Sketchbook

Chapter 22

~Jayda's POV~

     I woke up in Charles' arms. Gabby was still asleep though I could tell the nurse had been in here. There was a clipboard on the table across from Gabby's bed that wasn't there before.
     Charles was still asleep. In fact, he was knocked out cold. I decided to leave him be. I checked my phone, and I noticed I had two messages from Father. He said, "It's getting late, we need to go" and also, "You're probably asleep. Just call me if there's any update. I love you." I assumed that meant they went home. I couldn't leave without Charles, but I didn't want to wake him up either. He probably would've wanted to stay with Gabby anyways, so I lied back down next to Charles.
I looked over at Gabby. She still looked a bit pale. I decided to go over to her. I stood directly above her with just enough distance to reach for her arm. I looked at the stitched up mark on her arm. She had a very large cut all the way from her wrist to the bending of her arm. Tears started to fill up in my eyes. What if I didn't leave her alone? What if I just sat there and talked to her through the door. She probably wouldn't have done what she did, would she? I really hope everything will be ok. She means everything to me. She's the sister I never got to have. A type of love I never got to feel. At least, I used to almost feel that way with Anna, but Anna was different. Anna was just a really good friend that I knew for a long time. Gabby.. Gabby is the greatest thing in the world. She just doesn't know it.

The next morning came. I woke up from Charles' arm. He woke up as well. We both looked over to Gabby, but she still didn't wake up. My phone rang. Mother was calling me asking if she needed to come pick me up. Charles offered to take me home instead. We had asked the nurse to call us when Gabby wakes up. Then, we left.
When we arrived back home, I asked Charles if he could please stay with me. He said he would, of course.
We stayed in bed, with Damien as well. I looked at Damien's eyes and then I looked at Charles' eyes. Charles looked at me as if he was waiting for me to say something.
"You know, when I thought you were gone, his eyes were the one thing that kept you in my mind.. because they're yours."
Charles smiled then also looked into Damien's eyes to which Damien smiled at him. Charles chuckled at his cuteness. I did as well. Seeing Damien and Charles at the same time kind of baffled me at how similar they look. However, Charles said that he looks just like me too, which I guess was true, but I didn't see it. I only saw Charles.
     Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I was unsure who it could be. At least, who would it be that I would care about? It was Anna. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. There she was. I hadn't seen her since.. well, you know when. She gave me a big hug, and she asked me how I was doing. Her eyes looked sad when she asked me though. So I asked.
     "Anna, what's wrong? Is everything alright?"
     She nodded with a smile before wiping her eyes that filled with tears. "I just missed you, so I wanted to see you."
     After hearing those words, I gave her another hug only much bigger and tighter. She started crying on my shoulder, loudly and painfully. We went into the living room and sat down. I asked for everyone to leave us alone. I may have not seen Anna in a long time, but I know how she is. When she cries like this, something has happened, or there's something she's going through. I asked her. "Anna, what's going on?"
     "Isn't it crazy how our lives have turned out? One day we're best friends, us against the world, and the next day... this," she said.
I wanted to reassure her that I still very much care about her and love her.
"Anna, I promise that whatever we had going on that pulled us apart, I promise that it is behind us. I still very much care about you and want you in my life. Our whole lives didn't go to waste. Every moment we spent together mattered to me, and it still does." She gave me another hug while still crying on my shoulder.
I began to cry too. Reminiscing on the past with Anna made me realize just how much everything had in fact changed. In the moment, I couldn't remember why we stopped being best friends. Writing this story, I remember now. It was all over a stupid boy, a stupid boy who I just had to fall in love with. I genuinely don't think me and Anna's relationship would've been different if I just didn't act so carelessly. But hey, I don't regret the decisions I've made. They've brought me to where I am now. Maybe I regret attempting suicide, and allowing Brady to take me home from school that day, but I'm stronger now. I don't think I would be as strong now if I didn't go through those things. I don't think Anna would be as strong now if she didn't go through what she went through.
"Jayda, I want you to call and text me more often. I want my best friend back. I'm alone without her." Anna said.
I nodded my head. "Of course, I will, Anna, as long as you do the same."
"I won't even hesitate," Anna said while smiling.
I decided to allow Anna to stay the rest of the day while we caught up with each other on everything we missed out on.
Apparently, Anna told her mother what happened with her and Brady and what he did to her. Her mother immediately took her to the hospital to make sure everything was alright with her. Turns out Anna was pregnant, but had a miscarriage a few days later. Brady had beaten her when he found out. That was the last encounter they had together. I sat there in tears. I would've never known.
I told Anna everything I could about Gabby and how she came into my life when I needed someone the most. How much I cared about her and how worried I was for her being in the hospital. Anna was now reassuring me that everything would be fine.
We decided to take are minds off of reality and started watching a movie. We watched Mulan. Mulan is Anna's favorite Disney princess. The whole concept of a daughter sacrificing her life for her father by going to war for him is just the bravest, most badass thing ever to Anna. Personally, I'm more of an Ariel girl. I've always loved mermaids since I was 2. Mother even bought me an Ariel doll that I could play with whenever I had a bath or whenever we went swimming.