“Michaela!” I screamed, jumping up and down and running to her after she walked out of the terminal.
“Ellie!” She screamed back in reply.
We stood and hugged each other for almost 10 minutes, looking like lesbian-lovers.
“This is the ever-so-famous, Drake.” I told her, dragging her back to where Drake was standing. They shook hands, and Michaela whispered to me that he was hot.
Drake drove us back to his place, where we ate pizza rolls and watched several cheesy movies.
I was starting to doze off, my head on Drake's shoulder, when he nudged me.
“Hm?” I asked, not moving or opening my eyes.
“Your phone's ringing.” He reached down into my pocket, and held the phone in front of me.
I sighed, and answered it, walking down the hallway where the guest room was for some privacy.
“Hello?”
“Tailee? It's Amber. Something's happened at home. Like, your home. Allie had to run to the air-port to go down there, so I need you at Allie's. Now.”
“But I'm with Drake and Michaela at his house.”
“Well bring them over here, Tailee, I don't really care who you bring with you. I just need you at the house, in my possession.”
“Okay, we'll be there in like, 10 minutes.” I hung up and rounded up Drake and Michaela and we walked to my house.
“You guys can wait in my bedroom if you want. I need to ask Amber something real quick.”
“Okay.” They both said and Michaela started towards my room. Drake hugged and kissed me, telling me everything would be all right, then followed Michaela to my room.
I found Amber in the kitchen, heating up a piece of pizza and texting on her phone.
“So are you going to tell me what happened?” I asked, sitting down at the table.
“In England, at your house, your dad had an accident at work. He was changing the lights on the outside of the out buildings. He fell off the ladder and landed on his back. He broke his back, arm, and something happened to his neck, but I can't remember what Allie said. I'm so sorry, Tailee. Allie went over there to stay with your mom while your dad's in the hospital. She said that she doesn't know when she'll be back.”
I was speechless. Why did this happen to me? Just when things were starting to sort out okay. I just shook my head and walked back into my bedroom. Drake and Michaela were playing Go Fish on the carpet. I slammed the door, and tears started streaming down my face, as I cradled up on my bed.
I haven't cut since I got out of the hospital from anorexia. I had to force myself to keep the topic out of my mind when I knew that Dad hated me, because I wanted to cut so much. I remember, during the peak, I would run a pencil over my wrist at school, but I would never actually cut. But this? Now? He hates me, and has a very strong possibility that he might die. I knew where the shavers, pencil sharpeners, and scissors were in my room. I had taken the blades out of the pencil sharpeners and shavers and placed them in a box with the scissors. They were under my bed; so convenient. I wanted to reach down for them so badly. Michaela knew it too. She saw me reaching under my bed. How did she know I had put them under there?
“Ellie, stop. You don't want to do this.” Michaela got up and grabbed my hands and placed them in her lap, her fingers wrapping around mine. I could tell she had a sympathetic look on her face, though I couldn't tell for sure because my tears were blurring my vision.
Drake just sat on my carpet, speechless. Poor Drake, he had no idea what was going on, or what we were talking about.
I frantically scratched and pinched my wrist, or whatever skin I came in contact with.
“Ellie, I'm serious. Think of how long you've been clean. Don't do this now. Think of me. Think of how sad I'll be for you. Think of Drake. He doesn't even know what's going on.”
I slowed at the sound of Drake's name. I stared down at him. Just sitting there, with a confused but sad look, staring back at me like a puppy. I suddenly began to cry harder; I got down on the carpet and cradled myself in his arms.
We sat there for several minutes. Michaela taking my box of tools out to the living room, and me sitting with Drake's arms wrapped around me, him rocking us back and forth.
My crying slowed, then stopped all together. Whenever I sniffled, I could feel the dry tears on my cheeks, and I knew I would have to explain what was going on to Drake once I had collected myself.
But I didn't want this moment to end. Even with everything going on, this moment was perfect. Just Drake and I, here, together. So I closed my eyes, and lost myself in Drake's presence.
