Starting Over Anderson || ✔

Thirteen: Addicted

79 days A.D.

"Tell me again why you're stuck here on New Year's Eve?"

Rach is pacing my ward impatiently. They've transferred me to a new floor and gave up my room to another unfortunate fellow. It sucks that I don't have as much privacy. It sucks that after three months I'm still confined to the hospital.

I sigh and run a hand over my face. "They need my guardian's consent before they can discharge me, but since my mother is a no show, well, I can't go anywhere." Perks of being a minor.

I shudder at the thought of being cursed to live in the hospital for the rest of my life. The past three months have been hell. I mean, sure they let me roam around and do what I want after the first few weeks (because I'm back to full health) but most of the time I'm bored out of my mind. I'm already friends with most of the permanent residence so that must be saying something. Plus, hospital food tastes like shit. I'm going to have to burn my tongue if I don't get out within the next month. They'll have to let me go eventually right? They can't afford to let someone fit as a fiddle take up their limited space, can they?

"That sucks," Keith sighs as well. "Sam's brother is throwing this awesome new year party tonight at their house -" he prompts. 

"There's no way I'm able to sneak out for a whole night and not get caught," I say flatly, cutting him off. "Trust me." I know for a fact that there are at least three guards patrolling the floor at night. They're lenient enough to let me go anywhere I want (within five a mile radius of the main building, which is really the hospital backyard and garden) during the day but night time is a lockdown. 

"Pretty please?" Rach pouts. She looks so pathetic that I smile and throw a pillow at her.

"It's too risky, I'll be technically violating the law."

"Party's no fun without you," Rach complains.

I roll my eyes at her. "You sweet tempting jerk."

"Besides, who's gonna give you your New Year's kiss? The scrawny boy two wards down?" Keith smirks. I count and realize he's talking about Levi, the only one remotely near my age on this floor.

"Levi's not scrawny," I defend, crossing my arms. "And he's actually a nice person."

Rach face-palms. "Oh my god. Have you forgotten about Sam? And how infatuated you are with him? Don't you want to be kissed by him?"

My face flushes, remembering our almost-kiss. We've been able to interact normally after awhile but when I do think of the incident, I tend to blush uncontrollably with a goofy smile, which will turn to a frown later when I recall him saying that it's a mistake.

One sided love is hard.

"Okay, fine," I finally mutter. Rach squeals in delight and Keith grins widely.

"I knew you'd cave," Rach shakes her hips in her victory dance smugly.

I roll my eyes again, wondering why I even bother. 

"Right, so I'll have my car parked down -" Keith doesn't even get to finish briefing me with the escape plan when my name is hollered down the wards.

My eyes widen at recognition. The voice belongs to the person I haven't seen in so many months; a person whose arrival I've been anticipating yet dreading.

I close my eyes and reopen them again as Juliana Maxson comes stomping towards me, high heels clacking against the marble tiles too loudly. The other patients glare at her noisy entrance invading their peace. She gives them no mind. Her emerald eyes are trained on me like a hawk and I feel myself shaking.