The Death of Colleen Rivers

Chapter 22: Baylor

I never slept as well as I did the first night Colleen was at my house. Of course she was just across the hall, but for once, I knew for a fact that she was safe. She was terrified I'm sure, but I knew she would be out of harm's way.

Early that morning, when the sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains, I could hear my door slowly squeak open to see Colleen's head popping through, her black hair in a mess of a bun. Her eyes were half open, almost as if she were sleep walking. Her mouth was dropped open in a daze.

I sat up in bed. "Colleen?" I whispered to her.

She opened the door the rest of the way to reveal she was dressed in dark red, plaid pajama bottoms and one of my old lacrosse shirts that I knew said BENNETT across the back. She shuffled her way over to my bed and stood in front of me, her eyes almost closed the entire way.

"Colleen?" I repeated. "Are you okay?"

"Mhm," she mumbled.

"I don't think so," I replied, smiling at her. "Was the bed lumpy? I know the guest bed isn't comfy. Here, sit down beside me." I patted the area beside me and scooted over for her to have plenty of room.

She obeyed, but once she sat down she fell over onto my shoulder, instantly asleep. I didn't want to move her, but I had to. I picked her up — she didn't weigh anything so it was easy to — and laid her down beside of me, placing my good pillow under her head. I could see a smile make its way onto her face when I was tucking her in which meant that I didn't mess up.

I leaned over and moved her side bangs off of her face and kissed her forehead. I didn't want to leave her there by herself but I made myself do it.

"Goodnight, love," I whispered to her before leaving for the lumpy mattress in the guest room.

That mattress was the most uncomfortable, but I still slept well knowing my girlfriend, my alive girlfriend was sleeping soundly.

~~~

"Baylor, wake up! You still have school today!" I could hear Mom yell from downstairs.

Oh no, I thought. She's going to wake up Colleen.

I ripped the covers off of me and ran to the top of the stairs. "I'm, coming, I'm coming!"

I ran back to my room to see Colleen still asleep. Thank God she's still asleep.

I pulled a pair of jeans out of the closet and some underwear out of my drawer and went to take a shower.

I returned to my room — because I realized I had forgotten a shirt — to see that Colleen wasn't there anymore. My bed was made and my room was even tidied up.

Okay, I wasn't in the shower that long for whoever to do that.

"Those are some nice back muscles."

I turned around to see a now dressed Colleen standing behind me. She had a pair of tight fitting, dark jeans on, and a pink blouse. This was not her usual look at all. Her hair was twirled up in a towel, still drying from her apparent shower.

"And those are some nice clothes," I said.

She looked down and sighed. "Yeah, I gotta change my look so I can maybe go out somewhere. I was thinking of going to school with you?"

"Colleen, I would love you to, but I don't think —"

"Oh! Wait there's one more thing." She ran out of the room and came back with a small box that said Swan Hair Products written on it. She smiled and pointed to her head.