I wake up the next day with a headache which I assume is from oversleeping. Its 8 AM and that basically means I slept for a good 13 hours. Bloody hell. I haven't slept for such a long time since I don't know the past 3 years. I usually tend to oversleep when I feel upset which perfectly explains my condition right now. The sun pokes its warms rays on my bare skin and I look up at the window which was left uncovered last night. Yesterday, I admit, was one of the worst days of my life. Keywords - 'one of the'. My abnormal behavior is acceptable till its in the family but now I have started acting up in front of acquaintances too, my new low for displaying of mental illness. I squint at the bright, too bright light the huge fire orb emits. I kind of want to hide away in my blanket and runaway. Runaway not from home but from life. Since my father died, since my bullies spread false rumors about me being a pimp back in eighth grade and since I believed those hateful words which were targeted at me, its been the same life. Obsessing over small things, hurting myself, crying myself to bed and it didn't get better. Trust me, Ashton Curtis was the happiest bean in a bag of thousands of beans. Never did he find a fault in himself, always cheery and the boy everyone loved to be with. I was trying to push the darkness away I always tired to stick around my sisters and my mother who always tired to pick me up every time I fell into the inevitable dark hole of sadness but that didn't last long. Soon mum found out about me being another reason for dad's suicide. She pushed me away, and so did my two sisters. I would cry for forgiveness but rarely would mother look into my eyes. And then there's Chen who is always happy like I was. Her happiness scares me because I know happiness doesn't last long, its like you are fixed below a broken bulb and as much as you want the flickering to stop and the bright light to last, the darkness is inevitable. Its not like I have something against Chen, heck I don't even remember her surname if she had told me, its her characteristics. She's loud, optimistic and just a ball of happiness but I on the other hand am a contrast to her. I fear for her, her tone yesterday gave it away that her bulb too is on the brink of breaking down and she tries so hard, just like Ashton did. But I see it now there's obviously something bothering her, something hidden behind her excitable eyes. My eyes have always been placid. I remember relatives complaining about it, How nothing bought joy to my eyes. I should probably just fix what I have done so I should probably leave and taking some chocolate for her seems like a great idea. I get up on my feet and in a jiffy get ready. As I stop by the chocolate shop two stores next to mine, the old lady who is the mistress of the shop smiles wide. Her honey like eyes radiate warmth and she her frail hands clasp together. "Aren't you Ash? Must be, I know you. The flower shop girl has described you enough. How can I help you son?", what the hell. I shoot a smile at her, "um just dropping by to buy some chocolate?". She enthusiastically nods and places a box of chocolates in front of me, "sweetest of them all, softest to bite into and easiest to fall in love with". I phlegmatically speak, "That works". After bidding the old lady good bye I quickly yet nervously step forward. I am about to knock at the door of the flower shop but the closed sign catches my eyes. I frown. She was supposed to leave two days after and she lives here from what I have learnt so where could she go? I stare down at the yellow box in my pale hands. My grip on it grows stronger as if like an assurance to myself that she will be back soon. I know how she eats at the Chinese restaurant everyday so I should ask there about her visit last night. I meet up with an male server seconds later, he answers my question almost in the most high pitched voice ever, "oh my god! you must be ash! I didn't want to be the one to tell you but Chen has been hospitalized last night, she kept saying your name when you know she was being taken away in the ambulance, I assume you are her boyfriend?" WHAT IN THE WORLD, what did I just hear? "Um WHAT? no I am not her boyfriend but why has she been admitted?", I am out of breath already. I almost ask that why am I being informed now, but stop myself from it. I am not her boyfriend, Am I? "Oh, okay that's....weird. Oh. I am not really sure about what to answer your question with but yesterday my friend Micah observed how Chen hadn't dropped by like always and we knew that she lives in her store itself so we decided to check on her. After our shift ended, at like 9 PM we went to her store, the lights were on but no sound came from inside and the sign said opened so we peeked inside and there she was with something oozing out of her mouth and we immediately made her sit up and called the ambulance, She kept saying, 'Say please to...Ash''. Jesus Christ. Please to me? Is this about that trip? , "Which Hospital?".
*******
Within twenty minutes I am at the reception of Green's Hospital. I keep waiting for other people to give me a chance but no one does. At this moment I cannot decide what I would do to myself if whatever happened to Chen was because of me. I inhale deeply and keep my eyes strained on the blonde receptionist who fakes a smile at the end of every sentence she speaks. I feel a grip on my shoulder and my ears hear, "Are you Ash?"
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YOU ARE READING
Flower Blossoms
RomantikThey were polar opposites, one was a florist and the other, a tattoo artist. He was the grey clouds and she was the clear blue sky. He despised her happiness because he couldn't have that much of it. She cared for him. And then its too late for them...
