"Emma, are you feeling okay? I'm so happy you're alright, you have no idea!" Kandy's voice cracked with emotion as she perched on the side of Emma's hospital bed, pulling her into a tight embrace. The hug, though meant to be comforting, sent a sharp twinge through Emma's still-tender body.
Emma smiled, gently rubbing her friend's back as she looked around the small hospital room. The scent of disinfectant hung heavy in the air, but it was being slowly replaced by the familiar smells of her friends' perfumes and colognes. "I still can't believe something like this happened to you," Niki said, her voice softer than usual, as Kandy finally pulled away, taking a seat in a bedside chair beside Blake.
When Emma looked at Niki, she saw that the bruise on her cheek was now a faint yellow and purple, almost completely healed. It was the first thing Emma had noticed when Niki came to visit a few days ago, on the first day she was fully conscious and not slipping in and out of awareness. Niki had told her the story of that night—how she punched the person in the back, and they fell, hurting their ankle. Another person then appeared in a sleek sports car, punched her hard in the face, and helped their accomplice off the ground before the car's engine roared to life and sped away into the night. Niki's voice had been filled with helpless frustration as she explained that the car had no license plates, a crucial detail that had stopped the police in their tracks.
The police hadn't been back since that first day to ask any more questions. At first, Emma had wondered if she'd imagined their visit, if she had just been loopy from all the medicine. But her mother and father had assured her that Mr. Gates and Ms. O'Connor were working on finding the culprit. Emma, however, had little faith in that. She didn't trust Mr. Gates at all; he was incredibly sketchy, and his dismissive attitude from her blurry memories of that first day left a sour taste in her mouth. She did, however, trust in Ms. O'Connor, and hoped the detective could find out who was doing this and why.
Her memory of the terrible night was still a blur, a collection of fragmented images and muffled sounds that she couldn't quite piece together. The only information she had was from her friends and the doctors. The doctors had told her she was drugged with a substance called xylazine, a prescribed depressant that was harmless in small doses. But they had found multiple crushed pills in her beer, a dosage that had caused her to overdose. All of that explained her fuzzy, unreliable memory.
"I bet you're happy to go home later today," Chris said, a small, genuine smile on his face. His hair was now dyed a stark black, which Emma noticed her parents had been eyeing with quiet judgment, whispering amongst themselves earlier. They were probably questioning if this was the same person from her birthday, since he had his natural blonde hair then.
He and Kandy clearly didn't care about disguising themselves today; they were too worried about her well-being to care about anything else "Yeah, I can't wait to get back to my own bed," Emma said with a scratchy voice before letting out a small, dry cough.
Blake, who had been sitting quietly beside her, immediately stood up and handed her a bottled water. She took it with a grateful smile, the cool plastic feeling good against her hand, and drank it down as he sat back down.
He had been an amazing boyfriend through all this. He hadn't left her side since the doctors and her parents gave him permission to come and go as he wanted. He only left when he absolutely had to, like when he had to take care of Alex. He had even taken time off work just to be here for her these last few days. She had told him he didn't have to, that she would be fine, but he simply said she was worth it, which just made her heart melt.
Speaking of school, today was a school day, and he chose to be here instead. He had agreed to take her home later when it was time for her to be released, since her parents had to get to work soon. Her father's phone beeped, and he held it up, looking at the screen before sighing. "I'm sorry, dear, that's my client. I have to get going." He moved away from her mother's side and walked closer to her bed, gently running his hand through her hair. "I'll see you at home later, okay?" she nodded, watching as her mother walked over.
"I'll get going to work also. I left you a change of clothes in the bathroom for when you leave," she said, giving Emma a tight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Emma returned the smile. Her mother had been quiet since she woke up, her silence seeming to hold a mix of guilt and relief, but Emma didn't complain.
"Thank you. I'll see you both at home later," Emma said as they said their goodbyes to everyone before heading out of the room, the door closing softly behind them.
Claire sat on the other corner of her bed, pouting. "Are you sure you're okay, Emma? Are you taking the medicine they gave you for the anxiety? It's important to take it. A lot has happened in the last month."
Emma fidgeted with her ring necklace, twisting the chain between her fingers as she looked down, questioning if she really was okay or not. Mentally, she was exhausted. She was tired of worrying about everything, from schoolwork and missed assignments to the college applications waiting for her at home that her parents would suddenly mention. And then there were the constant, sudden flickers of what had happened on that awful night.
She had so many sleepless nights since everything happened, and on so many of those nights, she'd woken up screaming at the top of her lungs, with only Blake being around to comfort her before the doctors came rushing in. Only Blake knew what she was really going through; she hadn't brought it up to her other friends.
Blake's eyes glanced over at her as she bit her lip, a silent question in his gaze. "I've been taking it. I'm fine... I guess," she whispered, finally looking up at all of her friends' worrying faces.
Whitney, who was sitting at the end of the bed, crossed her arms, her concern evident in her posture. "Stop lying. You're not fine, Emma. Please, take that medicine."
Emma met her eyes, nodding slowly. She hated taking the medication. It made her feel numb to the sharp pain she was feeling, and it was weird for her to feel so "chill" after everything that had happened. But maybe she would start taking it again once she got home. It did help with the nightmares.
Suddenly, a soft, polite knock broke the somber mood. "Come in," Emma called out, her voice a little weak.
The door slowly opened, revealing Reina standing in the doorway. She was wearing a uniform sweater and black pants, and had a backpack on her back. In her hands, she clutched a box of chocolates with a bright, colorful bow on top.
She must have just come from school. She looked around at Emma's friends for a moment, her eyes wide and nervous, before whispering, "Hey... can I come in?" a stunned silence fell over the room. Emma and her friends all looked at Reina, completely frozen in shock.
YOU ARE READING
It Started With Hello
Romance***** Emma Pear knew she wasn't the most popular girl in high school. Her nose was usually buried in a textbook, and her grades were as spotless as her reputation for always following the rules. "Nerd" was a label she'd long since embraced. Her pare...
