the conversation right now. I chuckle lightly and he turns over to look at me. He smiles.
My throat hitches. Then, I calm down when I remember he can't see me.
"Yes."
"Well, you aren't really punny." His grin widens with his teeth showing. I laugh and he starts to chuckle back.
"Now that I can't see, what the hell do I do now?"
"I guess you just... talk. Anything you want to rant 'bout? Anything worth renting about at all? I'm all ears."
"Well. My memory of this night was kind of hazy, but I remember being mad. Really mad. Then, I was running around in the dark after the other Jack and he sped off in a car to escape me. I don't remember why he did or why we were running. I just bothered how he ran to escape me..."
I hum a little. "That's really strange."
Suddenly, a memory of running down the darkness and Johnson bumping into me invaded my mind.
Could it have been...?
"Well... I can't really ask him. It'd be weird."
I shrug. Then, I reply when I remember he can't see me.
"Let bygones be bygones." Before he could react in any way, I walked towards the door.
"I'll go some you some lunch, okay?"
He grunted, "Sure."
"Want some fast food or that hospital food?"
He grunts in annoyance.
"Fast food it is. I'll be back in a bit."
As I shut the door, I heard him say something, but it was too much of a bother to go back and ask. I just assumed he said a thanks or a bye.
I rushed outside when I remember that my mom could be lurking in some corner of this disease infested place.
I jump into my car like it was a safe haven from all the monsters under my bed. I bury my face in my hands when I realize that I'm actually about to shed some tears.
A tap on my window makes me suck up all the sadness and store it somewhere deep. I flitch when I noticed it's just Brooke's face pressed up against the window.
"Hey there! Open up! Come on, El. I think you owe us big time for saving your *ss at Pepper's party and I mean literally. You could've been-"
"I get it, I get it. No need for in depth details. I know what you're talking about." I roll my eyes. I don't know which many moods of Brooke I hate the most. Her motherly side or her b*tchy side. At least, she stopped my emotions of compassion.
"Let's go to the New Year's Party! Please come! It's the party of the century- or so I've heard! Come on! Ella, you better come, you prick." Brooke starts tapping furiously at the window.
"Fine? I'll go. You happy now? What about Nathan? He is coming?" I roll my eyes and turn away from Brooke.
"Eh. I don't care if he is." Brooke shrugs.
"Brookeeeeee, that's not very nice to Nathan."
"I don't care, but you better come." Brooke shoots daggers at me. I shrug and roll my eyes, which it starting to become a habit ever since I had to drive everywhere Jack needed to go for about a week.
"When is it?"
"On New Years, duh?"
"Brooke, it's not even winter break yet, you idiot."
She shrugs, "It's soon though. One more d*mn week and we're free! Final free. B*tch free!"
I cough a laugh. When Brooke is out of sight, I dial a pizza place.
"Um, yeah, could I get a pizza?"
"Of course. We are a pizza place after all."
Instantly, I felt embarrassment wash over me. I'm glad he can't see me through this phone.
"Uh, yeah. Haha. Could I get a-um- a pepperoni?" I struggle with words.
He laughs. "Sure. Anything else then?"
"Nope." I finally manage to say without stumbling on my words.
"Alright. Have a great day."
... Or do Viners prefer Taco Bell?
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Done with the chapter! I realize it's late. New Years already passed, but oh well! this story will be on short hold for editing :( Sorry! But thanks for reading, guys! :) and before you know it, my story will have a new chapter with some better content (at least I hope so)