Silverlake

Chapter 9

I remember flashes and fragments of images moving through my mind as I slowly started to regain consciousness.

Black beanie. Trees. Sidewalk. White room.

"Reese? Reese, honey?" I opened my eyes slowly adjusting to the bright room.

"Mommy?" I croaked.

She carefully smoothed my hair. "I'm right here. You're okay now."

"What happened?" I was fully awake now. My head pounded but other than that I didn't feel hurt, just sore. I raised my head off of my pillow and tried my best to sit up. My mom saw what I was trying to do and firmly grabbed my arm and helped me sit.

"There was an accident at school. You got caught in your car. Do you remember?"

I remembered. I wasn't just caught, I was trapped. "Yes, I remember. But...But how did I get here?" I racked my brain trying to see the face that was associated with the arms that carried me here.

"The nurse told me it was a boy from school. He was gone before I got here," she stood up from the chair that she had brought over next to my hospital bed, "I'm going to get you some food, okay? Your dad and Katherine will be here soon."

With that, she turned and walked out, trying her best to hide her anger and worry. Somewhere deep inside of her she knew this wasn't just an accident.

My mother wasn't gone all but five minutes when there was a light knock on the door.

I yelled, "Come in!" Suddenly giddy with being able to see my sister.
But when the door opened, instead of seeing her small frame, I was once again shocked by a black beanie.

It was Sterling.

"It was you?" I have asked and have whispered to myself.

"Don't you want to thank me for saving your life?"  He closed the door behind him and turned the chair that was by my bed around so that he could sit on it backwards.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Silly girl. You're magic wasn't working. I had to get you out of there. I was being...nice."

"My what?"

"Don't play dumb with me," he snapped.

"They didn't tell me that you were one of us." I rearranged the pillows on my bed to give me a better view of him.

"I'm not one of you," Sterling smirked. He liked playing this game with me, drawing me in with new information and then holding it over until I asked for more. I hated it, but I really was intrigued.

"No? You're not magic then?"

"That I never said," he winked at me and flipped his hand over so his palm faced up. I stared, holding my breath. Sparks flew across his palm and through his fingers. His face was serious and pulled tight, but mine, mine was giddy and enlightened. I couldn't help it, his magic was beautiful.

"Thank you, but what are --."  We were interrupted by the door swinging open. My sister bounded into the room with tears in her eyes and a worried expression imprinted on her face. I'd forgotten how much she looked like our mom.

Sterling excused himself and left the room before Katherine could ask too many questions.

"Baby sister! How are you?"

"I'm good. I really am. You look good!"

"I do, don't I? But you! When mom called me I couldn't stop crying. How did this happen? and don't worry, I've already put in a nasty word with your car company, this just won't fly." I had missed all of her random spirit.

"Slow down," I laughed, "It was an accident." She rolled her eyes at me.

"Im a pre-law major now. I've got this." Katherine was always so passionate, whatever she set her mind to she accomplished. Part of me thought she had her own kind of mundane magic; the kind where she turned every head in the room, and she aced anything new she tried, and her perfectionism.

I tried to get her to change the subject. We'd always been close and she could tell when I was lying. "Tell me more about college! I miss you!"

Katherine jumped right into every detail of her new college life at Boston University. I tried my best to listen. I truly did. I heard her talk about her new best friend and how much she hates her professor, but my mind kept wandering back to Sterling.

The way he showed up at the exact right moment couldn't be a coincidence. Too many people had told me he's bad news, oh but his eyes...

"Maybe it's meant to be," Katherine was looking off into the distance with a soft smile, quietly twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

" 'Scuse me?"

"Me and Charlie!" She laughed and playfully raised her eyebrows at me, "unless there's someone you were thinking of? Maybe that boy who was in here? Hmmm?"

I turned bright red, only adding fuel to her fire. Luckily I was saved from answering by my dad walking in.

"Katherine, will you excuse us? Reese and I need to talk."

*Author's note: Sorry it's been awhile since the last update! I hope you guys enjoy it!! Anyone glad to see Sterling again? *