Anarchy [ Watty's 2016 ]

X: Alex

Thanks to Jade, Will, and Mordekai, the two days I spent in the hospital wasn't completely unbearable. In the mornings and afternoons, they'd come in shifts. Jade was always the first to visit-as soon as visiting hours started at six, and as soon as she got out of school at four. It was quite impressive, considering she didn't have a car; she had her license, but her family only had one car, which her parents had taken with them when they'd left.

Mordekai visited next-right as Jade left, in fact. Her face flushed as she walked past him. It was rather adorable. But Mordekai, being the kind of awkwardly oblivious guy that he is, never noticed. He would just poke his head in the door, wave 'hi', then leave.

Of course, my parents also visited, since they knew what was going on, but because they still had to go to their day jobs, I got less than the tiny wave Mordekai would give me.

Will would show up a little while after my parents left. I don't know why he even visited me, if I'm honest. We barely knew each other. And yet... He would show up with his usual sad smile, the one he thought fooled everyone. But it never had-at least, it'd never fooled me. From the start, I'd seen that when he thought no one was looking, his smile would vanish and his dark green eyes looked moist, as if he were about to cry. But then he'd push his short blond hair away from his face, and plaster the smile back on.

I decided I was sick of it. He shouldn't have to pretend to be someone he wasn't. "Y'know, you don't have to look so sad all the time," I finally said. He looked up, bewildered. I tried to lighten the mood by adding, "I know it's hard to be happy without my beautiful face around, but it's only one more day."

The startled look faded, and he gave an uneasy laugh. "No, uh...it's not that. It's just...I have a lot on my mind."

"You seem to have a lot on your mind quite often," I replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I-uh, I don't-" he couldn't seem to think of an appropriate answer.

Knowing his past-well, a vague part of it-I decided not to push the subject. "No matter," I waved off the topic.

"I-one more thing...I-"

I cut him off. "You don't have to tell me that you feel bad about not being there or whatever, or that you feel like you could've done something more, either. I've heard it from Jade. Even Mordekai decided to apologize yesterday, which made me quite concerned, but...Anyways. I've heard it enough. What happened, happened, and I can't see it happening any other way."

"Yeah...well, okay then..." Was it my imagination, or did he just...blush? I blinked, and the tinge of color on his cheeks was gone. "I should get going..."

"See ya 'round," I said.

Will didn't respond. He just left without another word, leaving me alone to the clicks and whirrs of the machinery.

I was released the next afternoon, at around five P.M. Jade was there to pick me up, which basically meant she was walking with me.

"I need to get a car, man," she grumbled. We were nearly at my house now. "Honestly, I'm seventeen. What happened to the whole 'Happy sweet sixteen! Have a car!'?"

I shrugged. "Hey, you can't really complain. I don't have a car, either."

"Yeah, but you don't have your license, anyways. I do. Besides, your parents have a car, and they didn't take it with them and go into hiding god-knows-where," she retorted. "Anyways, are you ready for tonight?"

"What's tonight?" I asked stupidly.

"Don't tell me you forgot!" Jade gasped dramatically. "I mean, honestly! How could you forget about homecoming? And you have a date, no less!"

"Oh, right. Sorry." It had completely slipped my mind. "But I don't have anything to wear..."

She flashed me a grin. "Of course you do. Come on!" She dashed forward, pulling me with her. I stumbled, surprised by the sudden movement, and doubled over in an unexpected coughing fit.

Jade froze; her eyes widened and her smile vanished, replaced with a mixed look of horror and guilt. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't-I didn't mean to..."

When the coughing subsided, I shook my head. "No, no, it's fine," I muttered. "I'm fine. Let's keep going." I straightened up, and when she didn't reply, I started walking up the street to my house. She followed solemnly.

I entered through the front door, using the key my parents always left in one of the potted plants under the outside window. I practically fell into my bed, only to be promptly dragged away by Jade. "Ugh, why dost thou hate me so?" I grumbled sleepily.

Jade giggled and sat next to me on the bed. "Because, you still need to get ready for homecoming!" she answered in a cheery, matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"I told you," I muttered flatly, "I don't have anything to wear."

"And I told you, that you do have something to wear," she replied.

I raised an eyebrow and she nodded in the direction of my closet. Grudgingly, I opened the closet to find a light-blue and white dress. I can't help but feel a bit stunned; the dress was beautiful: the strapless bodice was white, with a tight sky-blue silk ribbon around the waist. The skirt was ombre-starting white then turning a shade or two lighter than the ribbon at the frills. I stared for a few moments.

"Well? What do you think? Do you like it?" Jade's voice quivered with anxiety.

I blinked a few times, then turned to face her. "No, I don't like it," I said. Her face fell. "I love it!" I practically crushed her in a hug, startling her and nearly knocking her over. She was too stunned to react. I let go and took a step back, giving her a smile.

When she finally recovered, she returned my smile with a faint one of her own. Was it just my imagination, or did she sigh in relief? She's never taken me seriously when I've pulled that before, what's gotten into her? I thought back to just five days earlier, when she'd joked about me not being up-to-par to be her instructor, and I'd taken her too seriously. Less than a week ago, and yet it feels like years...

"Well, c'mon, then," I said, offering her my hand. She started at it blankly before taking it. "Homecoming is in three hours. We'd better get ready."