As I sit down at our table, Atlas is already digging into his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I don't bother to take my lunch bag from my royal blue Jansport backpack because there's nothing in it.
Atlas give me a skeptical look once he comes up for air from his sandwich.
"Are you okay? Where's your food? You usually eat like a forty-year-old man!"
That statement, then and there, made me snap.
I went into a full blown panic attack. I felt my face loose its color and my palms get sweaty. I started hyperventilating, but only loud enough for my tablemate to hear. I could feel my face and body go numb from oxygen deprivation.
"Uhhh, Lithia? Are you sure you're okay? You look a little flushed..."
"IM NOT FUCKING OKay" Is the last thing I say before the world goes black.
***
'Beep.... Beep.... Beep....' The smell of sterilization and death bring me to consciousness. I know immediately that I'm in a hospital, I'm just not sure how I got there. As I look around, it's obvious I've been sentenced to the prison of the ICU.
I've been in a hospital before, so I know what to expect. I has an endoscopy a year and a half ago, but that was just an outpatient surgery, but this was something way more serious.
My nurse, Jacob, saw that I woke up through the glass walls and rushed inside my (private) room to take my vital signs.
While I was being poked and prodded at, I looked back out from the inside of the enclosure, to see something, or rather someone, standing at the nurses desk.
Atlas.
I kinda expected him to be there, but I did not expect him to be the only one there. Not even Britt, one of my few friends. Not even my parents.
Their unstable child was in the ICU of a hospital not even 30 minutes from their house, and they don't even bother to show up. Figures.
Jacob looks up at my after reading over my chart so see tears sliding down my face, but I remain silent and motionless, still looking for others.
"You're lucky to have him. He's been here everyday you've been out. He ran with you from the ambulance to The Line, and then we had to stop him. He's been bawling his eyes out every time he looked in here. I asked him why he cryed so much, and he said it was because he missed you. He missed the sound if your voice, your dark humor, your sarcasm, your sass, your compasion, the way your butt looks in your favorite pair of jeans. He really cares about you. How long have you two been dating?"
I was almost too shocked to hear his question. Atlas really said all that about me? I've never thought anyone could care that much about boring old me, but he did. It gave me hope for the future. Our future. And this was the first time I can ever remember having hope. It then dawned on me that I never answered his question. Oops.
"We aren't dating. He's my best friend," I said.
I must have sounded sad because Jacob then took my hand and said something that took me by surprise at his sudden bluntness, "Honey, nobody looks at anyone else like that and are still 'just friends'. You both want it to be more, so get a move on this slocomotive and toot toot you're way into that boys heart. I'm telling you right now, he will accept you with open arms," I was surprised to hear the southern accent he has been hiding come out from where I was used to hearing his masked voice.
That's when lover boy saw me and practically broke down the door to get to my side. One more reason about why I love Atlas. He might just love me back
*
*
*
First thing's first (imarealist) no, seriously. The Line is a literal line on the for that marks how far visitors can go.
I will be getting to why Lithia is in the hospital in the first place in the next chapter
I need to know if you guys like this book, because I don't wanna waste my time typing something that nobody likes.
One more thing, if you hadn't figured it out yet, the words that are italicized are dialog.
A'ight, l8r sk8rs ✌
