Sapphire Eyes ~ 10 Chapter Challenge

Wavering ~ Mirna

"Are you sure it's okay to just leave it like this?"

Drew laughs. "You ask me that a lot."

I smile reflexively. "It's just that, well, what if someone comes by? What if it burns the school down?"

Drew holds a finger up at me. "First of all, if we burn the school down, then we get a longer Christmas break. Nothing wrong with that." He puts up another finger, giving me the peace sign. "Second, it's Christmas break, no one will be here. Third, even if they do figure out it was us, it was totally worth it."

"Totally." I nod, playing the act, but we're using the kiln at school over Christmas break to fire up an art project that was never supposed to be created; let's just say my stomach is in knots. "Take me home. Please," I add as an afterthought.

Drew locks up and leads me down the hallway, out to the quad, and across the campus green to the faculty parking lot. He talks the whole way, but something wavers at the back of my mind, making it impossible to concentrate on his words.

Drew goes to a black car and unlocks the doors. I climb into the passenger's seat. "Ooh, nice leather interior."

Drew gets behind the wheel. "Thanks." Then he turns on the car, and a neon light blinks at me; suddenly I realize what's been bothering me. It's getting late, it's almost dark out. The clock in the car comes on. 7:40. Not only am I late getting home, I'm ten minutes late for my AED.

"You know where Spaulding Avenue is?" I blurt.

"Over sort of by the park, right?" Drew starts his car, and "Na Na Na" by Chemical Romance blasts through the speakers.

"Yeah." I lean back and try hard to calm down, but it feels impossible. Drew accelerates like crazy, which almost makes me feel better. The quicker I get home the better. When we get closer, I sit up. "Turn left there ... It's the white one."

After how fast we got here, it feels like it takes forever for Drew to pull into the driveway. He cuts the engine, and I open my door, but he grabs my elbow. "Whoa, hold up. Give me your number so I can call you. You know, about the sculpture."

Right. The sculpture. I take his cell phone and put in my number. "Gotta go! Thanks Drew." I slip his phone into his hand and nearly run up to the front door, and once I'm inside, I sprint across the house to the kitchen table. I snatch up my pill bottle, crank it open, and swallow my pills dry. I jump over to the sink and use my hands to drink some water right from the tap. Then I finally look around, and that's when I notice that something's wrong.

"Deb? Jimmy?" I leave the kitchen. There's a full plate of food on the dining room table, but no one's here. Except for Nessa. She's sulking under the table. I kneel down and hold my hand out to her. "What's wrong girl? Where's Jimmy?"

She sits frozen in place and whines. I jump to my feet and my eyes fall on the dinner plate untouched on the table. Then I see the note on the back of an envelope. I almost don't recognize Deb's handwriting, the writing is so rushed.

I sink down into a chair and pick up the note.

TC. Tonic-clonic. Jimmy's in the hospital. Unreal.

Then reality kicks in, and I grab the phone from the table. Dial Deb's number. Put the phone to my ear.

"Mirna?" Deb's voice cuts through me.

"Yeah," I say, barely audible. I clear my throat and try again. "Yeah, Deb, it's me."

"Oh, thank god you're okay. We were so worried about you."

"Sorry, I should have called, I should have-" Tears prick at my eyes, and I inhale with a wavering sob. "Is Jimmy ... ?"

"He's fine now," Deb says. "We're running some tests to see what caused the break-through. He's sleeping ... You should be here."

"Sure," I hear myself say. "I'm coming." I hang up the phone before I realize that getting to the hospital is going to be a problem. I'm reminded of what Jimmy said about me driving. How I would have to wait, but that would all depend on me. Now it looks like everyone will be depending on me for a ride home. No longer wavering, I dig the keys from my bag and step through the door.