Not Too Late

XII

Calmness.

Peacefulness.

Quietness.

Birds outside, chirping happily. Sunlight seeping through the window, enlightening the room, and shining on Jc's face. My fiancé. The smell of vanilla and cologne swirl around the room. Everything is perfect. Until it's not.

A heart-breaking, ear piercing female scream comes from the second floor bedroom, followed by a male cry of despair and a door slamming open. Jc's eyes fly open in terror, and I spring out of bed, sprinting towards the sound.

After almost falling down the large stairwell, I follow the cries towards the living room where I see just Trevor, his back turned, leaning down over the couch.

"Trev, what's going o-" I gasp. Belle is laying on the couch, on her back, holding her head, which has a giant bump on it. Her eyes are closed, and the rise an fall of her chest is slowing by the second.

Trevor holds his phone up to his ear as he calls 911. Everyone flies into the room, terrified and surprised.

"Hello 911, I'd like to report an emergency," he says, and gives them our address.

Jc walks over to me, holds me, and wipes the tears from my eyes. I didn't even notice I was crying. Within a few seconds, paramedics are flying in, and carrying Belle out to the ambulance. Trevor, Jc, and I follow, and pile in with her, while everyone else stays behind to call Belle's parents.

"She's unconscious," a paramedic says, putting a mask on her to help her breathe. Trevor leans down and kisses Belle's cheek, and whispers, "Please stay strong for us, please Bells, I love you."

Jc wraps his arm around me, and I nuzzle my face into his neck.

"Lex, it's going to be okay," Jc consoles me as I sob.

~~later at the hospital~~

Belle has been in surgery for 3 hours. Jc is in the waiting room with me, running his hands through my hair. Trevor is at the front desk, asking questions about her.

Jc and I walk up to Trevor, who is freaking out because no one is giving him answers.

"Is she okay?" He asks the lady sitting there.

"Hon, I've already told you I don't know." She responds.

"Can you direct me to someone who does know?" I ask, and she smiles gratefully. She waves over a doctor who comes over to us.

"How can I be of service?" He asks.

"We want to know about Belle Jenson," Trevor says.

The doctor smiles. "I'm her doctor. She just got out of surgery, her room number is 323."

"Thank you," I say, as we all sprint towards the rooms.

We decide I would go in first. I open the door to see Belle with a big bandage on her head, and bags under her eyes.

"God, you look like shit," I say, and she laughs. I take out my makeup kit and fix her up.

"Do you know if I'm going to make it?" She asks me, but I shake my head no.

She nods and looks away. "God, we need to go to NJ, tomorrow," she remembers, but I protest.

"No, we are going to stay here until you are better. Okay?"

"Okay." She says, and her face lights up. "TFIOS REFERENCE" She says excitedly. I laugh.

"Okay, well I'm going to let Trevor in, he wants some alone time with you." I say, and she nods. I head out and see Trevor holding a guitar and sitting next to Jc.

I motion for him to go in, and sit next to Jc. "I called all the guys, they are on their way" he says, and I thank him. I lay by head on his lap and he plays with my hair.

We hear Trevor start to sing, and we aw.

"God, I don't know how I could live if you were in her situation," Jc says to me, and I lean over and kiss him.

We hear someone scream something, and get up imediatley. Nurses fly into the room, only to stop, frozen, at the sight. I don't know what's going on.

     Finally, a nurse speaks.

     "Why, isn't that adorable," she says, tearing up. I step into the room, and see Trevor and Belle, hugging, a ring on Belles finger.

     And engagement ring.

     "Damn Trev, don't steal my thunder bruh" Jc says smiling at them. He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me closer with him. We watch Belle and Trevor pull away with giant smiles, and I run over to her and hug her.

      "Young lady, you're not even 18 yet. Damn," I say, laughing. She smirks and shoos everyone but Trevor out of the room.

     "Okay, well, would you like to get lunch?" Jc asks me, and I hear his stomach rumble.

     "Fuck yes," I say, and he cracks up. He picks me up bridal style, and we go to the hospital cafeteria.

     "May I treat you to some shitty Mac n Cheese alongside some Coke?" He asks, gesturing to the small array of food the hospital has out. I nod, laughing, and he tells me to get a table while he gets the food. I get the one closest to the windows, so we have a great view. Getting out my phone, I scroll through Instagram and land on Jc's post, a candid picture of me laughing, the ring in clear view, with the caption, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present, Mrs. Caylen."

     I'm about to comment on it when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

     "Oh my god Jc, you scared me," I say turning, but immediately stop talking when I see who it is.

     "Actually, my name is David", the stranger says laughing. I smile widely as I recognize him as one of my friends from Florida and give him a hug.

     "Sorry, i thought you were someone else," I say, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear,"what are you doing here?"

     "Well, I got accepted into UCLA. I'm checking out the area before I decide if I actually want to go," he says proudly.

     "That's great, I'm so happy for you," I say, "but I mean what are you doing at the hospital." He smiles and looks down, "My sister broke her arm falling down the stairs at UCLA so we came here. It was terrible seeing her in that much pain." After a while, he looks up at me and smiles, but says nothing.

     "What?" I ask.

     "Nothing, it's just that you're so beautiful."

     "What?" A voice behind me says.

     Jc.