Adolescent Foolishness (A Fearless Vampire Killers Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty-Three

[Drew's P.O.V]

I open my eyes groggily to see a white-tiled ceiling, like the ones you get in schools, and blinding light hits me as I try to sit up. I can hear people talking around me, and I gulp slightly. Please don't tell me I'm back in school? I'm twenty-fracking-five!

"Drew?" I hear a familiar soft voice, clearly a girl's, and struggle into a sitting position. Arms wrap tightly around me as soon as my back is propped against a pillow, and upon quick inspection I see that the voice must have belonged to Arys, who is now clinging desperately onto me as though her life depends on it. "You're okay! I was so worried when you pased out and then when you fell I panicked and my mum had to phone for help and oh my god I'm just so happy you're okay!"

Phone for help...? "Arys, where are we?"

"Hospital. They checked you over and there was nothing wrong which they thought was a miracle considering what happened and so they put you on a ward until you were okay." She babbles, before composing herself and sitting back on the edge of the bed. "I'm just so glad you're okay."

"Yeah. Uhm, me too." I don't even know what happened, damn. Why am I always the last to know stuff?! "What even..." I shake my head. "Never mind. I don't want to know." I reach out and take her hand in mine, smiling gratefully. "Thanks for being here. I..." I trail off, not saying anything more. She smiles.

"It's the least I could do. You're here for me, so I want to be here for you. It's only fair."

"Yeah. I guess so." I pull her forward into a tight hug, and she smiles, wrapping her arms tight around me. I glance over her shoulder as we embrace,  studying the ward, and then hear someone clear their throat. Assuming it's just a doctor, I let go of Arys. "Sorry, doctor, uh..." I glance over at the opening of the curtains, looking for a doctor, but all I see is a tall, red-fringed man standing there, his arms folded across his chest as he sports a wide smirk.

"Caught you in the act, dirty buggers." He chuckles.

"W-we were just hugging!" Arys protests panickedly, jumping back from me and letting go of my hand.

"I know what I saw. Trust me, I'm a doctor." He traipses over to the side of the bed, shooting a quick salute in the direction of the curtains. After a moment, I see a sandy-haired man slip past the curtain, his bare arms wrapped around his torso as he seems to hug himself. He glances towards me and smiles slightly, looking anxious, and then sits on the other side of the bed from Arys, reaching out and taking my hand nervously, like a little kid would. "You're such a bloody idiot, Wooly." Kier laughs. "What kind of a prat falls off a roof?"

I what?! "Roof?" I squeak out.

"You didn't know?" Kier laughs, pulling out his phone. "Even better. Smile for Instagram, Wooly!"

"Dick." Shane growls. I stare at him in shock and disbelief - he never swears. At all. In fact, I don't think I can ever recall a time when he's swore.

Despite Shane so obviously glaring, and Arys gaping, at me, I stick a thumb up and grin drowsily up at Kier as he takes the picture. I can see the wires and drips hanging out of my arm, and derp. For the amount of medication that I seem to be doped up on, I can't have just fallen off a roof. But to be honest, I dont really want to know what happened, not if it's managed to put me in hospital.

"I'm just glad you're alright, you can be a right idiot at times, mate." Kier grins. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he looks down at Arys. "I'm going to get some brownies. Coming with me?"

"Brownies!" I grin.

"Only the best for our fragile little Disney Princess." Kier winks.

"Will you be alright?" Arys asks me.

"Yeah, sure I will. My Timid is here with me now."

She nods, before following Kier down the ward. As soon as she's gone, Shane squeezes my hand, before letting it go and standing up. Shaking his head, he then just stares at me incredulously. "I can't believe you."

"What?" I look up at him anxiously. What did I do now?

"You even have to ask?" He raises his eyebrows at me. "You're leading that girl on, stringing her along, even though you're with me. How could you even do that?"

"I'm not leading her on!" I scowl. "She needs a friend right now, and I'm here to be that friend-"

"And in the process of being such a good friend, you're getting yourself hurt, you're hurting her, and you're hurting me, too." Shane says the last part more quietly than the rest, and in my head it all slowly begins to sink in. I'm hurting Shane. Laurence was right.

"Barrone-"

"Don't call me that." He snaps, before turning his back to me and pulling a hand through his shaggy hair. "You know, I was the only one taking this seriously. You being in hospital. The others found it hilarious. Couldn't stop laughing. I came to see you because, after Arys phoned me and told me what happened, I was worried sick. I didn't want to see you hurt. But I can tell that worry isn't mutual." He bows his head, rolling his hands up into fists by his sides. "You've been hurting me for so long. Every girl you liked and talked about, every time you asked me what I thought about them,  I was hurting. But I didn't blame you, because after all, you didn't know how much I felt for you. So I let it slide. But now you know that I like you, you know how much it's hurting me. But still I want to blame myself. And you know why? Because I will never be able to bring myself to tell you how I really feel about you."

"Tell me."

"You would hate me if I did."

"I won't." I stare over at him, not knowing what to do. Feeling helpless.

He looks over his shoulder at me, green eyes wide and filled with what I'm guessing is raw frustration and fear. I'm suddenly extremely thankful that there's a curtain hiding us from the rest of the ward. "I'm in lo-"

"I BROUGHT BROWNIES!" Kier hollers as he slips back through the curtain, Arys in tow. Staring at the red-fringed man throwing brownies around like they're licensed to kill, and then at a silent and confused Aryssandra, I hear Shane mutter something vague, before he makes his way past the curtains. I don't even have time to protest before he's gone.

Of I didn't feel helpless before, then dammit I'm feeling it now.

"What's up with Barrone?" Kier asks. I just shrug; I can't tell him any of this. It's not his problem, it's mine.

"Bitch fit." I just mumble.

"Want me to go get him?" Arys pipes up, frowning worriedy down at me.

"I...yeah. Thanks." I feign a grateful smile, and then she's gone, too. The only person left is a grinning Kier, who drops onto the chair beside my bed and grins. The look in his eye is almost evil.

"Shane told me everything. Now it's your turn." Mother of buggery. If even Kier knows, how many other people must know, too? I'll have to pull Shane up about this at some point when all of this blows over.

Well, if all of this blows over.

* * *

[Author's Message]

This chapter seems a bit iffy to me, perhaps because I didn't write it all in one sitting; mostly on my way to and from school, in fact, and on my phone. I'll come back to this chapter and edit it to hell at some point, but for now this should do. Feedback would be great, I kind of need an idea of what anyone thinks I should change here so that would be marvellous (motivation: first comment gets a dedication, BOOM). Fanksh for reading!

Keep the peace, stay awesome and faith always...Bevers 0(@.@)0 ;; Xx