On the third day, I was allowed to leave the hospital.
The doctor told Mum it was just a slight knock though it did hurt, and it will heal itself. I wasn't afraid that I'd be paralyzed at the first place, I just wanted to really get out.
The first day in the hospital actually felt great, a peaceful and quiet place, even though at the back of my mind lurked a thought that every second there was someone dying in here. But I chose to ignore the fact. But on the second night, I wasn't looking forward to it anymore.
I missed my friends, and school, too. As Mum came out of her SUV and helped me into her car, I shouted a thank you to the doctor that bid a good-bye from the porch.
"Come back anytime!" He smiled warmly. You wish,I thought as I shoved my small bag in the car.
* * * *
"Hey everybody, look who's home!" Mum said as she closed the front door of the house.
Dad came jumping and Adam skipped, his mouth still chewing his breakfast.
I laughed at their stupid actions, "Dad is JUMPING?"
"Yeah, they wanted to give you a nice feeling coming back home," Mum explained, taking my sweater and draping it onto her arm. "Now, get upstairs to your room and get changed, then have breakfast."
I climbed back to my room, counting the steps one by one. Today was going to be a great day, as I could tell. The windows revealed a bright sunny day with a few clumps of clouds, and I just couldn't wait to get outside and feel the breeze.
Suddenly, I felt so thankful I even had a house to live in at. A place where I did belong, no matter who I am or whoever I was with. Home sweet home. I smiled.
I opened the door to my room, and the sweet-smelling lavender floated and finally reached my nostril. "Wow, how I missed my room." I dropped everything at a shot and hurried to cover a small bottle of nail varnish on my table, left dried. Dang.
After changing into a comfortable T and shorts, I walked down, still feeling fresh and new, and smelled pancakes.
As I walked to the kitchen table, I saw Adam staring at me as my Dad was reading his newspapers and Mum cooking some more pancakes.
"What?" I whispered.
"Nothing." he smiled back, and looked away. That was weird. I sat down across from Dad and him, and begin stuffing my mouth with pancakes, two layers each. I was that hungry and yearned so much for mum's food.
"Hey Winnie," mum said, still standing beside her stove. "If you still feel unwell, it's okay to stay home for today."
Today was a Tuesday, and I still had the remaining school hours left. And I had a mission to accomplish: Mission Mary.
"Nah, I'm fine. And I've missed yesterday's lessons, so I'd be going with Adam."
* * * *
I squeezed in beside Adam in the bus, and my backbone began to strain again. "Oww Oww Oww..." I murmured, shutting my eyes.
"What's wrong?" Adam asked, pushing his bag down the seat. "You wanna go back home because we're still here."
I shook my head. "It's cool."
"Soooo..." he said, sounding flirtatious again.
"Okay, Adam. What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing! Geez. I just thought maybe after the whole incident, you helping me and all, that I should ask you out." he smiled sweetly.
Oh my gosh?
"Okay first of all! I haven't helped you, I just WANT to, and second of all, you've gone totally insane and therefore I will ignore what you just asked me." I shuddered, feeling uncomfortable and trying to find another seat. I knew Adam was a freak.
"HAHAHAHAHAH" He laughed, holding his stomach. "It was a joke, freak! I did appreciate you wanting to help me but a date? DREAM ON!"
"No, dream ON. Me and you? Yeah, you would be lucky to even get to talk to me." I defended, feeling dumb. My cheeks started to redden, and I grabbed my bag and trudged to another seat, the bus moving vigorously.
That boy is so retarded.
* * * *
We reached the school, and to my eyes, the school shone extra brightly today.
"Wow."
"Say what!? You miss this school? It hasn't change much, Winnie." Adam said, walking past me. I shook my head. He was right.
I spotted Mary somewhere inside the hall through the window. Walking in, I gathered all my courage. What was I gonna tell her? That my brother was someone who drugged her brother and asking him to come was just a joke?
She might have thought I was such a loser.
"Mary..." I said softly, her back facing me. She turned around, today looking dull. Her hair was messy and she looked jang today, too.
I tried to smile. Maybe she didn't remember, or maybe she didn't even think it was my fault. Or maaaaybe she just --
"Just walk away." she said, carrying her books from her locker. I blushed. Walk away? This is so not her territory. "Uhm, if you didn't notice, this is also where my locker is placed at."
"Well," she continued, not looking at me, "grab your stuff or something. Whatever, just don't talk to me."
