The Other Side of the Tracks

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

    Grayson

    “Hey there,” I murmur. Meadow’s eyelashes flutter as she wakes up. Turning her head towards me, her golden curls fall away from her pale skin. She looks different and it’s now that I really notice the different.

      Meadow looks frail, like she can fall apart at any moment. I want to touch her – to run my fingers along her skin, but I’m scared I will break her.

      “Grayson,” she whispers, a smile appearing on her rosy lips. “Nobody told me that you were coming.”

      “Coming?” I laugh. “I’ve been here for three days. They refused to let me step into the room until now.”

      Meadow’s smile quickly turns into a frown. “Why not?”

      I avoid her gaze. “You weren’t well.”

      I raise my eyes when she turns towards the window. Slowly, she sits up. When I reach out to help her she pushes me away.

       “I’m fine, Grayson.” She doesn’t meet my eyes.

      I know better than to fight with her when she’s in a hospital bed. I move to sit on it next to her and follow her gaze outside. She gets the view of a patch of grass and a small swing set and I wonder if she’s stared at it before.

      “What did the doctor say?” I ask curiously.

      “That there’s nothing they can do until there’s a transplant,” she deadpans. Though her words are harsh, her voice is softer than usual.

      “I mean about what happened.”

      She lets out a breath and looks down at her hands that fidget in her lap. “That the running was too much for my heart and that I’ll have to take it easy from now on.” She briefly looks up at me and smiles. I can’t tell if it’s genuine. “I guess I’ll have to be a couch potato.”

      I smirk. “Would you like me to buy you some chips?”

      Meadow clasps a hand to her chest and feigns hurt. “Grayson, how dare you! That’s potato cannibalism!”

      I roll my eyes and she leans into me, resting her head below my shoulder. “You’re the best, you know.” She lets her eyes close. “You’re the only one here who’s actually brightened my day.”

     

      Hours later I pace my kitchen and ignore my mother’s protests to sit down. She stares at me through worried eyes but I can’t lessen how she feels. Right now I feel like I’m solving a rubix cube in my head with more than six sides.