Best Friends (ON HOLD)

Chapter 30.

•Justis•

I looked over at the clock and it said 1:29 a.m. I flipped my pillow over to the cold side and tried to get more comfortable. The pillow got less cool and I groaned. I reached for my remote to turn the tv on, but as soon as I did my mom called out, "Jus, turn that mess off. It's too damn early for that." I sighed loud enough for her to hear and turned the tv off. I grabbed my phone off the charger and put my earplugs in. 'What You Gon Do' by Quilly came on and I nodded to the beat.

Do I know why I'm up this early in the morning? I thought. Nope.

Do I know why I can't go back to sleep? Nope.

Do I want to go back to sleep now that I'm wide awake? Yup.

But can I? Nope.

I frustratingly kicked the covers from off of me and put my phone back on its charger. I put on my UGG's, grabbed a blanket and went outside to the porch.

I sat in one of the chairs we had out there and looked at my surroundings. If you didn't know, now you do, I live in New York. Manhattan at that. Usually, it's really busy and loud at night, but it's just too quiet for me tonight. I always go to sleep listening to the sounds of sirens, horns honking, trucks driving down the street, and stuff like that, but I haven't even heard one siren go by. Right when I started drifting off, like five police cars sped by. Not even a minute later, ten freaking police cars went in the same direction. One police car came back in reverse and stopped in front of the house. "Ma'am, I suggest you go back in your house." He said respectively. "Why? I'm not doing anything." "There's a lot going on out here tonight and I think you should go inside to prevent any harm." I nodded and he started speeding down the street again.

I didn't get up right away, but I should have. I noticed something in front of the front steps, so I went to go pick it up. When I bent down to see what it was and it was moms necklace she had recently lost. I picked it up and when I stood up I saw one of the police cars again. This time it was driving slowly in front of my house. The window rolled down and before my eyes could focus I felt a jerk in my body and I started feeling light headed. I don't know if I was hallucinating or not, but when I looked down I saw blood coming from my side and I couldn't breathe. My steps fumbled as I tried to get up the front steps. The last thing I remember is the door slamming and my mom screaming.

~~~~~~~~~~~

   I heard muffled voices and my eyes opened. In all honesty, I don't know where I am. I don't remember anything from yesterday, and I was hooked up to some monitor. I sat up and a pain shot through my chest and I couldn't breathe, so I started coughing. Still coughing, some lady rushed over to me and calmed my coughing down. She handed me a glass of water and gave me some hyperventilating thing to help me catch my breathing again. She walked away and I saw other people that didn't look familiar talking. "Oh you're up!" Some male said. "Yeah whoppdie-doo. Where am I, and why am I here?" I asked, getting right to the point. Without even answering my question he opened the door and called someone. Mom rushed in with tear stains all over her face. I guess something bad must've happened.

   "My baby!" She cooed, starting to cry all over again. Mom hugged me tightly and another pain shot through my chest. I grabbed my chest and sighed. "I'm sorry. Do you need anything?" Mom asked. "Where am I?" I asked. "You're in the hospital. Last night, you left out the house and I guess went to sit on the porch and there was a chase going on at the time you were outside and some bastard shot you." "Oh...where did they shoot me?" "In your chest very close to your lungs. Matter of fact it skimmed your lungs and that's why you're having trouble breathing." I slowly processed everything mom had just said and it all started coming back to me. "So is the bullet still in me or..." "They said you might not've made it through the surgery to get the bullet out. There was only a 98% chance that you'd make it since the bullet was so close to your lungs. I could've lost you." Mom started breaking down into tears again and I tried to think of something to cheer her up. "But I'm still here, so there's no need to cry." I softly smiled. "You're right. I've already cried enough anyway." Mom brushed my hair out of my face and kissed my forehead.

   Another pain went through my chest and I called for the doctor. He gave me some pain killers and I took it with some water then fell back asleep.

   I woke up hearing Andria and Jacob talking. I cleared my throat and they both looked at me. Andria gasped and hugged me. I felt her tears on my shirt and rubbed her back. Jacob came over and hugged me too. I can't say I still didn't have feelings for Jacob, but I was just keeping them on the low because I don't need the whole world to know. "How you feeling?" Jacob asked. "Well besides the pain in my chest, fine." I shrugged. "Good. I don't know what I'd do without you." Those words rang through my head and I tried my best to ignore them.

These feelings won't stay hidden forever.