the state of denial

Part 23:

Hayley.

Mom and Dad came home today. There hasn't been much to say really. I guess they're just tired. They got here at 5, so Zack and I drove to the airport right after school. While we were in the car Mom showed me pictures of where they stayed and the beaches they work at. Dad was pretty quiet the whole ride back. He's usually quiet but something's off.

Once we got home, we took all the luggage out of the car and Dad went out by the lake to smoke. He's been sitting out there since, and Mom has been in her room reading.

"Hayley." She call out from her room. I rush upstairs to her room.

"Yes?"

She tells me to sit next to her on the bed. "How've you been sweetheart?"

And I reply with good. She nods, "Anything you want to tell me?" I say, "Umh, No. There's nothing." Now this is kind of starting to scare me. Did I do something? Is someone dying? What??

"Are you sure about that? You don't have to lie to me sweetie." Yes Mom. I'm sure.

"There's nothing I can think of."

"Alright, well I'm glad your safe and sound. I'm thankful for you being here with me." And she starts crying. And oh shit she knows about the car accident. That's it. I'm an idiot. Did I really think my fucking parents wouldn't know about this? How in the fuck did I even manage to get away with this? Have I really even gotten away with it, I mean shit for all I know I'm still in a fucking coma.

So I pinch my arm and yeah, that's pain and yes this is real.

"I'm sorry I'm a terrible mother. I really am."

"Mom, what are you even talking about?"

"We tried to fly out but we didn't have the money. We had spent it all on the house out there, and the plane ride there and we had put all the money we did have in yours and Zack's bank accounts." And she's full on sobbing and I'm still surprised that I pulled this off for so long. "And when your idiot brother called me saying you couldn't talk because you swallowed a bobby pin I knew it was bullshit so I called Dani's mom and she told me everything. We did everything we could to come back as soon as possible but we just couldn't."

"It's okay. I'm okay. See," I stand up am spin around "I'm totally fine."

"Hayley, stop that. You are not fine. You were in a coma for exactly 45 days. Your best friend got amnesia and another died."

"Mom stop! Stop it please!"

"It's a very traumatic situation."

"Well if you keep bringing it up, i'll never forget."

"I'm just sorry I couldn't come back."

"It's fine, I don't care. Stop blaming yourself. Besides even if you and dad did have the money you two couldn't have come back because of the work contract you signed. You had to stay no matter what."

"And that boy, the boy who was with you,"

"What about him?" I haven't seen Cameron in a week.

"He called your father and told him that he was sorry for what had happened."

"Well that was completely out of his power. He wasn't the one who caused it to happen." And how the fuck did he even call my parents. Why didn't he tell me they knew. That would've taken a lot of excess weight off of my shoulders. This is stupid what the fuck.

"I know that. But he's the only person who bothered to tell me that, other than Dani's mom. Not even my own son. Not even you after you woke up."

"Mom I was scared. The last thing I thought of was calling you and giving you a heart attack. That's why Zack didn't call either because why worry you while you were so damn far and couldn't come home. And when it was all over we talked and you knew I was fine."