It's Just Rae

Chapter Eight

My parents have decided that it will be best for me to go to school. I haven’t had time or energy between visits to the hospital and answering worried phone calls from every relative I have to call Logan or Delainee and ask for a ride, so my mom drives me. I shuffle into school looking quite disheveled. I’m wearing just a white T-shirt under my blazer and beat-up green Converse low-tops. I didn’t feel like fixing my hair, so it’s just French-braided loosely down my back. I even wore my glasses because I couldn’t be bothered to put in my contacts. I drop down into my seat between Charley and Sam and brace myself for another day of their endless arguing. I love both of them to death, but not together. Together, I just want to duct tape their mouths shut.

“What’s up with you, Carolina?” Sam asks.                                                     

“Addy’s in the hospital.” I say mechanically.

“Really? What happened?” He asks worriedly. “I mean, is she okay?” he backtracks, trying to sound casual.

“She got hit by a car in the fog Friday.”

“Ohmygoodness, is she okay?” Charley interjects.

“She’s unconscious. And she has six broken ribs. And she’s going to be in a knee brace for 3 months because she broke a tendon.”

“Oh my God!” Charley exclaims.

“She’s unconscious?” Sam repeats.

“Yeah, she’s been out since the crash at 7 on Friday night.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“The doctor thinks she’ll wake up by Wednesday.”

“Are we allowed to visit her?” Sam’s abandoned trying to sound uncaring now.

“Yeah, during visiting hours. Logan and I are going down there right after school tomorrow, and Delainee’s coming after she goes to dance.”

“I wish I could go down there today,” Charley moans, “but I have to babysit my little sister. I’ll come see her tomorrow, though.”

“I think I might go down there,” Sam says half to himself.

“She would appreciate that,” I assure him, the first thing I’ve said that wasn’t mechanical and detached. I know that they’ve been really good friends, and I’m pretty sure Addy likes him, though she refuses to admit it even to me.

“Would she?” he asks hopefully. It’s so weird seeing Sam like this, all doe-eyed over my sister. He’s got this persona built up that he’s such a player, but I can tell he’s really a sweetheart inside.

“Yeah. She would,” I smile at him. The announcements then start and for once, Charley and Sam go a whole class period without bickering.

I make it through the rest of the day, shockingly, with Logan walking me to most of my classes as usual. We joke around just like normal, which makes me think that maybe what happened Friday didn’t mean anything to him. I’m strangely let down, and kind of hurt. I spend all of French class wondering if he really doesn’t care at all about the kiss—or kisses, I guess. When I walk out and meet him outside to go get lunch with James and Tricky, however, he greets me with a “hey,” and a kiss on the cheek.

A stupidly happy smile spreads across my face. It’s ridiculous how happy his kiss makes me. It feels… official. Like what happened with us Friday is real because of that. Logan tosses his arm familiarly around my shoulder and we make our way over to the cart, my step just a little bouncier now.

“Carolina!” James calls, drawing out the last syllable. So James, too, has caught on to this lovely nickname? “I heard what happened to Adelyn. Is she okay?” He strides over to us and Tricky joins him.