A piercing noise interrupts my peace. As much as I try to tune it out, it doesn't stop. My peaceful darkness is replaced with a radiant light. In the middle of that light is Riley. He's smiling at me proudly.
Just as suddenly as he came, he leaves. I gasp, my eyes are stabbed with a harsher light. I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping it will go away. The relaxation I just felt, is gone.
I open my eyes slowly. My eyes focus on a yellow-tinted wall. It takes me a few minutes to realize it's the ceiling.
Someone squeezes my hand. I turn to see who's causing the pressure and see Jacklyn.
"Hey, your dad's downstairs getting food." I blink, unsure what to say. "Autumn, can you hear me?" I nod. She visibly relaxes.
"Why am I here?" I say, looking around the hospital room.
"You called your dad, saying you didn't feel good. He tried to ask you what was wrong but you replied in some kind of foreign language. Then you stopped replying all together. Your teacher found you on the floor, passed out." She squeezes my hand as to comfort me.
"Why?"
"We don't know yet." I nod. She sighs and gets up. "I'm gonna go see what's taking your dad so long."
I don't realize how sore I am until I try to move. It hurts so much I yelp.
"Hey Tums." Casper says from the doorway. I smile sadly at him. He takes the chair next to my bed and takes my hand in his. "Man, I missed you. These last three days have been agony."
"I've been here for three days?" He nods and squeezes my hand tighter. Why do people keep doing that?
"How's Riley?" I ask after a few moments of silence. At the mention of his name, Casper stiffens. "What?" I say. He doesn't answer.
"Casper, tell me." He sighs.
"Riley Sablo went missing the night you got admitted here." I don't say anything, I just stare. I laugh. It's a short laugh, a small laugh, but it's the most I have in a long time.
"What's funny?" Casper asks, concerned.
"Nothing, it's just typical of him." I put my head down, staring at the white sheets on the bed.
My dad comes in the room. He smiles sadly at me. My heart breaks for him. He's now seen both of his kids in a hospital bed.
"Hi." I say quietly.
"Hey." He whispers back. "Nice to see you, Casper." He nods at my dad and stands up.
"I have to get going." He says. I wave but he doesn't see me, he's already gone.
"Where's Jacklyn?" I ask my dad.
"She left, had to go to work." I guess my whole job idea isn't working out too well. My dad pats my knee, as if he knows what I'm thinking.
"Hello." A doctor comes in the room. "Autumn, glad to see your awake. How are you feeling?" He pulls out a manila folder.
"I'm fine." My dad smirks a little. He can always tell when I'm lying.
"Well, we have the test results back." He opens up the folder and looks at the sheet of paper. "It seems you have traces of molly in your system. The drug caused you to have a seizure and make you go into a mild coma."
My dad sighs sadly. I can hear the hitch in his voice. I sit there, stunned. "But I've never taken any drugs in my life. I don't even take Tylenol."
"These test results say otherwise. And we were very thorough." The doctor says, getting annoyed. He says a few things to my dad and leaves. We don't say anything for a few minutes. I decide to break the silence.
"Dad, I swear to you, I didn't take the drugs." I hope and plead to myself that he believes me.
"I don't know what to think Autumn. You know what? I don't want to think right now." He puts his head in his hands and rubs his forehead. He can't even look at me when he talks. "Get some sleep, we're going home tomorrow morning." Even though I'm not tired, I lay down and stare at the wall. He shuts off the lights and sits back down on his chair. I can hear his breathing through the whole night and I know he doesn't sleep. I know because I don't either.
Riley POV
I stand outside the hospital, eyes focused on Autumn's window. She's awake, I can feel it.
"You know it's creepy, watching her like this." A familiar voice says from behind me.
"Shutup." I say back. She laughs.
"You know he's no going to like it. He didn't before."
"Yeah, I know." I tune out her voice. Either that or she left. Whichever one, I don't care. My only concern is her.
The girl I've been chasing for a lifetime.
