~°~Chapter Seven~°~

I'm awake before I can open my eyes, I feel stiff all over and my eyes seems glued to my face.

Panic starts to tickle me as I struggle to remember where I am, I finally pry my eyes open to meet a plain white ceiling that isn't the one in my bedroom, there's something lying on my left hand so I tilt my head to take a look.

My mom is holding on to my left hand, her head lying beside our joined hands, she's fast asleep, her dark brown hair in a silky curtain around her face.

I try to sit up but a sharp pain stops me, I look around, I'm in a hospital. How did I get... Oh! Tyrone.

Virgil and Shana! I think desperately and Dale, I hope they don't commit murder.

"Mom?" I try calling out but my voice doesn't work, I get a vague thought of knocking against my throat like it's a faulty remote.

I clear my throat before trying again. "Mom?"

She moves, groggily raising her head up. She's still holding my hand and it makes tears gather in my eyes.

"Hayden! You're awake. Oh! My baby!" She gushes when she sights my open eyes, engulfing me in a gentle hug. "I was so scared." She hangs onto me like she expects I'll black out again.

I gulp, my throat is scratchy and dry. "W-What h-happened mom?" I ask, I know I got beat up by Tyrone but the hospital bit is still not really clear.

Tears gather in her grey eyes which was a bit wierd because I don't think I've ever seen my mother cry. "You had a few bruised organs and a slight concussion." She whispers.

My eyes widens, somehow I expected it to be either worse or not that bad, guess I got off lucky.

"Are you thirsty baby?" She asks suddenly, already reaching for the bottle of water, before I can even refuse she's gingerly lifting me up and placing the bottle at my mouth.

A few drops spills in and I suddenly realize I'm very parched. "Whoa! Maybe I should hire a couple goons to beat you up so you'll drink more water." She says drily when I empty the entire bottle and I smile at the attitude I'm used to.

It was supposed to be a grin but my cheeks feel numb so I tell my mom.

She chokes back a laugh. "You don't want to know what you look like baby."

I grimace at her. "Where's Virgil and Shana?" I can't help asking because I know that's exactly the question she's waiting for me to ask.

She throws me a sly grin and suddenly I'm very worried.

"Mom?" I warn.

"Oh you're no fun." She waves me off. "I need to call the doctors so they can check you up, I really want to take you home." She diverts, making a move to get up.

"No." I stop her. "No doctors until you tell me what's going on.

"Fine, at least let me call Shana, she went to get snacks." She eye rolls whipping out her phone.

"...yes he's awake and..." She quickly moves the flat device away from her ear as a high pitched screech tears through. When it doesn't stop after several seconds later, she's hangs up.

"She's definitely on her way, probably running while screaming." She grins at me and I sprawl on the bed, my mom and friends all share one brain cell.

"My baby is awake!" Shana barges in and I groan, knowing what is coming next.

I'm smoldered by hugs and kisses until we're both breathless.

"I'm not a puppy Shana." I complain, trying fruitlessly to push her away.

She finally calms down and just grins at me, her eyes glassy. She had been crying.

I suddenly feel bad for pushing her away and try to sit up through the pain in my sides to reach for her and hug her which she happily returns, her pink frothy hair nearly blinding me from how hard she's oscillating with happiness.

She gently pushes me back and I let out a big sigh at the relief. "Where's Virgil?" I ask suspiciously, throwing looks at both of them.

They share gleeful looks that had me nearly panicking. "Virgil asked me not to press charges against Tyrone and his gang." My mom sighs, dramatically. "I agreed."

"You what?" I exclaim. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Don't yell baby, it'll strain you." Shana pets and I want to cry.

"The punishment that the school will give to Tyrone will be ten times better than what Virgil will do." I explain frustratedly.

"That's one of the reasons why I accepted." She shrugs, grinning wickedly. "No one touches my baby. That and Virgil always gets what he wants."

I close my eyes in exasperation, knowing that she's telling the truth. No one got in Virgil's way when he wanted something, the psychopath.

"What about Dale?" I try to ask as nonchalantly as I can manage, opening my eyes.

"Your knight in shining armor?" Shana grins at me, her hazel eyes twinkling. "The hot stuff that kept on butting heads with Virgil over his pretty girl friend?" She teases cruelly and I'm grateful that my face is all shades of purple so I can hide the scalding blush that consumes my face.

"Girlfriend?" My mom repeats, confused. "Dale thinks you're Virgil's girlfriend? Well that's a new one."

I ignore most of her sentence, "You know Dale?"

"Yes, he insisted on coming along to the hospital then he went with Virgil to give Tyrone a warning."

This time around I sit up, totally forgetting all about my pain. "They both went after Tyrone?" I exclaim. "Shit! This is the worst."

"Hey." My mom pouts. "Two cute guys want to avenge you and you think it's the worst? I'm starting to think I'm a bad mother."

I roll my eyes at her dramatics, turning on Shana instead. "Why didn't you stop them?" I half wail. "I don't want them to go to prison."

"No one is going to go to prison." She laughs cheerfully before her eyes turn cold. "And the only reason I'm right here is because I wasn't allowed to tag along. Dale says it's because I'm a girl." She scoffs.

"You didn't tell him you broke Brian's arm last time?" My mom asks nonchalantly and I choke.

"You knew about that?"

"Of course." My mom says proudly, "I bought her a whole load of ice cream for that but what I'm not knowing is why Dale thinks you're 'a' girlfriend." She turns to me.

"Aw his ears are red." Shana coos like I'm a clumsy puppy who managed to roll over.

I slap my hands over my ears. "Stop tormenting me, you guys." I whine. "Dale thought I was a girl and no matter how hard I tried to convince him, he wouldn't believe."

They burst into laughter at this, insisting that I tell them exactly what happened, word for word.

"What happened when you showed him your face?" Shana asks eagerly, interrupting me.

"He said that I should stop trying to get him to leave me alone and he was taking me to the nurse whether I liked it or not."

"Ooh! Controlling." My mom comments, nodding importantly as she and Shana share a look.

"Cut it out, this is not some Yaoi novel for you to fawn over. I should be worried with how hard my mom wants me to be gay." I sigh out loud.

She grins unrepentantly. "I don't mind which you chose to be, my love but you will let me enjoy this budding triangle." She demands seriously and Shana nods sagely.

"Never heard truer words." She says solemnly and I'm just done with the both of them.

"You know what?" I ask throwing up my hands. "You two should head on home, I'm staying at the hospital."

"No can do baby." My mom disagrees, smiling at me. "I'll go get the doctor." She says quickly before I make up my mind about staying, going out the door.