New Team, New Dream

Chapter 27

I sling my bag over my shoulder and run out of Starbucks with my frappe in my hand. Without thinking, I unlock my car and pull out of the parking lot with tears streaming down my face.

I'm not even paying attention to the traffic because I just want to go home and scream into my pillow. My life here in Texas has been an emotional roller coaster. Between making friends, getting threatened, losing friends etc., I have never been myself. I feel like the whole time I've been in Texas I was just trying to fit in and feel loved by somebody. The only person who has really made me feel complete was Matt.

I pull out into the right lane to head home...

Black.

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I wake up with IV tubes sticking out of my arms and see my parents collapsed in two uncomfortable looking chairs with tissues dabbing their eyes. I glance around the room and can't remember where I am. The small box TV in the corner is unfamiliar along with the flimsy white slip I'm wearing and metal fold up bed I'm laying in.

"She's awake hon," I see my dad grasping my mother's hand tightly and they stand up and walk over to me.

"Hello baby. How are you?" Mom kisses my forehead before I can reply and squeezes my hand.

"Where am I?" I asked, stunned. Mom's laugh tinkles in the air and she calls a nurse over to my bed. The nurse is carrying a clipboard with a pen in her mouth and is wearing a pale pink set of scrubs.

"Hello sweetheart. My name is Patricia. I'm your nurse. Can you hear me dear?" I nod and focus in on her words.

"...you were in a car accident. You got a minor concussion and some major cuts and bruises. Cheer might not be an option right now."

Excuse me?

"No I have a competition soon... Can't quit cheer... It's my life..." The nurse rolls her eyes and writes something down on her clipboard.

"There's a boy named Matt whose been waiting outside for four hours. May I let him in? Says he saw you before the crash." Huh? I didn't even see Matt at Starbucks. I didn't notice his car anywhere or his familiar smiling face.

I nod and the nurse pads over to the doorway. She motions to Matt and he comes in looking more exhausted than ever.

"I'm so happy you are okay, Summer." He reaches down to give me a hug but pulls back when he notices the bandages around me. I wince at the sight of them wrapped around my torso, practically squeezing the life out of me. I didn't remember a thing about a car crash, but then again... What happened after I left Starbucks? I hit someone? Someone hit me?

Matt sat with me for a while and answered all my questions about the crash. He didn't look bored for a second though; instead was just smiling and laughing and nodding his head to what I said. When I finally drifted off to sleep, I felt something soft and warm press down onto my lips with a hint of passion and affection.

I knew it couldn't be my parents and had to be the adorable boy at Cheer Athletics, the blue eyed brown haired Matt Smith. The love of my life.