I Would Take A Beating For You

Please don't die

Richie

I wait anxiously for Ms. Manni to arrive. I really need Julius to make it through this. For Jayla. For his mom. For me. I see Ms. Manni walk in. "Oh richie." She says when she sees me. "Are you alright?" She asks rubbing my arm.

"Forget about me." I say. "Richie. You just saw something very upseting happen to someone you love." She says. "This is so fucked up." I sigh placing my head in my hands. "Why do all of my problems have to even semi-invole Julius?" I ask rhetorically. "Our whole relationship was created because I can't be unproblematic for 5 seconds." I add.

Ms. Manni rubs my back. "Well everything happens for a reason." She says. "Your nosebleed happened that day because the universe wanted the two of you together. Oh, and that fight you had. That happened because the universe needed to test you guys." She says reassuringly.

"Look, what I'm saying is, you two have been together like a month and it sounds like you've lived a lifetime together. If you can survive all of that together you can survive this together. He's gonna be fine." She says. "Thanks Ms. Manni." I say. "Please, call me Jennifer." She says.

She looks away from me anxiously looking around the room. "I hate to make you think about it again but where was Julius hit?" Jennifer asks. "Um from what I remember twice in the stomach, once in the chest, arm, and the leg." I say nearly choking on my tears.

Jennifer leans back in her chair, shocked. "So its that bad." She says. I place my hand on her leg. "It's gonna be ok." I say sweetly. "Where's Jayla?" I ask to distract from the grim details of Julius's injuries. "She's at home. Me and her were watching a movie when we both fell asleep when you called." Jennifer says.

"God how am I gonna explain this to her?" Jennifer thinks aloud. "I'm sorry, did I worry you?" I say. "It's okay, Richie, you can't help that you have a kind heart." She says. She's really wrong about me. A tall, dark haired doctor comes into the waiting room. "Julius Manni?" She says. Jennifer gets up and walks over to her.

The doctor places her hand on Jennifer's shoulder and obiviously tells her something bad. I tense up. Oh my god. The doctor leaves and Jennifer starts to walk back over to me. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please julius, do this for me. "He's in surgery." Jennifer says. "I feel a little better. He's not dead." I sigh.

"Thank god for that." Jennifer says. After awhile of waiting I feel really tired and before I knew it, I was asleep. "Richie. Richie wake up." I hear Jennifer say while shaking me. I wake up with my head in her lap. "What?!" I say jolting up. "Update on Julius." Jennifer says sniffling. "Oh my god, he's gone." I breath. "No.... Just in a coma." She finishes.

"Coma?! How!?" I ask dumbfounded. "He lost half his blood volume and there was alot of damage done... Look the doctors said it was the best course of action here he will wake up. Probably soon." Jennifer says.

Soon....

Soon

2 weeks have gone by. Julius is still in a coma. I've been sleeping in his room, wearing his clothes, and everyday during lunch at school I come down to the hospital and sit next to his bed. I can't take this much longer.

"Richie?" Jennifer says walking into Julius's hospital room. I've been day dreaming and I didn't even notice. "I brought you a sandwich." Jennifer says handing me a bag. "Thanks." I say quietly staring at my almost lifeless boyfriend.

Jennifer sits down next to me. "Tell me about yourself Richie." Jennifer says. "Like what?" I ask. "Anything." Jennifer says. "My middle name's Tegan." I say. "Pretty. My parents thought it was cool to make my middle Iphegia." Jennifer admits. "Hm I like that, Iphegia. It's unique." I say. "Well unique isn't enough when your full name sounds like a sentence." She says.

"What is you full name Jennifer?" I ask.
"Jennifer Caliope Iphegia Manriqez- Torres-Manni." Jennifer says. "Wow." I say. "Yeah. My parents couldn't agree on a middle so I got both. Then they divorced and I got both last names. Then I married Julius's father." Jennifer says.

"When did you meet Julius's dad?" I ask. "Highschool. I was 14 and feel in love with the bad boy of the football team. I bacame a cheerleader just to be close to him. We dated for awhile then he met my parents and they hated him. We eloped in vegas when I was seventeen. We ran off together at eighteen and we were happy then Julius came along. We both struggled getting jobs and it really strained our relationship. When Julius was finally born we fought over everthing. We went to couples therapy and counseling just to stay together for Julius. Once everything was sunshine and rainbows again, Jayla came along. We had money issues and the fighting started again. I didn't want our relationship to fall apart again so I kicked him out. The next day I was informed that my husband had killed himself." Jennifer says.

"Wow." I say. I check the time. "I got to get back to school." I sigh. "Why don't I drive you ?" Jennifer offers. "Really?" I ask. "Yeah it's better than sitting here staring at my son." She says grabbing her purse. "Okay." I say grabbing my backpack. "Bye Juju." I say kissing Julius on the forehead.

Jennifer drops me off at school. I sit through all my classes and go back to the hospital. I stare through the window of the small sad room. I count the number of red cars that go by. Red cars are more accident prone than any other color. Most of those cars are gonna crash.

Jennifer's picking up Jayla from school. Poor Jayla. She hasn't seen her brother move in weeks. She must be terrified. The rooms silence seems to be growing. I turn to Julius. He still lifeless. This isn't my boyfriend. That's not Julius.

I hold his hand. "Julius, honey I really need you to wake up." I say. Nothing. I knew just asking him to wake up wouldn't work but I need something. Anything. "Julius, please wake up." I say again. "I need you to pull through this. For me." I say. Still silence. "Julius Rome Manni I demand you wake up right this instant!" I say aggressively.

"Please! Please! Please! JULIUS!" I cry. I throw a stupid stuffed bear that Julius's bitch of an aunt sent. Seriously what monster when finding out a young family has literally been shot, just sends an ugly ass Bear? "WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME!?" I shout. I break down crying next to Julius. I feel something pull at my hair. "Why the tears, Bleeder?" Julius says softly. I sit up quickly. "Julius?!" I say excitedly. "Yes?" He says.

Hug him as tight as I can and shower him in kisses. Jennifer walks in. "Hey Mom." Julius says. Jennifer drops her purse in shock. "He's awake?" She says. "He's awake." I say.