Just a Little Bit

One

Bright lights.

I haven't even opened my eyes yet and I am already annoyed at the bright light. As I open my eyes I blink trying to make my eyes adjust. I take in a sharp breath because my plan for that really isn't working.

"You're awake" I hear a female voice that can only belong to one person say. I look to my right and see Cali with a worried look on her face that turns to relief. I try to give her as best of a smirk as I can though I am sure that it came out as a grimace. I feel pressure on my right hand and see that she is holding it in both of hers. I look around the room and don't see Eva, as I start to panic Cali calms me down.

"She went back to our home to try and figure things out. Between everything the other night and you we was never really able to grieve for my grandfather" she says looking down and suddenly I am wondering what happened.

"What happened?" I ask her and she sighs before answering.

"He was sick for a long time and his medicine wasn't really working anymore. My mom and I didn't want to believe and we kept in buying it for him, which was hard considering we don't have a lot of money as it is. Things were getting harder and harder for us and I guess he didn't want us to struggle anymore. So he decided that he was going to be a martyr for a rich family and in return the left us $100,00 each. I can't even think to touch it right now because everything that I was afraid of became real and it seems as though I would only be taking blood money. But my mom she isn't like me because she tried to see the good in everyone and everything, she can't just see things for the way they are. So what happened only made her try and block things out even more." she tells me and suddenly everything makes sense. Eva was so out of it and seemed almost helpless because she had just found out that her father was dead and had to go through a night of hell not too long later. Cali and her obvious anger and resistance to anyone trying to help her because she lost probably the only father figure in her life and she can't even mourn or say goodbye. Pieces of that night are starting to come together now and it just shows how messed up all of us are, and were in the case of Shane.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked" I tell her and she shakes her head. That smile comes back on my face and I feel something that I haven't in a very long time. Hope.

"I'm actually glad you did. I don't think I could tell that to anyone else, let alone my mother considering she is going to need a lot of help to heal."

"And you don't?" I ask jokingly and she rolls her eyes.

"I think I've had enough help for right now. It's my turn to take of someone that I really care about" she says squeezing my hand. I smile at her bringing my other hand to cover hers.

Maybe I can start again.