Chapter 26

As soon as I walked into the lunch room, I sight Alex sitting at our favorite spot, a smile on her face as she taps away on her phone. I could see two lunch trays on the table meaning she ordered for me too. That's why I love her..

I'm happy that our fight is over and I feel better now that she also knows about Dena but I still miss her from time to time. Maybe mum is right, maybe it's time that I let go of the past. Maybe it's time that I stop blaming myself, maybe it's time that I move on.

" Betty! " Alex yelled from our table as she waved her hands in the air like a crazy fellow. I grinned and walked up to our table hurriedly.

" Hi pretty best friend " I said as I sit beside her then drop my bag where she dropped her bag, in front of us. We are very well known in the cafeteria already. It's either we are yelling, meaning Alex is yelling or we are fan girling, meaning Alex in fan girling which also means more yelling but with squeaking like a rat. I'm the silent one.

" Oh look who is beaming " she said and dropped her phone on the table as she raised her eyebrows

" I can say that for you too " I said and smiled at her. I dropped the novel I just started reading on the table.

It's an erotic novel

" Who wants to go first ? " She asked

" It's obvious you should. And thanks for ordering for me " I said and pulled the tray closer.

" Banana ? " I asked her

" Apple " she said and we switched our fruits. I have missed this.

" So Cole was in my geography class today and I'm shocked because I have never seen him before. " She started.

" Maybe that's because you never go Alex " I added and rolled my eyes.

" Whatever yes but as from now I'm going to go " she said with a big smile. " So he sat with me and he gave me a bottle of water " she gushed out

" Well I got a bottle of water too " I said

" Oh. " She whispered

" But I'm sure yours was special because he called you hot this morning in my class " I said and winked.

" Oh my god. Really ? " She screamed causing people to look at us.

Yup told you she yelled alot

" Oh my god. If you are lying I will cut you open you fly your parts across the atlantic ocean " she said pulling me by the collar of my shirt.

" Uhmm let me go you psycho. " I glared at her. She let me go and then dusted my cloth.

" Sorry " she muttered.

" Yes he called you hot Alex. I think he likes you " I said

" Just like Adam and Shawn both like you " she stated and smiled.

" Wait what?. Really? " I asked her in surprise.

Cole said this one time too

Are they right?

Can they both really like me?

" Yes they both like you. And I think you like them both too " she said

" Really?. No I don't " I said with a frown

" Keep saying it till you believe it. " She said and peeled her banana before taking a big bite.

I don't like them both

Well you do

But you like Adam better

" Don't start thinking about it Betty. You will find out with time. Plus it's fun watching both of them try " she added and I smiled.

" So what do you think?. Cole likes me? " She asked

" Hey I think he does but we don't know for sure. You just stop ignoring him " I said and she looks down then plays with her fingers.

" Something happened with you guys didn't it?. " I asked again. She was being silent now

" Alex " I called again.

" We kissed. " She said

Huh?

" You what? " I asked

" We kissed that night. During the party " she said.

" Wow and you didn't tell me?. Wait that must mean he likes you " I said with a smile.

" I don't know that. He was drunk when he kissed me betty and I was too but I wasn't as drunk as he was. " She said

" But when people get drunk they always say the truth and do what's on their minds " I said

" And people also make mistakes when they get drunk. " She said with a frown.

That's true

" Till I know if it's a mistake or he meant it. I just want to be silent. I don't want to get my hopes up " she added.

Poor Alex, I really feel bad for her.

" But let's look on the bright side " I said with a grin.

" What " she asked curiously

" Your crush kissed you didn't he ? " I said and raise my eyebrows

" Oh yes.. yes he kissed me " she screamed

Shhhh

" Quiet down bulldog " I whispered and hit her shoulder.

" Fuck that hurts " she yelped in pain

" Psycho " I said and laughed while she joined in the laughter.

I didn't even get to tell her how it went with Adam on Sunday or how Shawn asked me out on a second date or how I feel weird about Adam too. Maybe another time, it can't always be about me, it's nice to focus on Alex once in a while.

?????

ADAM

I stared at her chest as it rose and fell every second. The machines attached to her body and the oxygen max on her nose and mouth helping her breathe. I could see the machine which read her pulse and her heartbeat.

My head hurts like crazy. On the other side of the room was Cheryl sleeping peacefully on her side. I checked the clock on the wall and it read two in the afternoon. How long have I been out?. Am sure Cole and everyone would be worried sick about me.

I stood up from the arm chair that I slept overnight and walked up to the couch in the room then I covered Cheryl who was still sleeping soundly with the cloth I was holding before bending down to look at her. She had tears signs all over her cheeks and her nose was red. I brushed the hair away from her swollen face and touched her cheek.

" I'm sorry " I whispered still touching her face as she snores quietly.

" I'm really sorry. I should have been more responsible. " I whispered in between the tears in my throat.

" If only I was there. I'd have been able to protect you guys. I'm sorry Cheryl " I said again as I touched her forehead.

