Awks. ✓

Chapter 43: Yay, Visitors.

Dead silence.

I'm pretty sure you could've heard the sound of a pin being dropped onto the dashboard of the navy blue Mustang I happened to be sitting in the passenger's seat of. It was definitely different compared to being driven around by Ronaldo in the large, intimidating Rolls Royce and I didn't even dare ask why he wasn't the one taking us to wherever it was we were going.

At first, I thought we'd be heading to the hospital or something but that idea flew out the window once I noticed we were driving in the exact opposite direction of it.

Do I ask? I mean, this is just him adultnapping me all over again. Where could his mum even be? Does she actually live here in Georgetown and we're going to visit her? Imagine if she died and we're going to visit her grave. OMG WHAT IF SHE'S DEAD?! AND I'VE BEEN SUCH AN IDIOT PESTERING HIM ABOUT HIS MUM THIS WHOLE TIME!! OMG THIS IS GOING TO BE SO FUCKING AWKWARD WHAT DO I DO??!!!!!!!

"We're here." He said, putting the car into park and pulling on the hand brake.

I looked around and noticed that we were in a car park I wasn't familiar with. It definitely wasn't that of the hospital because a: I had been in the hospital car park hundreds of times and know what it looks like and b: last I knew, we were driving away from the hospital, not towards it. "And where is here?" I managed to ask, stepping out of the car to get a better look at my surroundings.

"DIMU." He replied, locking the car and heading towards the closest door.

Darcy's Institute For The Mentally Unstable. Good God, what have I done?!!!!!

I followed Thomas into the institute and couldn't help but look around as we walked by the receptionist that politely greeted him. The walls were covered with paintings that I assumed the patients had made themselves, a few of them present on the ground floor, sitting on a couch watching TV or colouring.

"Try not to stare." Thomas told me, catching me off guard. "Marty over there isn't a fan of strangers."

"Right." I gulped, quickly looking away.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why the fuck were you staring at them?!

We took the elevator to the second floor and upon our exit, were met with a nurse sitting behind a large table, her face brightening up at the sight of us. "Two visits in one day. What have we done to deserve this, Tom?"

He chuckled as we stood in front of her, placing his arms on top of the table. "I brought a friend along this time."

Her eyes darted towards me, the soft smile not leaving her lips. "A friend? " She repeated in a mocking tone. "Any friend of yours is welcome here. Julie will be so excited."

"That's what I'm hoping." Thomas replied with a lopsided smile, turning to face me for a couple of seconds before taking my hand and leading me to a corridor I assumed his mum's room was located on. We stopped in front of room 204 and I noticed Thomas inhale deeply before letting go of my hand to open the door.

We walked into the room that looked nothing like I had imagined whatsoever. I don't want to seem judgmental or anything but I just assumed I'd see her tied to her bed or something. Not only was I wrong, the bed didn't even have a belt stuck to it, but Thomas' mum came skipping out of what looked like her very own toilet, her face cracking into a massive smile just at the sight of her son.

"Tommy, you're back!" She exclaimed, her arms in the air. "Good, you can finish your art homework right now."

"Ma, " he groaned, "you said you wanted that on Sunday."

She walked to her bed and sat down, giving us her back as she took a big envelope from on top of her bed-stand and began pulling out paper after paper, setting each one on top of the bed. "You're here, so I think you should get to it."

"As much as I'd love to, I'm in a bit of a hurry." He sighed, walking closer to her. Once he had reached her, he was able to take the painting she held onto gently out of her hands. He then took hold of both her hands and sat next to her. "Ma, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

She stared blankly at him, with no change of expression, making Thomas repeat what he had said. She blinked a couple of times but finally responded, excitedly pulling away from his grasp to clap as she looked at me. "Yay, visitors!!"

I think that's my cue.

I sheepishly walked towards them, trying my best not to fall on my face on my way.

I just happen to forget how to walk when people look at me while I'm walking.

I looked at her excited face and couldn't help but smile back at her. "Hi!" She practically yelled, waving her hand. "I'm Julie."

"Marianne." I replied, waving back.

She stood up and moved so fast I hardly had a chance to react because before I knew it, I was pulled into a hug. She quickly released me and held me by the shoulders. "Do you like paint?"

"I love paint." I replied on impulse.

She let go of me and grinned. "Good." She said before skipping past me.

Thomas threw himself onto the bed and sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now you've done it, Ria."

Done what???

And the answer came in the form of a woman carrying several little bottles of paint in different colours in a bag she made by folding the hem of her cardigan. She let go of her clothes at once and the bottles toppled to the ground, rolling all over the place.

"Let's paint!"

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A/N:

Remember how I asked you guys to comment where you're from in that last chapter? I had no idea you guys were literally scattered all over the place, the Awks family is humongous omg 😂😂

AND I'M OFFICIALLY A THIRD YEAR MED STUDENT 😭 THE PRESSURE WAS UNREAL BUT I'M GLAD I PULLED THROUGH ;-;

Oh and the writer's block was real, sorry for the delay 💕

Julie Peterson: played by Lisa Kudrow. (BECAUSE FRIENDS, YAY)

Dedicated to Magical_Meg for the cover attached x

Feel free to comment, vote, follow, whatever :')

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