She closed her locker and walked away. "Or I'll just stay out of your way." I heard her say as she walked. Okay, so something's straight: she really thought I WAS a joke, and I was some kind of prankster.But she didn't know I had no clue whatsoever about this whole drugging Oscar thing until a few days ago!
I twisted my combination, and yanked open my locker. There was a tiny little letter that flew out of it. I placed all my books that were on my arm and crouched to grab the paper. Then I grab some of my books that I needed and closed the locker door.
It's official again: I have no friends, back to square one.
I found a place in the cafeteria and settled on it, glancing at everyone. No one bothered about some misfit, everyone was busy doing their thing. I couldn't see Mary anywhere, but I didn't have the time to look for her now. I'd deal with her later.
I opened my letter.
Hey Winnie,
This is Ian.
Well. I didn't know for sure when you'll be coming back to school,
but...I just wanted to know if you're okay.
*smiles*
and not seeing you at school, is kinda odd.
Find me or call me if you ARE at school.
*smiles again*
friend,I.
Sigh, what did Ian want?
* * * *
Finally after a few classes, I found Ian talking to another group of girls.
"Ian." I shouted, and everyone in his group turned my way. I waved the little letter above my head and he got my message, I smiled a little as he walked away from her group and walked towards me.
His hair today was ultra-blonde, and he looked Jesse McCartney-like.
"Hey beauty," he said half-jokingly.
"Yeah, if you would call me that I shall tell you that the condition of my hair today was where I left it when I last slept on the hospital bed." I replied, folding the paper.
"Well, it still looks great so you're undeniable, I guess."
"Ian, I really need some explanation." I smiled, looking right into his eyes. I dragged him to someplace private. No no no, not to kiss him or do something dirty, just to talk, okay?
"What do you want from me?" I tried to make it sound soft and mellow, but it turned out harsh and aggressive. "I mean," I added, trying to fix this, "I mean, I meant what I mean."
"What?"
"Just, if you, I just, you, yeah, what do you want." I laughed, sounding stupid.
"Uhm, I want your bag?" he answered.
"What?!"
"Your bag, it's so cool! I mean, I asked my mum for a Billabong but she got me Mickey." he smiled, his teeth shining.
"Uh-" I stuttered. That was what he wanted? Oh come on, pathetico.
"HAHAH," he laughed his usual laugh and patted my shoulder, "I actually want you but you're a little too young for anything like this, right?"
"Right." I grinned, my heart thumping. Mum would kill me if I kissed some guy I barely knew. And at the age of 13. And I don't want to anyway, not at this time.
"This is zany," he added, "you're beautiful and nice. But I guess what's meant to be will have it's way through."
I kept silent for a while and his hand let go of my shoulder.
"Are you breaking up with me without even going out with me?"
I asked, my eyes furrowed.
"NO!" He laughed a little more, "we haven't even started. I'm saying, when you're a little older and if we're meant to be, we'll do it. But right now, I'll just keep this my little revealed crush."
"What do you like about me anyway?" I asked, blushing and avoiding his mild eyes. I don't like him, I don't like him, I don't like him, I DON'T LIKE HIM! I tried coaxing myself. But if felt like every sentence made my heart softer, warmer and it was melting. Oh goodness. MELTING?
"I'll save it when we're ready."
* * * *
My encounter with a little excitement didn't end there, it lasted for the whole day. And I treated Adam nicer, and he thought I was for real about the date thing. Then I sent a slap across his face, and now he was mad. Good for him.
I still had to fix this complication between Mary and me. And fix this complication between Mary and Adam, too.
"Adam, you know if you want to fix the problem, you should start doing it first. I mean, I'm in the middle and my wrists are tied."
"I know, I wrote her a letter to apologize."
"No. NO letters, just pure verbal." I said, greeting some acquaintances that were walking past to get to their next class. "I have no time for this, so you go figure it out. I gotta get to the next class."
"Sure."
"We'll see who'll get Mary first." I challenged him, giving him a dirty look as I begin to turn and join the crowd.
He grabbed my arm, "What if I get to her first?"
"We'll see about that."
* * * *
In class, after 5 minutes we were settled and the teacher was in the class, I looked around for Mary. I recited what I wanted to say in the last 5 minutes, and I wanted to first apologize for bringing my brother there, thought I know it was her idea! And that I was completely innocent, but who doesn't want to hear an apology before anything else, right?
But unfortunately, I couldn't find her anywhere.
Then it hit me, Adam really got to her first.
And I smiled to myself when Ms. Gigi asked me to answer a question written on the board,
"No problemo."
