Saving Grace

Chapter 18

Jessica was my next visitor. Or attempted visitor. She wasn't on my list and she wasn't family. I called her instead.

"Colt talked about you all day. He really likes you."

"Tell me about it. He asked me to prom. It's not for like 3 months though."

"He asked you to prom?!?! Dude! That's awesome!"

"Yeah. I won't know anyone there though. All of my friends here are sophomores not juniors."

"Don't worry. People already love you. You just have to love them back. I've gotta go. Phone's dying. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Next day. Bye Jess."

"Bye Grace."

My family came little later. First was Layla, then my mom, then Will, then my dad.

"Hey, has Colt come to see you?"

"Yeah. He dropped off all this work from school." I gestured to my stack of papers that I had already done.

"That's nice. Do you know when you can leave?"

"Not tomorrow but after school the next day. I'm recovering faster than they thought I would."

"Great!"

Small talk. I've never been really good at making conversation. Even if it was just my family.
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The next few days were more of the same. Except Colt came much earlier than he should have to stay with me for a while.

"You didn't have to come. I'm totally fine." He cared about me way too much.

"Yes I did. You're my girlfriend who I put in this hospital. Of course I have to come check on you."

"But not when you should be at school!"

"I wanted some time to be able talk to you alone."

"Talk about what?"

"Well, there's a problem going on at school. It's Stella Kings."

"I haven't heard her name for a while. What'd she do this time?"

"Nothing that bad. She's just jealous of you because we're dating."

"I'm just not going to worry her. Why'd you have to tell me that in private?"

"I didn't. That part was just an excuse for you to not be mad. Because you see, now you're mad."

He wasn't wrong. He dropped out of school 3 hours early just to check on me. How long does he need to visit?

"Okay, yes I'm kind of mad. 3 hours early? That's a lot."

"Not for me. What's a few hours gonna do?"

"I guess you're right..." And he was. He was a football player with the education of an above average student. Pretty good for a jock.

We talked for a while then he left for a brief moment to get me lunch instead of "utterly disgusting hospital food" as he called it.

It was the dinner we were supposed to have for my birthday.

"I got us this to make up for what happened."

"Colt Hanson. If you say sorry for you hitting me again-"

"Okay okay. I get it. No more saying sorry. Sorry."

I just glared at him for that. I knew he was joking so I played along.

After that, my visitor routine was pretty much normal.