CHERUB, the next-gen.

Chapter 12: Lucy's POV

I opened my eyes to a white ceiling. After a few seconds, it hit me and I bolted into a sitting position, which gave me a huge headache. "What the..." I looked around the room then looked at my arms. They had these tube things there and I ripped them out. Bad idea. I tried to stand up after that... again, bad idea... I sat back down, grabbed a random bucket, and threw up. I groaned, all the good food I treated myself to the day before was gone. My clothes were on a table and a thought occurred. I don't want to be in here, (well, who would be) I need to get back home! My grandma is probably flipping her shit right now. Maybe if I left I wouldn't have to pay the hospital bill, so like an idiot, I forced myself to get up and put my clothes on, careful of the wrap on my leg. I stepped out of the room and to my amazement no one seemed to notice me. I awkwardly walked past the check-in desk and followed the exit signs to leave the building. It was easy enough, even though I was getting strange looks for no reason... My sweater was ripped so the next store I passed (thank god I still had my wallet in my pocket) I bought myself a 5 dollar t-shirt. I was walking out of the store when I brushed up against something and I almost screamed. I looked at my knee where the wrap was supposed to be and there was this super huge looking bruise that was purplish-blue and spread quite far across that area. "gross" I muttered. A little while after that someone stopped and asked me if I was alright and bought me an ice pack. "Here honey, take it and put it in both places." The woman said, "both places?" I asked bewildered, "yes your leg and your head. I looked into the shop window and saw that I had a welt on my forehead. "Good grief!" I exclaimed. The woman looked at me like I was crazy and told me she got to run. I held the ice pack to my head the whole way to where I thought Pam would be. "Ha!" I said out loud as I pulled out her extra room key. After I climbed up the stairs to her level I kid you not my whole body was in so much pain. I now know why people tell me I should think before I do. I slotted it into the door and made myself comfortable on her bed after finding another ice pack and putting it on my knee plus grabbing food. All of a sudden my phone started ringing and an unflattering photo of Pamela popped up. Shit, It was cracked. "hullo?" I said into the phone. "Where the fuck are you!" she yelled. "I'm in your room, where else would I be?" I said soullessly. "In the fricken hospital that's where!! I got multiple calls saying that you disappeared!! I thought you got kidnapped or something" "oh, well ah sorry. I didn't want to stay there.." She cut me off "You idiot! Everyone is panicking and running all over! And you're here in my room probably eating with your feet up!" I giggled, "right on point" "oh Lucy." Then she hung up. After I finished a half box of lucky charms Reid and Pam came barging in. "Lucy! Are you ok" she sat beside me and Reid walked away. "I'm ok, but what's wrong with him?" "Probably nothing" I could tell something was wrong so I got up and followed Reid against Pam's and my leg's protests. Reid was sitting there staring at the door and didn't even look at me when I came in. "You ok?" He didn't say anything. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something" He didn't flinch so I sat on the edge of the chair, still nothing. "What school did you go to in elementary?" He shook his head slowly. "Reid." I said firmly. He didn't answer, and then it finally clicked "we went to school together, didn't we!" I said almost angrily. I don't know why, it just came out of me. "Christ Reid, where did you go!" I stood up and almost fell over. "You left me..." I said deflated. My head was spinning. "You know, I shouldn't even remember you because we were so young, but I do! You were my favorite reading buddy, you were the one who taught me how to read after I came to America. You even stayed after school with me because I didn't want to go home". He softly answered me. "I tried to keep in touch with you, to help you." "And I kept your secret even though you never told me where you were! Then you stopped, you were like my older brother, my best friend.." I quickly wiped a loose tear. "Lucy, I'm sorry, they caught me, I got in so much trouble" he looked at me. "Stand up" I ordered him. He did. I stood up, kicked him in the dick (with my good leg), and gave him a big hug, "never do this to me again!" He hugged me back and whispered in my ear, with a teeny choke of pain. "I've missed you too". We stood there for a long time until Pam came in to break us up and claimed she had heard the whole thing. "Why do I feel like I'm in a badly written drama." We looked at her. "That's why after 3rd grade you were so distant for a whole year!" Pam chuckled then forced me back to bed. I've known Pam for almost all my life; same daycare, same preschool, and middle. She was older though, and of course, she pulls that card all the time. Our dads had a huge bromance and made us have playdates so they could hang out, much to our mom's disapproval. My dad was the super friendly type and could get along with anyone, while my mom was the complete opposite. She only liked socializing with people of the same 'intellectual level' as her, but I call bullshit because she doesn't have any friends. Well, I've just never seen her with anybody. A cold stone wall with a stone cold heart that woman, nothing gets past her and she only smiles when I do well in school. But, I've definitely learned some things about keeping my face straight and sneaking around because of that.