Faults, Scars, and Guitar Strings

Chapter 40

Chapter 40

These practices are killing me. For the last week I have had to get up at five o'clock every morning, go to school, go to practice, go to the studio, go home at ten o'clock, eat dinner, do my homework, and not fall asleep until after midnight. I've lost five pounds in the last week because there have been days when I'm too tired to even eat dinner. I got one break all week and it was on Monday after Simon and I finished our presentations. Other than that, I haven't stopped moving.

"Go home," Dylan urged me, "You can miss one practice."

"I don't want to miss a practice," I told him, "I'm fine."

"No you're not," he told me, "Just go home."

I put my hand up to my head, swaying a little. It is not a good time for the room to start spinning. When did I eat last? "What's wrong?" Dylan asked and held me close to steady me.

"I'm a little light headed."

"Have your bodyguards drive you home and eat something."

"Dylan," I groaned.

"Just go, I'm worried about you."

"But I'm fine." I kept my hands on my head and felt my muscles going limp. Dylan caught me, picked me up completely, and set me down on a bench in the hallway of the school.

"Kay? Can you hear me?"

"Mhm," I mumbled.

"I'm getting help," he went to stand up, but I stopped him.

"I'm fine I just need to lie down."

He sat back down, but picked up his phone. "Yeah I need an ambulance. I don't know, she just got light headed and almost passed out. I don't know. Yes. Okay. Thank you."

"Who was that?" I asked him.

"I called 911."

"I don't need a hospital; this is going to be all over the news."

"Kayla, I don't care. I care about getting you some help. This is probably because you've barely ate or gotten any sleep all week."

"I've been busy. I had to record and –"

"Don't," he stopped me.

"I'm sorry."

"This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is, they were right, they –"

"Kay, this isn't your fault."

"Are you mad at me?" He reached up and brushed my hair out of my face. He opened his mouth to answer, but my eyes were already closing.

"Dylan?"

I'm not in school anymore. Where am I? I'm at my parent's house. I walked down the stairs and my mom was sitting at the table. How did I get here?

"Mom? What's going on? What day is it?"

"Kayla did you fall asleep again? I've tried to wake you up three times now. You're late for school."

"School, but what day is it?"

"It's Monday. What's wrong with you?"

"What happened to Dylan? Am I okay? Did the ambulance show up?"

"What ambulance? And who's Dylan?"

This can't be happening.

"I'll just go to school."