we are finite

Illusions: Part 3

The next morning, I woke up with a bad head ache. I saw Joe sleeping in the bed next to mine. The first thought that came to my mind was,

"This is how it ought to be". Then I blushed at my own thought.
Then I lay there, revising The lyrics of You Belong With Me, for no apparent reason.

Then I sat up. I yelped as my arm suddenly throbbed. From the bed next to me, Joe immediately sat up. He winced as he sat up. Noticed him hold his arm as he looked at me. We both stared at each other. I recalled certain events of last night.

The feeling in my shoulder, the fire, the smoke in my lungs, my sore throat, the taste of my salty tears, the feel of muscular arms around me, June, I'll never leave you for the world, I'll always be there by your side...

"Wha-", I coughed, my throat still sore. I reached to my side, biting my lip, trying not to scream as my shoulder flared. I finally reached the water and drank some. This whole time Joe just stared at me as if he could not believe that this was the June he knew.

"What happ-", I coughed, "happened to your arm?", I asked, my voice still raspy. Joe looked at me like he couldn't believe this situation.

"You're asking me what happened to my arm?", he looked ready to tear the sheets that were already strained in his fists. Despite his arm he steadily held on to the sheets. He winced in pain, but he held on to the sheets like he was holding on to his life. His tendons and veins were clearly visible. I shivered, scared to look into his eyes.

"Have you looked at you self? June... You have a broken shoulder, you inhaled too much smoke, you have cuts all over your arms and back, you look like death... And here you are asking me what happened to my bruised arm", he looked like he wanted to give me a mouthful, but he probably saw how afraid I looked.

"June, how...?", he asked. I coughed.

"I'll tell. First you. How did you bruise your arm?", I asked softly.

He looked like he was about to protest, but then he just sighed.

"The shed was locked and the keyhole was jammed. We were not even able to open the door with the spare keys. With your life at stake-", he faltered, "I couldn't waste anymore time, so I tried to push the door open. Not that I helped, the gardener had to break the door with his axe. We found you-", once again he looked afraid of those memories, "We found you sprawled over glass bottles", he gulped.

"Huh. The cuts on my back", I mumbled.

"By the time we got you to the doctor, you had inhaled too much smoke that it could've been fatal", Joe chocked on the last words.

I blinked back my tears. But I couldn't help sniffling. Joe finally looked at me. He got up and sat next to me.

"Are you fine?", I asked again. This time he just shook his head, smiling.

"Again. I'm fine, happy?", he asked. I smiled. Then I frowned.

"Amina and Alisha?", I asked angrily. Joe suddenly turned like stone, a deep scowl etched on his face.

"Expelled", he stated.

"So it was them...", I mumbled.

"Ok. Now you tell me what happened", he asked, with a sense of authority.

"So Amina and Alisha came up to me saying that we had to take the apparatus from the shed. As I got into the shed, they closed the door. I heaved at the door to open it and broke my shoulder. Then I saw a light at the other side. A moment too late I realised that it was fire. I tried to call out, but the smoke and pain finally knocked me out", I said it like it was nothing but I could hear and feel his ragged breath.

I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. He looked so angry that I felt like diving into the sea and hiding in the depths.

"They dared to...", he fumed.

"Joe, I'm fine. I might have a broken arm, almost died and have too many cuts. But I'm fine, really", I told him.

He snorted, disbelieving, in the most unmanly way possible.

"Joe", I chided, " Now you tell me how you heard me? Like, my awesome human brain forgot that you were ill and in the sick room. Plus the sick room is at the other side of the school", I pointed out.

"Actually, I thought I would wish you a good night and then go back to my room", he said. I raised my eyebrows.

"Really!", he exclaimed.

"Huh", I managed.

"What about April and Izzy. Were they here?", I asked hopefully. He smiled.

"I was talking to the nurse last night. Apparently they wanted to take 'shifts' to look after you", he said, "I'm not sure if the princi-", he broke of as two girls burst into the room, "Speak of the devils", he muttered.

"Joe!", I protested, "Angels"

"June!", April squealed. Then she stopped in her tracks at the same time as Izzy.

"Ohmygod. June. Whatthehelldidyoudotoyourself?", she yelled. Izzy put her hand on April's shoulder, but she looked just as horrified.

"What happened?", Izzy asked. Then she shook her head, "No. Don't tell me what happened. I know. But how did you manage too break your shoulder? The doctor guessed that you might have tried to open the door", she said.

At this point I started nodding.

"Hmm", she hummed, nodding.

"But oh my God, my baby", April gushed, as she walked to me and stroked my hair.

"And I am non-existent", Joe mumbled next to me.

"Hey there hot guy", April brushed her hand in the air nonchalantly. I smiled. After I accidently told Joe about the hot guys crash course, when he met April again, he tried to tease her.

But that plan terribly failed, after April started to call him 'hot guy', which irritated Joe endlessly.

"April", Joe muttered.

"Guys, can you please not flirt with each other when Izzy and I are here", I teased.

"June..", Joe said, shaking his head. The nurse came in then.

"Ok, everyone out. Yes. April and Isabelle, please. She is in good hands here", the nurse showed them her hands.

As she smiled, her left cheek broke into a dimple. Isabelle and April left a little reluctantly.

The rest of the day, Joe and I were treated for the most serious injuries ever (cue jazz hands), in the words of the nurse.

a/n: nano should really stop letting me come onto her account tbh – please vote and comment! All your feedback is super valuable :)