My Best Friend [COMPLETE]

Chapter 21 - Unscheduled Road Trip and A Future Planned

Author's Note: this is the last chapter!! I will be posting an epilogue and then it's done!! It's been great writing this book, and I have so many ideas that I'll be writing a new book after this!!

I reached a motel. So much for at the end of the day. No, I was too pissed at her. I talk to her for the first time in two weeks and her first reaction is that something must be wrong with my head because I stopped talking to her for two weeks. I would not be going home. It's my car. It is under my name. So I didn't have to. A figure was walking towards my parked car. I was guessing Thomas. He said that I could live in the dorm with him if Aaron said it was okay. He was planning on getting a new place for the summer, and the next year of college. I would stay there, with him. The figure reached my car. I was right. I unlocked the doors. He opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.

"Hey. Madalyn. I missed you."

"It hasn't been that long. Just a few weeks." I kissed his cheek, and then unbuckled. "Shall we go inside?"

"Yeah. Hey. Are you okay? I mean leaving your mom and home and everything."

"Fine. Great. Just like leaving for college, except... I'm not going back." Not going back. Woah. "It had to happen sometime, I guess." I unlocked the trunk, and Thomas helped me carry my bags to the room. The truth is, I am so NOT okay. I know I can tell him but I'm not sure if I should, I mean he might tell me to go back and I can't do that.

She is treating me differently, because of the coma. She won't accept that she did something wrong. She won't take her blame. She's the reason I didn't utter a single word to her for two weeks. Something SHE said. Not me. Not my coma. All on her own.

"Madalyn? You aren't answering me. Why did you ask me to grab your bags? You don't have any."

"Right. I'm sorry. I forgot. I- I just walked out and I... I don't know why I. I'm sorry." I started crying, and he pulled me into his arms.

"You'll be alright. I promise." He rubbed my back. He held me for as long as I needed. I don't even know how long that was.

"I don't know. Look. My own mother started treating me differently. I don't know if I can ever go back to being the old me; especially if people keep bringing this up. I just can't do it." I sat on the couch.

"Madalyn. You can't ever be her again. You've gone through so much, grown as a person, all because of your coma. I understand that you don't want to be known as her forever, but our hometown is kind of small. You will be known as you there. Just... if you're going to become a new you, just don't forget who you were. Don't forget the experiences. They shaped you. They made you. Not everyone has to know them but you do."

"You're right. It's just frustrating, being treated differently. I wouldn't change what happened... no. I just wish that I was treated the same. Do you know how many people I have stopped talking to? Like twelve. And it's been two weeks. It sucks. You don't have to deal with this."

"You're wrong. If you're my girlfriend I'll have to deal with it. And I don't care. I love you too much." I froze up. He loves me? Me. Madalyn Topol. I can't believe it.

"You... you what?" I managed to stutter. I was still very overwhelmed.

"I love you." He said. Simply. Like it was no big deal for him. Not as in it means nothing, but it sounded like it was easy for him to say. To me. How long had he liked me?

"I- I... love you too." I said. He picked me up, and kissed me. A long, sweet kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck. 

"Madalyn... you said we were together... did we ever...?" He looked me straight in the eyes. I went bright red.

"No! Dude C'mon." I said, and we laughed.

"Just checking! Madalyn. I want to spend my life with you."

"Me too." 

I'm not going to go into detail about that night. Too personal. But it was perfect. We woke up the next morning happy.

"Morning sunshine." Said Thomas.

"So, we're driving to campus?"

"Yep."

"The two car thing...?"

"Taken care of." He smiled. I went over and sat on the couch next to him.

"Where'd you get food?" I asked, taking a pop tart.

"Dorm. I brought some with me."

"Oh. I brought 20 bucks... speaking of which... can you loan me gas money? I'm practically broke." I was so embarrassed.

"Yeah. Yeah of course." He said with a smile. I loved this man. He loved me. Our future would be perfect. Hopefully. I'm no psychic.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

We never fought about what happened. We both had the same thoughts. You can pretend to others it didn't happen as long as you remember it did. It's part of who i am. Me. Madalyn Topol. Thomas always sided with me. He liked my new look, supported it. The next day, when we drove to his college, he helped me find a job so I could get on my feet as an adult. 

Two years later, we were still doing fine. We hadn't had any gigantic fights or anything. Just small ones, releasing pressure. We're like two tectonic plates in that regard, him and I.  Two years later, he proposed. I said yes.