b r e a t h e

Chapter Eighteen

"Mom! Mom!" I call. My brain starts to spin and my vision becomes clouded. My eyelids become too heavy for their own good and start to close as my mom runs into the room.

"Ella! Oh dear! Ella! Ella!" My mom cries and it's that last thing I hear before I fall asleep.

My mind is blank and full at the same time. It's filled with meaningless thoughts. Pictures of my mom and friends fly through and I try to hold on to them, but they leave. I see quotes and phrases. Bits of conversations and entire stories. Unfamiliar ones start to appear. Unfamiliar faces start to sprout of of thin air.

Green eyes here.

Pink hair there.

The phrase "messed up teens" floats around, taking it's time.

The feeling of homesickness takes over, as I look around me and see a light blue room.

"My room's red though." I walk around, tripping over thoughts.

I see me, my hair in a high ponytail with bangs. I see me, my jeans ripped and tees loose. I see me, I smile on my face so large I bet you could see it in space.

I turn around and see me again. I'm crying, curled up on a tile floor. Anna and Samantha are at my sides, talking about 'Alex'. I see me, cuddled up with a guy with black hair. I see me, comforting the boy at a funeral.

"What the hell is going on?" I yell, the only response being echos. The thoughts start to disappear and I start to fade. "No, no, no! I need to know more!" I keep yelling, but the echos become less and less distinct.

I open my eyes and see myself in a hospital bed. It's Ohio State Hospital. "Ella! You're awake!" My mother brings me into a hug.

"What happened?" I look around and see an empty room.

"You had a major anxiety attack. We're still trying to figure out what caused it." My mom tells me.

"When I was out, I was in my brain. I was walking around in my head, thoughts and faces surrounding me. The weird thing was, I had bangs, and we weren't living here. I looked older too. Maybe eighteen! That's almost year ahead." I ramble to my mom.

"I bet it was just a side effect of the blackout." My mom reassures me.

"It couldn't have been. The details were amazing!" I plead, trying to convince her other wise.

"Ella, darling, try to get some regular sleep now." My mother speaks calmly and softly. "I bet when you wake up, you'll think that what you saw wasn't real either."

I nod and close my eyes, dozing off into darkness.

"Alex!" I yell, sitting up in my bed and taking heavy breaths. I hear heavy footsteps running up and he appears in my doorway.

"What happened? Are you okay?" He crouches down next to me.

"I remember something odd." I start, and he nods. "I remember that I year ago I had a panic attack so bad I blacked out. I was stuck in my mind for a while and you were there. The fight we had earlier today was in my brain. Then I was arguing with my mom about it afterwards."

"Ella, it's the next day. Anna and Samantha didn't wake you up because they were trying to get a hold of me. I didn't budge until they threatened me." He chuckles.

"How did they threaten you? I'm sorry, I really am."

"To tell you certain things." He shrugs.

"I'd love to know."

"Princess." He blushes, "the meaning behind it."

"Why couldn't you not budge until after I heard it." I curse, smiling.

"Wait, my did you yell my name?" Alex switches topics again.

"I...I don't really know. It just kinda seems natural now." I blush and we stare at each other, red-faced and embarrassed.

"I'm sorry." We say in unison.

"That I was yelling at you." I say.

"That I was mad at you." He says.

We both laugh together with a smile. "The best couples always fight," Alex remarks.

"So we're a couple now?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, I-I mean. No, yes, maybe, I don't know." He stutters on some words and speaks quickly on others.

"It's okay." I smile. "I mean...I'm really sorry, but-"

"It's fine, princess. I can wait. I'm probably not gonna move on either."

"You should."

"Oh, if you haven't already noticed, it's bedtime. So time to sleep." He teases. "Anna and Samantha are taking your mom's room."

"That's...lovely." I nervously laugh, peering at the empty hallway.

"They're eating dinner." He comments. "I'd figure you'd wanna know."

"Thank you." I smile at him, patting his forehead. "Stop being uptight."

"That's helpful." He rolls his eyes at me.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young man." I laugh, rolling over on my bed.

"I'm older than you." He sighs, a hint of laughter evident.

"Whatever." I turn my back to him.

"C'mon babe." He murmurs, snuggling up next to me.

My cheeks turn a delightful pink. "Babe? You've called me that twice so far." I chuckle.

"I don't know. It's just a nice, little, cliche nickname." He chuckles.

"My mom noticed that mark you left on me. When I said, 'bite me'. Remember?"

"Oh, shit. Sorry about that."

"No problem. She's cool with it. Just told me to tell you to place them where she can't sleep them." I laugh. "She's really cool about things like us."

"That's nice." He chuckles, placing small kisses down my neck.

"Alex!" I laugh, moving my neck a bit.

"C'mon." He wiggles his eyebrows placing one kiss at my jawline.

"No, I have Anna and Samantha over." I giggle.

His arms extend to the sides of my stomach, tickling me. "Then some of this?"

"Alex! Oh my God!" I burst into a fit of laughter, tossing and turning. "Stop it! Stop it! I swear to God, Reed!"

"What's going on?" Anna rushes into the room and locks eyes with me.

"Tickle fight." Alex shrugs, his face filling with blush.

"Samantha thought you two were like...yeah. I'll leave now." Anna backs out of the room slowly.

"Oh my Lord, Alex Reed!" I whisper at him. "We need to be quiet."

"I know how to shut you up." He winks, diving into a kiss.

1.15.16-1068 Words

DEATH OF A BACHELOR CAME OUT TODAY WHOOP WHOOP

-glo