Pattern

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty Four

// Prudence //

I realised I could hear before I opened my eyes. 

There was humming, and after a few seconds, I recognised it as the song Terrible Things.

"You know that song?" My father's voice.

"You know that song?" .. Avery?

"She showed it to me, I hate it." I presumed she meant me. He didn't hate it. He just looked like he wanted to cry after I'd first made him listen to it. I'd cried the first time, too. And the second.

"I showed it to her," Avery murmured.

"No you didn't," I tried to speak, but it came out as a whisper. "You .. listened to the band. I found the song myself." I continued my sentence determinedly, and suddenly, I could feel hands grabbing my arms.

"Did she just talk?"

"Prudence, did you just talk?"

My eyes flickered open - it was too bright, I shut them again. After blinking a few times, I finally opened them properly. Brown eyes stared into mine, surprised.

"...Hi," I said, my voice still weak. 

The hands gripping my arms released. "Hey," Avery whispered casually, matching my own volume. Or maybe he was just in shock.

"Prudence!" My father boomed, wrapping his arms around me. 

"Ow, Dad, ow," I said quickly, and he released me. I kid you not, his eyes were filling with tears. "Don't cry!" I panicked, and he blinked at me. "I'm not! I'm not crying at all!"

I smiled, feeling my own tears starting to well up. "What day is it?"

"Monday," Avery replied softly. "Around two."

"Oh, wow. At least I'm alive. I'm alive, right?" I tried to sit up so I could see them properly. It hurt, but I moved myself up enough to meet both of them eye to eye. 

"Yeah, you're alive," Avery grinned. 

"And why aren't you in school?"

His jaw dropped. 

"I.. You almost died, and you're worrying about my school attendance?"

"Are you dodging the question, Watts?"

"Maybe I am, Knightley."

And then he hugged me, and it was super awkward because, for one, he is very tall, and for another, I am halfway sitting up. So it was more like my head was pressed to his shirt and he was hugging my head. I didn't mind.

My father coughed, and Avery sat down quickly.

"I'm sure you two want to have moments alone, and all that, but I actually haven't seen my daughter this alive in almost a week, so you can wish away," He said sharply, then his gaze turned to me, and it softened. "How are you feeling?"

I took a minute. "Crap, actually. What is wrong with me, again? I don't really want to think back."

I didn't, but images were flashing in my mind. My chest was already feeling tight, but I kept reminding myself that I had people beside me, that he wasn't around, that it was over.

"Well, you've no permanent injuries, which is good. But you've two cracked ribs, severe wounds on your leg, and a pretty awful cut on your neck." I reached up and felt the skin on my neck. I could feel the scar, and traced it down to my chest. "Will the scar-"

"It'll fade a bit, but not completely."

I nodded. "Oh." How wonderful. A permanent reminder of what had happened.

"The cuts on your leg will completely fade, though," Avery put in, trying to be optimistic.

I smiled. "That's good, then. I don't want to think of scissors whenever I look at it."

There was an awkward silence, and during it both my visitors stared at the floor. I knew why, really. They didn't know what to say, how to comfort me. They hadn't been there, but they knew enough. 

"I'll be okay," I piped up, desperate for them to say something good, or anything at all.

"Let's ring Madi," Avery said quickly, putting on a smile and taking out his phone. I raised an eyebrow. He and Madi were friendly now? I wasn't sure if I should be glad or worried.

"Yeah, sure, let's," I said, watching him find the number, and put it on loudspeaker.

It rang several times, then Madi answered.

"What is it? I'm in the middle of Science, and had to pretend I needed to pee. And why aren't you here? You can't use her as an excuse-"

"Hey, Madi," I said, loud enough for her to hear.

There was silence.

"Prudy?"

"The one and only," I replied, a grin lighting up my face.

"Oh my god, oh my god! Prudence, oh my god," She blubbered down the phone. "Hold on! I'll get the gang and be down in five!"

"What about Science?"

"Screw Science," Madi half-whispered."Friendship is more important than anything, right?"

"Right," I agreed, and she hung up.