Not A Love Story

Circles

Leona's POV

 Two weeks. That's how long the doctor says it will take for me to walk again. My thoughts are dark and jumbled. After the woods, I only remember bits and pieces, pain in my leg, flying through the forest on... on...

My mind won't let me get past that thought. I can't believe that Dad's stories were actually true. It's just not possible. But one thing I can't explain is Sara. When she visited me in the hospital, she was ecstatic. She said something like; " Leona! There was this big red wolf, and you were riding it! And then it howled and then Mom went and talked to it, and then it was walking away to the woods, but then Mom called it back, and they talked some more, and then it went away." Mom told her that she was being silly, and that I needed rest, and we should go now and let her rest.

My doctor says that I'll have to stay in the hospital until I can walk on crutches. My leg wasn't broken, thank God, but I had a deep wound. It's just starting to heal, but It's not my leg I'm worried about, it's my head. My thoughts are going in circles, around and around like a broken record.

Mom visit's me a lot in the hospital, so when the door opens to my room I expect it to be her.

"Hi, Mo-" I cut off when I see who it is.

" Hi, Leona," Kate says sheepishly.

'Kate!" I lunge forward and dig my fingernails into her arm. "Kate, the wolves, you, everything, is it real?" As I touch her shoulder, she lets out a muffled squeal of pain. "What's up with your arm?"  She doesn't respond. "Kate, I need to know. Are. They. Real?"

Pain flashes in Kate's eyes. "I can't tell you."

"What do you mean, you can't tell me?"

"I-I just can't, I would if I could, but I can't."

"Why not? I saw you with Jake.-"

"You saw me with Jake?!"

"The wolves maimed me, for crying out loud! I'm in the hospital, and the doctors can't even treat me properly because they don't know what happened! If anyone deserves to know, I do."

"Look, I'm sorry, I really am, but-"

" Oh, you're sorry? SORRY ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH!" I fumed.

"Leona, please, please just forget about this!"

"Are you crazy? I will never forget. Sara won't either, it's all she's talked about for the last week!"

"Leona, trust me, I want to tell you."

"I don't see why it's so hard! I can keep secrets! Except for that time in first grade where you had a crush on that guy, Tommy, and I told the whole class, but thats not the point! The point is, you can trust me."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Leona, like I said before, I would if I could but I can't disobey orders an-"

"What was that about orders?"

Kate claps a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. "I've told you too much," She mutters.

"You've told me absoloutly nothing!" I grab Kate's shoulder and shake it.

"Ow!" She shrieks. I was confused. I didn't shake her that hard, she shouldn't have yelled...

"What's up with your arm?" I ask again.

"She looks away and says; " I have to go." She walks to the door and holds it slightly ajar. "Oliver will be by later, please, please don't tell him anything."

"I won't."

"No, you have to promise me you won't say anything." Kate says with a wild glint in her eyes.

"I promise," I say rashly.

"I hope that's a promise you intend to keep." She sighs and walks out, the door swinging shut softly behind her. I can hear muffled voices talking through the door.

 Sure enough, an hour later, Oliver comes into my room.

"Hi," he says awkwardly.

"Oliver! You're here!" I say, trying to look suprised.

"Yeah, I'm here. How are you?"

"I'm fine," I lie, "Why are you here?"

"To see you."

"You didn't see Kate when she had her tonsils out. Or me when I lost a fingernail when you dared me to jump of my bike in third grade. Or the time-"

" Okay, I get it! Well, the thing is, I need advice." 

"You do? On what?" And the fake suprise look returns!

"Getting Kate to kiss me."

"What?"  Okay, now I'm really suprised. You know, I need a wider range of emotions.

"Me and Kate havn't kissed yet."

"But you've been dating for three months! There are rumors you make out in the janitors closet at lunch!"

"Some of my friends outside of school were teasing me, so, I uh... started that rumor..."

"I know, I know, but every time I try to do anything, she always has an excuse to go somewhere or do something else."

"Oliver... I want to help you, I do, but I just can't." Wait a minute... "Did Kate put you up to this?"

"What? No! Why would Kate even-"

"Never mind, it's just I was bugging Kate to tell me something earlier, but she told me that she wanted to, but she couldn't."

"What did you want her to tell you?"

"Um... It was just a stupid girl thing..." Oliver doesn't look convinced, but luckily, a nurse walks in and tells Oliver that visiting hours are over except for family. Oliver says a hasty goodbye, and leaves. 

"How are you dear?" The nurse asks.

"Everythings fine," I lie, "Just perfect."