Implode [edited version]

o8 implosion

[ o8 implosion ]

Her hospital stay was not long.

Exodus spent the rest of the day and night in the confines of a sterile room before she was declared "okay," and sent home. Her mother, though, kept her home from school, contacting the principal before taking her to the house.

She looked up the stairs to where her room was and shuddered, asking to rest in the living room instead. She didn't think that she'd be able to rest, knowing just what had managed to cause her trip to the hospital. The doctors had sympathetically told her that she was having a panic attack, a first for her. If a panic attack could be called upon just by being in that room, she didn't want to risk it.

She'd manufactured a cocoon of blankets in no time, and let the day pass idly. She drifted in and out of consciousness, never into anything pleasant. She woke in flashes, a scream in her throat but barely released. There was one time, when darkness trickled into the room, that she'd woken to find herself clawing at the flesh of throat, like she wanted to hear her scream rip through the house.

Now, she sat up, staring blindly at the screen of her television and wishing for the day to end. Never had she wanted to attend school as she did then, to return to the mundane portions of her life. She was seeing the normalcy of glaring and bullying in a new light, almost thankful and her stomach rolled with the idea of it.

It made her sick, thinking of how her life had become what it had. She couldn't exactly remember when it got so bad, like yet another memory stolen from her mind. She rubbed her palm over her forehead with a scoff, closing her eyes yet again. Maybe she would be met with darkness when she slept this time—eternal, empty darkness.

She'd scarcely had her eyes closed for five minutes when the doorbell rang. The person at the door continued to ring it, until she was forced into motion. Her legs were stiff from lack of movement, and she felt like a little toy being bent in movement for the first time.

She wasn't expecting someone to sweep her into a hug when she opened the door, but that's exactly what she got. She should have known, what with the blonde blur that streaked past her and was currently crushing her in an embrace. Laurisse began a shrill tirade about how she hadn't been answering her phone, but Exodus was too busy feeling sick with herself to fully listen.

She'd wanted to return to normalcy, and found it lacking. She'd forgotten to factor in the only friend she had, and she wanted to be done with it all. Her lack of consideration was pretty much damnable at this point. The knock on her door, however, was anything but damnable. It was, in fact, a saving grace from her boredom.

Exodus hopped off the couch, a new vigor in her step at the idea of a distraction. While a part of her remembered to loathe the idea of company from another human being, the rest of her had forgotten. She'd barely opened the door before arms were around her neck, looping her into a hard hug. She should have been pleased by this, if not for the blonde hair in her mouth.

When Laurisse had finally let her go, a grin stretched over her lips. But, her friend didn't seem to share in her delight. She was, instead, bearing the visage of a troubled soul. That was right; she hadn't heard. What she might have heard was simply that her friend had been hospitalized and nothing more. The rumor mill must have worked up some kind of elaborate story, or maybe they were too busy trying to congratulate whoever they suspected had put her in the hospital to begin with. Imagine how they'd feel if she told them she passed out after having someone in her house.

"Where the hell have you been? What the shit happened?" Lauriss: ever articulate.

"Nothing. I—I just had a little freak out," she lied, "Just a little stress. I was sent home with orders to stay here for at least a day. I'll be in school tomorrow, I swear."

Laurisse looked skeptical, but nodded anyways. Like she, too, didn't want to believe whatever truth was behind the situation. Because how could there be no one in the house with her when clearly there had been? Exodus was not delusional, that she knew as much. Socially unfortunate, but not delusional or crazy by any standard.

They stood awkwardly for a moment, like they weren't sure what to do. Exodus wanted nothing more than to fold back into the normal routine. Fold back to them just watching television and laughing and crying together like they usually did. But it was then that she saw something different: Laurisse being hesitant. No matter how bad things had ever gotten, she was never like this.

And it made Exodus' heart skip a beat.

"What's up," she asked, hoping her voice didn't make her sound as nervous as she was.

"You remember Matt," Laurisse began, no longer looking at Exodus.

"Yeah?"

"Well, he's responsive now." This was when Laurisse decided to look at her, a slow smiling building over her face.

"That's great. That's great," she murmured, feeling her knees go weak.

It wasn't so much that she cared too much about Matt. It was more that she was concerned that it might have gone the other. That he might have died, and then that would be what everyone pinned on her. It wouldn't just be fun and games; it'd be them throwing her to the wolves. A shaky breath passed her lips, and a near hysterical giggle pushed past it.

It was all so surreal. Phantom intruders and attackers that had twice the strength of a normal person. It was like they were in one of those horror movies, being haunted by some kind of ghost. But, it wasn't just her watching the whole thing go down; it was her in it. And that's what made her want to scream, cry, hide.

She hadn't expected senior year to start like this. She'd hoped for, at most, only a few people bothering her, but what could she do? What was she worth that she could have a say in her life?

***

Her alarm was sharp, crisp by her ear. It'd been ten hours since Laurisse had broken the news, and she still felt that wave of relief. She wanted to savor it, but she didn't want to sleep anymore. So, she supposed she could just get through the day slightly happier.

She should have thought it through. She should have looked at the tv, at the look on her mother's face after the proposed, "Are you really going to school?" It'd been a warning, more than a question. It was incredulous. Her mother probably thought she was touched in the head, but she had been too busy trying to remain happy.

Because a responsive boy that had previously been in a coma had so much to say to the authorities. Because anyone who had been attacked in a way he had would make sure to give details. Because everyone wants their ten minutes of fame, even if it has to do with them in a cast on a hospital bed.

Because Matt had bothered to remember her name for once.

//Well, hello, there.

It's been a while sisters, brothers, friends, countrymen. You've been mistreated by yours truly in the wait that I have put you through. I greatly apologize and hope to update much more these days.

Obviously, someone's screwed because Matt woke up. But how screwed do you think Matt is because he mentioned a certain someone?