A murderous summer

Chapter 2

The nurse hid one eye and used a small lamp to note the reaction of her ward. The girl lent herself to the exercise without moving. It wasn't the first time she was undergoing this test. Except that she felt fine. She felt that her head was in a cloud and her ears were ringing, but she wanted to go home. Her friends had wanted to take her to the hospital to prevent much more serious injury to her head. And the nurse on duty ran a phone call to her parents. She refused to give her leave before they arrived. Joelle sighed deeply.

"Everything seems normal," the nurse said, removing her gloves. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. Can I go now?"

"Not until your parents' arrival and you know it very well. You have really good friends, you know. This little incident could have had more serious consequences."

The girl looked away without answering. She had lost consciousness a few seconds. She would rather be in bed, but her friends hadn't really left her the choice. They were still in the waiting room. Joelle had an idea. She asked the nurse if it was possible to make her friends leave. But she didn't have the chance to do so. Joelle heard loud voices coming from the waiting room. She quickly got to her feet before following the screams. Her father was attacking Samuel while Simon and her mother tried to separate them. The tension faded when Joelle appeared.

"Are you okay?" her mother asked, approaching her. "What happened?"

The girl shook her head, remaining vague about the explanations. She didn't want to talk about it. Not now. She insisted on leaving the hospital as quickly as possible. Her mother hesitated a moment, looking behind her daughter. Joelle assumed that the nurse in charge was behind her. And she will keep her word. She finally had managed to get what she wanted: her leave to return home.

"And the police?" her father launched. "Did you bring the police here?"

Joelle frowned, watching her friends.

"We..." Christine began. "Nobody called the police."

"What for?" he retorted while observing them one by one. "He assaulted my daughter! I want to press charges!"

He pointed an accusing finger to Samuel. The boy insisted that it wasn't his fault. He simply wanted to talk to her. The others corroborated his version, but Mr. Matthew – Joelle's father – refused to listen. The girl took her father's arm, saying she only wanted to go home. He was about to protest when his wife intervened on her daughter's behalf. Joelle's friends walked away quickly, preferring to avoid a scene. Joelle nodded to Christine that she would contact her later. Christine nodded, joining her boyfriend who dragged Samuel by the arm, muttering something. Still furious, Mr. Matthew barely contained his anger as they climbed into the car. He clenched his hands around the steering wheel.

"Stop it, please," the girl sighed. "It was an accident. I lost my balance."

"And she's fine," her mother said. "Sam has always been a good boy. Don't accuse him, please."

A heavy silence settled in the vehicle. The girl sighed heavily, turning to the window. She was still in shock to find her friend in her ex's arms. It was very hard. Even more to believe the explanation he had given her about making her jealous. He could have chosen any other girl. There was so much at the party! He chose Laurie. She didn't understand why. Joelle currently refused to talk with Laurie. It was much too soon.

The car turned into the parking lot and Mr. Matthew stopped the motor before the closed door of the garage. The girl hurried out of the car and ran into the house. She went to her room, ignoring her brother. She didn't want to talk to anyone. Only to end up alone. She swallowed her medicine before dropping onto her bed. She took her phone and sent a short message to Christine. And then she shut it. She needed to rest and wouldn't talk to anyone. Her headache appeared when her father was upset. Sam hadn't done anything to hurt her. Not physically, anyway. But her parents didn't have to know that. It was none of their business. She could handle the situation alone once the pain has diminished.