The door opened and the doctor who had attended to us the day before came inside the room and closed the door.

" Good morning Mr Rivers " he said and smiled.

" Good morning " I said and snif before getting up from the floor where I knelt down beside Cheryl. I wiped my eyes and got closer to him.

" May I have a word with you outside ? " He asked me

" Uhmm yes " I said and scratch my head in curiously. I wonder what he had to say to me that he couldn't say inside.

" So how is my mother ? " I asked him as we stepped outside, I shut the door.

" Well there aren't many things to say " he said

" What do you mean?. I don't understand " I said

" Well I don't think there is alot we can do " he said with his head low

" I thought you said if we put her on those machines she would be fine " I asked him with anger.

" Well at that moment she needed it but I'm afraid it's only temporary " he stated.

" I still find it hard to understand you " I said

" Well she has a tumor in her brain. " He said and my heart stopped beating.

" Is she going to die ? " I asked with fear.

" Let's just hope not now. But " he stopped

" But what " I said almost yelling.

" At most she has three months to live " he stated and then removed his stethoscope from his neck and then he put it in his pocket.

" Three months?. How about surgery ? " I asked again trying to have hope.

" I'm afraid she has past that stage. Even if we perform surgery on her, there is no chance that she will wake up even if the surgery is successful so we just have to wait " he said.

" We have to wait for her to die ? " I asked him

" I'm sorry " he stated before touching my shoulder.

" What ! " I yelled angrily while gripping the handle of the room door

" If you will excuse me " he stated before leaving me at the spot, but he gave me a sad smile before he disappeared into another room, perhaps to give another bad news.

" Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!! " I yelled then punched the wall with all my might.

I haven't done anything for her. She took care of me and Cheryl when dad left us. She had been going through these things alone without our knowledge, I should have seen the signs she gave, the anger, the trauma, the forgetfulness but I thought she needed rehab. I thought she was going crazy.

I punched the wall over and over again while yelling till I couldn't feel my wrist again, blood was stained on the wall and ok my knuckles and tears fell from my eyes. Still I'm that position I wept like my life depended on it.

" Adam " Cheryl came out of the room with tears in her eyes.

" Have you.. did you hear all that ? " I asked her with a croaking voice.

She nodded her head and pulled me into a hug, my head on her chest as she patted my hair in a slow motion. I was feeling so bad right now because I was the older one, I was the one who was meant to be strong but here I am crying profusely on the floor in a hospital hallway.

" What do we do " I asked her as I kept sobbing.

" Nothing. Adam we do nothing but wait " she said and her voice broke too.

" But what if we lose her " she added and I raised my head to stare at her soaked face. I wiped her tears and pulled her into my chest. Her arms wrapped quickly around my neck as she cried her eyes out.

" I'm sorry... I'm sorry " my voice came out tired as I hugged her tighter.

I thought it was going to be fine but the truth is it can never be okay. The sooner I accept that it's over then the sooner it will hurt less.

?????

ELIZABETH

I placed around my room, going to the door and walking back to the bed with my hand in my mouth as I was biting my nail aggressively and then staring at my phone which I had tossed on the bed earlier.

Should I text him?

Should I not text him?

A lot was on my mind as I kept pondering if I should text Adam about the project or not. I knew the project was also just an excuse to talk to him. But then again I'm scared.

What if he doesn't want to talk to me?. What if he wants to be alone?. What if he is still mad at me?. What if he hates my guts?.

I have alot of questions. I need lots of answers but I don't even know what to do. Do I text him or do I not text him?.

I groan in frustration before diving for them bed. I picked my phone up and then I sat on the bed nervously before looking for Adam on my text list.

Hey, uhmm hi

Should I just go straight to the point?. I deleted the text again

Good afternoon

I deleted it again. You can do this Elizabeth. Just text him or you will fail.

Uhmm hi, it's Elizabeth, Elizabeth from your class. You weren't in any of our classes today and Mr Mike changed our presentation settings so now we are to write our lines by ourselves. So I wanted to give you the information and then ask when we are actually going to meet again , not that I want to see you again but I don't want to fail. Text me back as soon as you get my message.

I pressed send and then I put the phone back under my pillow hurriedly. Oh God what if he doesn't reply.

Calm down you won't fail

Like I'm worried about failing

You finally accept that you might care about him

Maybe.

My phone beeped, causing me to pick it hurriedly. I stared at Adam's name on the message bar. He actually texted me back

Hey, I will be absent for some days so maybe we can go over our lines through text message and then we can meet on Sunday or Saturday again to talk about it before Monday. Thanks for caring Elizabeth.

As I read the last line, I read it over again and over again. He replied me, not only did he reply me but he said thanks for caring. I might be stupid but I can't stop my heart from beating.

I quickly texted an okay back to him before lying back on my bed, with my hands on my chest, I stared at the ceiling with a smile on my face.

I think... I think I'm in love with Adam.