The boy who broke me

18.

The heart monitors line goes up and down as Caden breathes. He's alive and he's going to be just fine.
Addy's brother and Gabriel managed to break his nose and one of his ribs. They fractured one of the bones in his arm. I can't remember which bone the doctor said it was.

His parents have decided not to press charges, but they are going to let the three boys spend a night at the police station. You can only be so generous when your son ends up in hospital I suppose.

Right now, the four of us are sitting in the hospital room with Caden, his parents went home for a while. Jenn is on her way, she first had to stop and buy cupcakes. She says they fix everything bad in a day. No one argued.

"I'm so so sorry." Addy whispers to Caden, his eyes flicker open and he smiles weakly at her.
"You know it's not your fault." He kisses her hand which was resting in his.
"They're my brothers." She sighs.
"Who are huge and have some issues. But you Adeline Marks are my girlfriend. Not them."

Both boys heads whip around towards the two of them, obviously surprised. But me ? Well I saw this coming.
"Close the mouths, boys." I say, chuckling to myself.

Jenn knocks on the door, in her hands she's holding the nicest and most delicious looking cupcakes I've ever seen. Ryan immediately gets up and takes her bags and the cupcakes from her, a real gentlemen in the making if you ask me.

She smiles gratefully at him. He's proving to her that slowly but surely he is going to sort his life out. I'm not sure who's more happy, me or Jenn.

"Adeline Marks, your butt better be here in 2 seco.." Ryan starts, wanting to know why she didn't tell him when they spend most of their days together but Addy cuts him off by running out the door, giggling in a very childlike manner.
"Oh no you don't." Ryan yells at her before he too sprints down the hospitals corridors.

Caden sighs, watching the two of them of chase each other up and down. He's fallen for my best friend, and the boys fallen hard.
"Bro. You've got it bad." Loki teases, stretching out the last word in the sentence.

"The two of you, make a very unconventional couple. I like it." Jenn says, sitting on the bed beside Caden's feet. The bed squeaks under the extra weight.
"Thank you ?" Caden says, dumbfounded by her statement.
"It was a compliment. You guys, all of you. You went for the person you liked despite what other people say. Unconventional couples."

A part of me is happy that Loki and I fall under her summarization, but most of me is afraid that she thinks Ryan and her were only together because it would improve their social status.

To others maybe that would make sense but the two of them were friends from small, and fell in love because they cared, not because it would make Ryan a better rugby player and the schools most well known cute guy or because it would help Jenn get onto the cheerleading team, win all the school competitions and have all the guys drooling at her feet.

"Jenn. Ryan loves you, you know that your relationship was more than just a standard action." Caden says, his voice is weak but the words he chose had a impact so strong that Jenn's eyes well up with tears.

"You think he still loves me, even after i left him and hurt him so badly ?" She asks, her voice shakes. She's trying to hold herself together.

"Yup. The guys nuts over you." Loki jokes, Caden grunts in agreement and I manage to smile at her when she glances my way. But inside my heart shatters. Ryan loves her, but he's not strong enough for a relationship yet, he's not good for her or himself.

I take a hold onto her wrist and head towards the on joining bathroom.
The tiles are a faded turquoise color, most of them cracked down the middle or lifted slightly, the walls are a off white color, with a small mirror hanging above the sink.

There's a shower in the corner, but I don't think it's going to be of much use to Caden during his stay.

Jenn looks at me, her expression is anxious. As if she expects me to yell at her and be angry. I smile at her, but even I can tell it's not convincing. I let it fall off my face, my worn out self must show because she hugs me so tight it makes me think she's trying to push all the worry away.

"He's not there yet." I whisper.
"I know. I'll wait." She says, her tone is equally soft.
"He needs to know that you're still here, that you haven't left him completely."
"Maybe I'll talk to him tonight." She says, but she's nervous. Her hands shake as she lets go of me.
"He's doing this, fixing himself. For us. For you, me, mom, himself."
"I know and I love him even more for it."

"He needs your help too, though." I say, trying to show her how close he is. He'll always have to fight that side of himself, but right now, he's almost gotten himself back to a good place.

But she just shakes her head, the sad expression once again on her face. It breaks me, to know that she doesn't think he wants her there or that she's not capable.

"He's got Addy. I'll just support from the sidelines."
"Addy can't take much more of this world on her shoulders. With everything that's happened, she needs to help herself as well. We need to help." I say, hoping that my eyes plead the way I want them to.

"Okay. I'll help."
"Okay. Me too." I say, winking.
"You're such a nerd." She laughs.
"I know you are, but what am I ?" I tease
"Wow. That cut deep, Ry."
We both laugh, the heavy downpour of sadness that hit us earlier slowly lifts. Allowing us to setting in a effortless laughing state.
•••
As we drive out of the hospitals parking lot, it's as if a heavy weight has been lifted off my chest. Caden is going to be alright, Ad is spending the night just to make sure the doctors aren't sugarcoating anything

. That he really will get better and have a straight nose after all this is done.

But he laughs at the boys ridiculously cheesy jokes, even though he winces in pain every time. I think we've all tried to convince ourselves that it's a good sign. That if he's able to laugh, then he must be okay, he'll be healthy Caden in no time.

"You did a good thing today, Ry. Checking up on him, making sure Addy got to see him. But you need to accept that it's not your fault."
"And I think I have, I know that what happens was triggered by Gabriel and that bunches hatred toward me. But what they did was because of themselves." I say, convincing myself as much as him.
"I'm not mad at you, I'm not mad at them. What happened was stupid and I left it in high school and I can't say for sure but I think Addy feels the same way." 

I breathe, maybe we can leave all this behind. In that horrid high school building. That all the things that happened could be left right here, in this small town. We're all heading off to college, somewhere bigger and better. Where the people don't know us and we don't have a history. We're moving on to better places and people and none of will have to suffer the horrible time we had in high school ever again because my friends and I. Well, I think it's time we had some more good times than bad.
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CHARACTER LIST.

Loki Scott -  Cole Sprouse
Tyla Scott - Madelaine Petsch
Rylin Dresden - lily Collins
Ryan Dresden - Colton Haynes
Mrs Dresden - Jennifer Aniston
Adeline Marks - Lili Reinhart
Grayson Marks - Cody Christian
Jason Marks - Dylan o'Brien
Caden Halley - Austin Butler
Jenn Road - Phoebe Tonkin