The Unexplainable You.

Part Two. Portland

You thought that was the end, didn't you? Haha sucker, you can't get rid of me that easily.

Now back to the actual plot. (I feel like I should be on Disney Channel. "Hey, I'm Portland Cormwell and you're watching Disney Channel.)

"Andy-" Mal tries, but Andy's already out of the car.

"He better be going to get someone." He mumbles, absentmindedly tracing his finger over the back of my hand.

"Mal," I manage to choke out, feeling finally coming back to my body.

He looks down at me, tears creeping into the corners of his eyes.

"Hey Bambi." He whispered, smiling. "How you feeling?"

I shrug, the effort feeling so huge.

"Don't worry," He tells me, "Andy's getting some help. It's gonna be okay."

I nod weakly, closing my eyes. "Thank you."

I never meant to do this to them. I hid my pain for this reason and this reason alone. I never want them to have to save me, I don't need saving.

The back door opens, Andy appearing with a wheelchair like my knight in shining armor. 

Malachi scoops me up in his arms, setting me down in the wheelchair, pushing me into the ER.

Before I can even try to say anything, I'm whisked away. 

A chorus of voices thrums above me and I squeeze my eyes shut in a hopeless attempt to dull the stabbing pain in my head.

I resist the urge to cry out as a needle pierces my hand. More voices.

I fight to stay awake, but in the madness, I catch a glance of a boy at the door. Ashen hair, blue eyes, obviously close to death. But something in his eyes calms me enough to close my eyes, giving in to the exhaustion. And even after I'm asleep, his eyes still stay with me, calming like the ocean.

***

I wake up with Ronnie sitting next to my bed, a hospital bed. Shoot.

"I told you." He says, obviously not wanting to hit the small talk stage of a normal conversation. 

Figures.

"Wow, I just woke up and you can't even help yourself from making me feel bad."

He doesn't laugh, and I catch a glimpse of fear in his eyes.

"Portland." He says, tears peeking at the corners of his eyes. "Something really bad could have happened to you. I don't know what I would do without you."

I want to laugh at the absurdity of this all, but the genuine thought of leaving him alone scares the living crap out of me.

"What's wrong with me?" I ask, staring him straight in the eyes. He shakes his head, giving me all the answer I need.

"Well, now that you're up, I'm gonna go." He tells me, standing up. I think he's trying to pretend that he didn't just change that subject, which I'm not mad about but still.

 "Text me if you need anything, okay?"

I nod, sitting up and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Thank you Ronald." I whisper in his ear. "Thank you for staying."

He smiles, nodding. "Anytime short stack."

***

Andy lays in bed next to me, his head resting on my chest and a movie playing on the small hospital TV.

"We haven't done this in a while." Andy says, pulling the blanket farther up. 

"Yeah."

We used to have movie nights almost every night, but once he started high school we stopped. He had practice almost every night and we just got too busy for routine hangouts

"How are you feeling?" He asks, curling himself into our little nest. I shrug, making sure my chest moves so I don't have to answer, he'll feel it.

He continues to talk, but my mind wanders to the boy with the ocean eyes. Why was he standing at the door? What's wrong with him? Does he stalk everyone by standing at their doors when they're half asleep?

Maybe one day I'll get the chance to ask him.