My Neighbor's Secret

Chapter 12: Ashton

"Dude," Sam's face is grey," I think she's concussed."

"Really?" Rose says painfully," I didn't think I was."

She wipes her mouth and tried to stand. Almost immediately, she falls forward onto my chest. I catch her, straightening her stance.

"You know what's weird?" Her voice starts to slur," I have a headache."

Her forehead is on my chest even though she's standing up straight. I rub her back, looking at Sam," hospital?"

"Hospital," Sam assures.

"Hey!" Rose says a little too loudly," my mommy works at a hospital!"

I start to lift her into my arms but she slaps my arm," I can walk dummy."

She giggles as if she were drunk. Defiantly a concussion. Disorientation, nausea, dizziness, it's all symptoms of a concussion.

"Okay," I say.

With only one step she looses balance. I wrap an arm around her waist, holding most of her weight.

"Sam," I call out since he's a few steps ahead of me," call Caroline."

I can hear the phone conversation. Caroline picks up at the first ring.

"What, I'm just about to start my break." Caroline seems grumpy.

"Well start it now," Sam says not too nicely," your best friend somehow got a cuncussion underwater and is soaked to the bone."

"What?" Caroline says," is she okay?"

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Sam grumbles.

"Ok ok grumpy pants I'm on my way. Dustin is covering for me," she says.

Sam frowns," you work with Dustin? You know never mind just come soon."

At the pace Rose is going at, we get to our yards right as Caroline drives into Rose's driveway.

The sun has been sheilded by what looks like rain clouds and the wind has picked up," are you sure she's concussed?" Caroline yells across the yard.

Rose snaps her head up at her voice," give me a C!" She chants then a moment later," C! Give me a A! A! Give me a-um-uh- ROLINE! ROLINE!"

"She's concussed," Caroline finalizes.
__________

I had to carry Rose upstairs. Thankfully her brothers aren't home and neither is her mother. While Caroline tends to Rose, I run home and get showered and changed. When I get back Rose and Sam are arguing at the top of the stairs.

"Do NOT carry me down the stairs," Rose says," I am perfectly capable."

Sam looks at me for help.

"Rose, please let someone bring you down the stairs," I ask.

"Fine," she says," you carry me downstairs of you want someone to."

I sigh," fine."

Trudging up the stairs, I reach over and wrap one arm behind her knees and the other on her back and lift her up. She weighs nothing to me.

Rose wraps her arms around my neck and snuggles her head into my chest," you smell good." She whispers.

I smile, reaching the bottom of the stairs. She argues when I go to put me down.

"I'm tired," she says.

I take her o the car and Sam follows with Caroline at his heels. We go into Caroline's SUV, me in the back with Rose's head in my lap and Sam and Caroline in the front.