Mr. Popular and I

Chapter Thirty - Milkshakes

River

I usually don't let anyone else see that I'm annoyed, or hurt. I usually gather all my emotions and hide them away from others. However, my regular amour falls when it comes to Lea. I swear I do it subconsciously.

And now, as a result, she sits by my side in the hospital waiting room. Her body is still, her breathing steady, and her expression full of worry.

Don't blow this River; she admitted that she likes you, so don't blow this. 

I turn in my seat to get a better view of her, my eyes focusing on hers, which are staring ahead at the television stuck to the wall. On its screen sits a female news reporter, talking about the current financial crisis.

Then, I glance down at her hands that are tightly intertwined together and buried in her lap. The way she's sitting, it's too still, too rigid, as if she's too afraid to move a muscle of her body. 

"Are you okay?"

Startled, her head flicks in my direction. She must have been zoned-out or day-dreaming because my delicate voice came as a shock to her. For a moment, she comprehends what I've just said.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replies, forcing the corners of her lips to tweak up a little.

"Are you worried about Emily? Because you know, you don't need to do that." I start, but she stops my flow of speech with a shake of her head.

"No, no. I'm fine, seriously."

But she isn't, and I can't tell why. However, instead of dragging on about it, I nod my head and rest my back against the chair again. Turning away from Lea, I face ahead of me, hoping to watch some TV to pass the time. However, someone a few meters to my right catches my eye, and instantly my head twists in his direction.

"Ky?" I say, rather to myself because he won't be able to hear me over the rushing noises of this hospital waiting area.

"Hm?" Lea says, and I feel her eyes land on me.

"Ky's here," I reply, pushing myself off the seat, and making my way to where he's standing, leaning against the reception desk of this hospital ward.

He looks anxious as he chews away at his lip, waiting for the receptionist to reply to something that he's said. With Lea following close behind me, we reach within hearing distance, and I hear the receptionist say "take a seat, Dr. Rallen will be with you in a moment."

Only after Ky says 'thank you' and turns away from the receptionist, does he spot Lea and me.

While burying both his hands in his jeans pockets, he approaches us, walking the few meters that separate us.

"Your mum told me where you were." Is the first thing he says to me. He then glances down at Lea to offer her a smile. "Hi." He says to her, but there's little emotion in his tone, and his face is as pale as paper.

"Hey," Lea responds, forcing another fake smile.

"You didn't need to come," I reply.

"Yes, I did, River." Ky retaliates.

"It's only an update, Ky. Nothing serious." I say, trying to reassure him, and myself.

This man has had it tough, and I feel for him sometimes. He's like my brother, and I'm glad that Emily has a boy like him to respect her as much as he does. For the past year, he's been there for every check-up on her condition, and he visits her – sometimes even more than I do.

I just regret that I never realised earlier that Nick was no good. And that Ky was better for Emily. One day, when Emily wakes up, I hope she too realises that Ky is a good guy for her.