Skinny Love

Chapter 7

Francesca's POV

He was gone when I woke up, but I didn't mind. It was late and besides he'd left me a note. It was written on a half sheet of notebook paper and taped to what looked like a kind sized candy bar. I tried my hardest not to scrunch my nose up at the candy bar and untaped the note. His hand writing was better than mine by a long shot. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around. I smiled at that alone, and my smile only got bigger when I began to read it. 

Now DON"T freak out. I don't expect you to eat the candy bar. I just want you to keep it. It can be what you work up to. I know every day on the road to recovery will be hard, but despite your constant water works, I know you can do it. You're strong. They say the strongest people aren't afraid to cry right? You've got to be Hercules then. Ha, I'm just messing with ya. But really, I know you're going to be able to look at this candy bar one day and not think about calories, or what you ate before it.You'll just want it. I want to be there on that day and not just because it's my favorite kind. :) 

I'll see ya soon, Kye. 

I couldn't stop smiling. The note was so cute and kind of sweet. I didn't believe it was meant for me. "Hercules" he'd called me. What a nice way of saying cry baby, I never would have guessed. I felt my smile fade a bit. He'd seen me break down. Like completely break down and he still wanted to come back. I didn't understand that. I was basically on the verge of destruction and he threw me a life line. 

How had he known what to do? How had he known what to say? Well he said he'd stay with me, that's all I really needed to hear. But could I count on him? I didn't know yet, I'd have to wait and see. I had faith though. He'd come to the hospital on his own and had promised to come back in his own will, so I believed he'd come back for me.

Just like he promised. 

Kye's POV

I was afraid to even knock on the door. It was the day after the day I'd  promised to be in for Fran and I had a feeling she didn't want to see me. Aside from the fact that the front desk had told me she didn't want to see a boy named Kye, I just had a feeling she was very very upset. I'd slipped past the front desk easily but convincing the nurses was harder, since they actually knew who I was. I'd convinced them in the end, after all, they were basically family. But now what would I say to Francesca? 

I'm sorry?

No that was pathetic. I couldn't apologize,  she'd be pissed. But what could I do. I ended up taking pills to make me sleep when the pictures of my mom wouldn't stop. I may have taken one or two too many, waking up in the early A.M of that morning, I'd soon realised I slept through the entire day I was supposed to go see Fran. That was also a day of school I missed, a football game down the drain and lots of homework I'd have to make up on Monday. But at that moment I had Fran to worry about.  

The door was a crack open, so easing it open I stood in the door way and watched as her head spun around. As soon as she recognized me her face twisted into nothing but pure rage and a second later there was something whizzing quickly by my head. 

"You can keep your damn candy bar." She spat and crossed her arms as she leaned back on her pillows. She was sitting crossed legged again with the cards spread out in front of her. I noticed a small pile accumulating beside her knee. It was full of ripped up ones. Shaking my head I cursed myself for causing her pain and stepped cautiously into the room. "In case you didn't catch the hint I want you to leave." 

I nodded slowly but stepped into the room all the way and shut the door behind me. I let my back hit the door and bit my lip to keep in a groan. My body was aching me from being in one place for too long and I was pretty sure those pills had side affects. Staring down at my feet I tried to sort things out in my mind. It was fuzzy though. I knew she was mad at me and I knew she wanted my to leave, but I still felt the need to explain what had happened. To let her know what I knew now.

"Are you okay?" She asked slowly. Taking my silence into head. She swung her legs over the side of the hospital bed and started to near me immediately. I held up a hand for her to stop and she did but she still looked onto me worriedly, taking in my appearance with a horror struck face. I'd looked in the mirror briefly on my way out the door but wasn't really too concerned. I had to look terrible if she was squinting at me like that. "Kye, you look sick."

"Side affects." I  said. 

"From what?" She asked. I could hear the anger bubbling in her voice again. This time I didn't know what for though. I slid my back down the door, just like I do at home. I was feeling weak again. Drowsy even. How many of those pills did I take really? Hopefully not too many. Looking at my hands I saw they were shaking so I balled them into fists so she wouldn't notice. I just had to tell her what happened and then I could leave. "Kye?"

"I um, I was going to cut." I started. I rolled my sleeve up and showed her the baby mark that the blade had left when I'd decide not to cut. She eased next to me and rolled my sleeve back down gently, rubbing my back as she completed the gesture. I squoze my eyes shut and opened them again, hoping to wake up a little. "I was thinking all these bad things and I was thinking about my mom and all I wanted to do was go hit somebody. Go hit my dad, so I'd decided to cut. I needed to, to get control."

"Kye, you don't have to explain okay. I'm not mad." she tried. I looked at her as she rubbed my arm up and down in a calming gesture. Was I getting worked up? I had to be, she looked frightened. 

"I just couldn't stop the pictures, I'm sorry." I said while shaking my head. "They just kept coming and coming and then I saw you and I stopped. I didn't do it because I thought of you in here getting better and I didn't think it was fair. I''m sorry I won't do it again really."

"Kye, hey, Kye. It's okay." She said I could see her eyes in front of mine. I focused on them. They were pulling at me, pulling me away from my dark place again. She reached forward and touched my face. I hung my head and tried my hardest to keep my tears down. What was I doing? The star football captain crying? That wasn't supposed to happen. That just made the tears fall and I covered my face with my hand. Immediately I felt a warm hand over mine, pulling it away from my face. There she was again. Looking at me with her big blue eyes as she repeated. "It's okay."

Slowly she leaned in. I could feel her small hands wiping away my tears and her body getting closer to mine. The feel of her lips was warm on top of mine. I let myself melt into that feeling. In her arms I felt safe, like I belonged there. Reaching upward I put my hand on the back of her head and pulled her in closer to me. Kissing her slowly but deeply. I was still numb. I felt the pills dancing around in my head, making everything fuzzy, but the only other thing I could feel was her. I could feel her hand on my leg, I could feel her heat seeping toward me, I could feel her tongue lacing the inside of my mouth. I could feel her bliss. 

And It felt like home.