We Each Have Our Reasons

Chapter Seventeen: I Wanna See Her!

“You look so fine in those shorts damn.” I grab Tanae's waist and pull her closer.

She smiles. “We need to get to...school...” she says when I start planting kisses on her neck.

I move my hands on her hips and start licking her jawline. “River...school.” she says.

I pull away and kiss her forehead.

“If we're late I swear I will scream at you.” Tanae says as we walk to her car.

“Don't you wanna take Khulna? She's faster.” I smirk.

Tanae rolls her eyes but nods. We take my bike and drive to school. Getting there 5 minutes early, I had the chance to brag and boast to Tanae that we weren't late. We say goodbyes and part ways.

The bell rings and Ty hasn't gotten here yet. I wait by our lockers for five minutes and I decide to call her.

It rang. “The number you have called is not available. Please try–” I end the call.

I try texting her instead. 
river: ‘ty...where you at?’

She didn't reply. I put my phone away and walk to my first class, arriving 10 minutes late.

Of course the teacher had something to say, but I ignored her. I get to my seat and put my head on my arms. I can't help but think about Ty. We're supposed to have first class together and she still hasn't arrived. And she didn't mention anything about being absent.

The bell for the second period rang after a while, and Ty still hasn't arrived. I get through the rest of the day not being able to focus.

•

“She’s probably fine. Maybe there was a crisis at home or she didn't feel good when she woke up.” Tanae says when I told her Ty didn't pitch today.

We walk out the school gate. “Hey, chill out. Don't stress it. She's fine.” Tanae holds my hand.

I nod. “Come here,” she hugs me.

I drop Tanae off at her house and go back home.

“River Kayla Smith, where have you been?” my mom asks when I walk into the front door.

“Ma I left you a note saying I slept over at a friend's.” I say.

“And who is this friend? Because it certainly isn't Tyler.” she crosses her arms.

“Tanae, ma, you know her.” I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

She unfolds her arms. “Oh. Well there's something important I have to tell you but you have to promise you'll be calm.”

My brother walks in and stands next to me. I avoid looking at him.

“Okay what's up?” I ask.

“You need to sit down for this.”

“Ma, just tell me.” I shrug.

“Okay.” she shrugs. “Well uhm...Tyler is in hospital. She got into a car accident this morning.”

My vision becomes blurry and suddenly my legs tremble. There is a sharp sting in my head that tells me to just...stop.

I feel myself dropping to the ground but I feel my brother catching me before I hit the floor.

I take two heavy blinks and I randomly start feeling splashes of water on my face, and my brain automatically catches and I wanna stand up.

My brother and mom lift me up and I stand on my own two feet.

“I wanna see her.” I say after minutes of silence.

“I don't think that's...” my mom starts but I interrupt her. “I said, I wanna see her.”

“Okay, will you be fine driving alone?” she asks.

I nod. “No I don't think so...go with your brother in his car.” my mom says.

I crunch my face. “But ma I–”

“I said go with your brother. You're in a vulnerable state to drive right now.”

I roll my eyes and stomp out to my brother's car and he walks behind me. His car is a two seater so I was forced to sit in the passenger seat next to him.

I don't even know where he got the money to buy this car. He's very shady but I don't care.

The ride was silent, apart from him singing along to some electronic hip hop on the radio, and I'm happy he didn't try to ‘talk’ to me.

When we finally get to the hospital, I rush inside and to the reception. I ask for Ty's ward room and luckily for me they were allowing family & friends to see her for thirty minutes before she goes to surgery, since they're still monitoring her.

All I could do was cry and beg her to be okay because she was unconscious. I put my bracelet on her wrist and walked out of the ward room.

Watching Tyler being pushed on a bed, unconscious, bruised and broken, to a surgery is the memory that will forever break me. It was painful. And all I could do was cry.