Notice

Chapter 8

The soft covers of my bed are wrapped up tight around my body. I notice the window by my bed is open, the curtains pulled back, letting the sun of a warm winter afternoon enter my bedroom. I roll over on my back and I stare at the ceiling.

How did I get here ? I don't even remember what I did before I got here. My head pounds a little and this whole situation reminds me of the day I woke up in the hospital. Except  I'm in my room and It's quite downstairs. Was I forgotten again ? I slide upwards and lean my back on my pillows and I stare at my bookshelf that leans against the wall in front of me.

Oh how I want to read those books.

I look down to what I'm wearing. Someone must have changed me, because I don't remember wearing sweats and a white t-shirt the last time I got dressed.

The last time I got dressed I was at Channing's and the boys were yelling at me to hurry up. I wore jeans and sweatshirt and then I got in Channing's car and we drove to the arcade.

We played Laser Tag, even though I was nervous because of my concussion.

It was dark.

Someone kissed me.

I don't know who, but someone kissed me.

"Mom ?" I yell. My door is open so if someone is downstairs they will hear me. I hear a chair scrape against the floor downstairs and footsteps walking towards the stairs.

The stairs creak at every step and after a few minutes, my mom appears in my doorway.

I'm rubbing my temples, trying to stop the light pounding while my mom sits on the foot of my bed.

"Hey honey." She smiles, and smoothes my bed spread.  Ever since my concussion my mother has been so different from the mother I knew before the concussion.

She texts me every day to make sure I'm okay at school, she kisses me hello when I get home, she even made my favourite supper one night; chicken brochettes and garlic pitas.

She's so different from before and at first it scared at me, because I was not used to it, because I was used to going un noticed, but now that she notices I have enough confidence to admit that I love being noticed.

"What happened ?" I ask, hoping she knows and she can answer.

"Well, according to Channing and Colby and Elliot and Owen.... Elina I didn't know that you were friends with all boys!"

"Not the point mom!" I say, smiling, trying to get her back on track.

"Right, right. Well according to your friends,  you guys went to play laser tag and suddenly  you started yelling their names, and when they found you, you were on the ground, lifeless." She explains. I can read in the creases in her forehead that she is worried about me.

"They showed up hear and said that Dr.Naro said that you need to lay down and that we can only wait for you to wake up. So I laid you in your bed and they left." She says. She stands up and starts to put away some of the books that are laying on my floor.

"Mom. Can you not ?" I say pointing to the misplaced book on my already too full bookshelf. She pauses, a book in her hand and then she gently places it back on the floor, sighing because it makes my room look messy.

"Sorry, I like where they are now." She smiles softly and it's the first time that I noticed that she's in leggings and my dad's oversized sweater.

"How long was I asleep ?" I ask.

"Just one day. They brought you over yesterday at 1:30 and it's currently 10 in the morning on Sunday." She smiles and then walks over to the curtains. She draws them and I decide not to contradict that. I'll open them again when she leaves.