The Rise and Falls of Melody Wilson

Part 27

You know how people say things, life, could change in an instant?

Well, they're right.

I t was around the time of my tenth face plant into the boat's wake when it happened.

When had I woke up the next day, Riley was gone. I wasn't expecting him to be up and making me breakfast before I went to school, but it hurt that he didn't even bother stay that night. I guess that's what I got for yelling at him.

The upside to the morning was Andrew kept his promise, he was out front honking his horn at seven sharp to let me know he was there. The ride to school seemed short, any awkwardness over the night before was gone, leaving us to have a fun ride. He even offered to pick me up after school. In the end, though, Mrs. Terrel had been excited to receive a call from my "father" requesting me out of class. Luckily I wasn't as taken by surprise as I was the first time.

I was just coming up from my tenth (eleventh?) face into the wake, when Andrew called to me, an urgent look on his face, and started reeling me in towards the boat. My dazed brain automatically switched into panic mode. Had a bull shark somehow made its way into the lake? Was it right behind me?

Unlikely, I attempted to calm myself.

I tried to stay as still as I could while Andrew pulled be to the back of the boat. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" I asked as I bobbed there wiping water off my face.

Andrew knelt down on the back platform and unbuckled the boots, allowing me to pull free from the board.

"Andrew?" I persisted, his intense face starting to concern me.

"It's your mom?" He said finally, after he pulled me up onto the platform next to him.

I jerked my head back, perplexed. "My mom? What about her?"

He hooked the board onto the rack. "The hospital called your phone and said that your mother was in a wreck."

My breath caught in my chest. My mom was in a wreck. She's in the hospital. My mind mulled this over as if it were a foreign concept, not fully comprehending.

I sat there numb. Andrew started up the board, directed me to the back seat and started back to the dock.

Everything passed in a blur. My mind so consumed with the thought of my mom back in another awful hospital, bruised and battered.

My mom was in the hospital...

By the time we pulled up to the slip, I'd barely got myself out of the initial shock. The moment the boat pause beside the dock, I leaped from my seat, grabbed my day bag and jumped onto it. I pulled my dark green tank dress I'd packed on as I ran up the path to the house. Pain stabbed my feet with every small rock I stumbled over.

I heard Andrew yell from a distance behind me, but I didn't stop. My movement, mind, frantic. I rushed into the house, through the halls, the foyer, out onto the porch. I could feel tears prick my eyes as I raced out to Andrew's truck and got in. Only when I'd buckled in and taken a few breaths did Andrew finally come out the front door, clothes and shoes flapping in his hands. I blankly watched him locate me in his car and jog down down the stairs, shrugging on his shirt, towards the truck. He started it up the second he got in and clasped the seat belt buckle in one swift movement.

"Please hurry." I said blandly when he threw a curious look my way.

With a nod he put the truck in gear and sped out, headed for the hospital.

Halfway there I placed a call, I didn't think she'd answer, but I had to try.

An achingly long fifteen minutes later we arrived at the hospital.