Perfect and imperfect

Hospital

I'm sitting in the hospital waiting room with Izzy's mother sitting next to me one my right and her father sitting next to her mother. Her sister sat on my left side. I never knew Izzy had asthma, I never knew what was going on. Nick was next to her parents, tapping his leg up and down anxiously. He had no right to be here, worrying about Izzy. It's all his fault.

Izzy had seen him, the creep had been fallowing us. That's why we ran, that's what made her run, and running caused this attack. He caught up to us once she collapsed. Actually lucky he was there because he was the only one who was calm enough to have the sense in them to call the ambulance while Izzy's parents and I just panicked. Then again, we wouldn't have needed to call an ambulance of he wasn't there.

He sat glaring at me. I didn't return the glares, I didn't care about him right now. I just kept thinking about Izzy. Her parents were the ones glaring daggers back at Nick. We sat there in a silence I could feel was awkward for her parents, was annoying to Nick, but I was comfortable in and thankful for. I don't have a clue what Izzy's sister, who I still don't know her name, felt about this silence. We sat in that lovely silence, until Izzy's mother decided enough was enough.

"So you're this girl Izzy was going on a date with," she says to me as sweet as she can with everything that is going on.

"Don't be silly, Barbra. This girl is, well, she's a girl!" Her father bitterly says.

I look down embarrassed of being who I am, not that I can help it. Mrs. Blaze leans towards me to whisper in my ear, "Don't mind him sweetheart. He only needs to learn to be a bit more accepting."

"I don't need to learn anything! My daughter would not date such a," and he gestures toward me before his wife cut him off, "Now, Jonathan!"

Then I cut them both off, "It's okay! Really! Izzy and I are just friends."

"Then why were you out at the restaurant with her? She told me she was going on a date," Izzy's sister said in a shaky voice.

"It is, I mean was, I mean would be my friend's birthday. I was with other people to remember her. Izzy's real date stood her up and I just didn't want her to be publicly humiliated," I explain.

"Well I'm sorry a birthday party had to have such a horrible outcome for you," her father said, still with an annoyed tone.

"It wasn't a birthday party," I snap. I didn't mean to, I really didn't! But one of my best friends died! Do you honestly think it wouldn't be a touchy topic?

"Now listen here young lady-" her father starts towards me.

"Dad!" Izzy's sister cuts him off, "You're Delaney aren't you? I met you a few months ago for Izzy's birthday, right?" I nod and she continues, "This friend, she's the one who died isn't she?"

I nod again and feel my hands shake and all of a sudden I just want to cry. Everything, and I mean everything, is just getting worse and worse in my life.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, I didn't realize..." Her father trails off.

"It's fine, I'm fine. I'm just worried for Izzy," I reply.

"You really care about her a lot, huh?" Her sister asks.

"Now, Krista, we're all worried here," Mrs. Blaze says. Krista, Izzy's sister's name is Krista.

"We're just friends," I reassure Krista.

"Oh please!" Nick's voice rings out, "That night I saw you two together, you didn't act like 'just friends' to me! Going on about how you love each other, heck you even kissed!"

"Did you honestly believe that? You looked as if you were about to attack us! We did whatever we could to try and convince you to leave us alone!" I argue.

"Wait, Delaney. I know that name! You're the girl who Izzy-" he starts.

"Now listen here, young man!" Her father says, "You have done nothing but torment my daughter since you met! You basically forced her to date you and when she was finally able to end it you began stalking her! It's your fault we're all here right now so I suggest you shut up and sit down before I decide to press charges for how you have tormented her!"

Silence again, only everyone felt uncomfortable in this silence. It's a few more restless minutes before a doctor comes out to address us.

"Izzy Blaze has been hospitalized," he explains, "The attack hasn't stopped. We are monitoring her respiratory system closely, but she's expected to recover from this. I think we got to her and put her on oxygen in time."

I relaxed, but not completely. They "expect" her to recover, but how can they be sure.

"Delaney, Krista, you two should go home. Nick, you should get the heck out of my daughter's life!" Mr. Blaze said.

"No, I want to stay, I'm sure we both do!" Krista argued back at her father for the two of us.

"Krista. No. Go home. Drive Delaney home, too, okay," her mother said.

"But mom-"

"No! Go home and try to sleep!"

With a sigh, Krista stands up and leads me out of the hospital. Nick had already left, thank God. I sit in the passenger seat of the car and tell Krista, who is driving because she's an eighteen year old senior, where I live.

"Are you two really just friends?" Krista asks eventually as we drive down the road.

"Yup," I say, popping the 'P' at the end.

"Why are you only friends?" She asks casually.

"What?" I laugh.

"You care about her, I can see that. Why are you only friends?"

"Izzy only thinks of me as a friend, it's pretty obvious she doesn't like me as anything more," I say.

Krista looks as if she tries to suppress a laugh for a second and I just turn to her confused. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. So, your not denying that you like her," she says.

"I never said I liked her," I say.

"You never said you didn't," she smirks. I wish my sister was always as accepting as Krista because of I could have conversations like this with her it would be fun. I laugh at what Krista is saying. "Izzy doesn't like me, that's all there is too it," I say.

"Of course," she replies pulling into my driveway.

"Thank you for driving me, do you need anything?" I offer as I get out of the car.

"I need the two of you to stop being so blind," she says.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. I'll tell you if there's any news with Izzy," she says.

"Thank you."

I walk inside my house to be hugged by Kayla and explain everything about Izzy's condition to my family. Good thing it's Friday, I wouldn't be able to go to school after everything that has happened.