Tampons // PAUSED

S I X

_Calum_

I'm in my mom's car with my sister, and no one's talking... Maybe I'd rather live normally and forget, but I cannot forget Shay; it's impossible.

My mother, Joy, coughs, and then asks, "How are you Calum? How do you feel about all this?"

"Mom!" Mali shouts.

"What?" she didn't understand why she was in the wrong, "I'm only trying to help my son, who just suffered from the loss of a close friend."

"She isn't dead," I mumble.

"Yes, I-I know, honey, but..." she trails off, unsure of what to say.

I know she didn't want to be mean, and didn't deserve my rude answer, but I don't know... I just don't know how to act anymore. Maybe I should talk to Taylor. She always knows how to make me feel better. God, I love her so much, but I'm using her to make me feel better. Is that bad? I really hope not.

"Then how's Taylor?" Mom asks, changing the subject.

"Fine, I guess," I say. "But, Mom? Can you just, you know... Say nothing?"

"Yes, but you know I hate seeing you like this," she sniffles, "You're my baby boy, and I just... I don't know what to do."

"That's sweet, but I just want to go to bed," I quickly cut in before my heart collapses.

I want a hug... A big hug from my mommy, but I'm a big boy now; an 18 year old man, and I can't go crying to mom or Mali-Koa anymore... I need to learn how to deal with my own problems. And honestly, we can all agree that it's not okay to cry in front of your sister when you're a man. I can't cry, I just can't... Not with them around, anyway.

_Luke_

As I woke, a soft pancake-y smell tickles my nostrils. It's then that remember what happened just a few hours---Days? Weeks?--- ago.

"Oh, Luke, you're finally up," Molly realizes as she walks into the room.

"Uh... Y-Yeah..." I stutter.

"Do you remember anything?" she asks me.

"I think."

"So it's true? Shay might die?" the short, brunette questions.

"Well... It looks that way, but I hope she won't. I feel the same way as at least twenty other people who are sitting in a waiting room hoping to hear at least a small piece of good news," I clarify.

"Nobody would want to lose Shay; she's so amazing!"

"Damn right," I say.

"By the way, Sapphire texted you while you were sleeping; she's at Ashton's, I think," Molly quickly says before standing up and rushing to the kitchen.

"Why is she at Ashton's house?!" I exclaim in a rather mean manner as I follow her to the next room over.

"Because you weren't there to bring her back home, Luke," she mumbles.

"I've gotta go get her, but thanks Molly. Really," I walk to the table to grab my keys and give her a hug.

"That's what a best friend is for," she whispers as she stands on her tiptoes to reach my ear.