My Eyes Pick Up What Most Leave Behind

Chapter Six

Ok. I tried to make this one a little longer. It bounces back and fourth from the same people in the time of an hour or so, and it gets sort of confusing. Let me know if you need clarification. OH, and VOTE, COMMENT, OR FAN! It'd make me one happy writer. :D

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Chapter 6-

Scarlett's P.O.V.

I drove away from Alice's house, and headed for mine. I pulled into my driveway several minutes later, and got out of my car. I unlocked my front door and looked around. The lights were off. It's 1:15 am. My mom should be home by now. I don't remember seeing her car in the driveway. I checked her room, and she was soundly asleep in her bed. That's a relief!  

I opened the door to my room and flopped down on my bed. "Scarlett! Wake Up!"

 My body jolted up, leaving my brain on the pillow. I must have fallen asleep pretty late last night. I looked up at my mom and said, "Ok, I'm up now."

 I looked at my clock. It was 11:10 in the morning. She sat down on the edge of my bed and looked at me sadly. "Honey, Alice's dad is in the hospital. It isn't looking good. She may-" She stopped talking after she realized I wasn't in my room any more. I had jumped up from my bed and bounded down the stairs. There was no need to get dressed because I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday. I slipped on my flip-flops, grabbed my bag off the dining room table, and ran to my car. 

I arrived at the hospital sooner than I expected. My mind was one big whirlwind of thoughts. Not Alice's dad, too! I jogged to the hospital doors, and quickly approached the front desk. They pointed me towards another set of doors and I was off. I walked through the doors to find a small waiting room. Alice was curled into a ball on one of the chairs, and a very impatient lady was trying to comfort her. I dismissed her and she glared at me.

 I plopped down next to Alice and said in a soothing voice, "Hey, kitten." ( an old nickname I had for her ) She looked up at me and smiled.

I made a tsking noise and led her to the bathroom. "Look at yourself." She lifted her eyes from the floor to the mirror and burst out laughing.

 "Why didn't you tell me I look like the old lady that sells fruit on the street corner!" I wiped all of the now dry makeup off that had run down her cheeks.

"That woman does not deserve such a compliment. She yells profanities at me when I go jogging!"

She laughed some more. I cleaned her up and re-did her make up. I led her back out to the waiting room and we sat down.

Alice P.O.V

The doctor ushered me to my dad's room. I looked away the moment I saw him. He looked dreadful. Cords, tubes, and needles were all over him. I am not one to show my emotions, but the tears came out my eyes like my eyes were broken pipe lines. A pang of guilt hit me hard in the chest, when I realized this was my fault. Did I ever try and get him help with his alcohol problem? No. And now he was dying and it was all my fault.

 I tore my eyes back to him, as he said, "Alice. I love you. I'm sor-" He never finished his sentence. He died right there. I could assume he was going to apologize, but I will never know for sure. I walked to his bedside and bent down.

 "I love you too." Was all I murmured. I wiped the fresh tears and walked back to the waiting room.  

I took a Tylenol out of my purse and swallowed it with some water I got from the Cafeteria. My eyes were burning and I had a massive migraine. I curled up into a ball and tried to sleep. Just as I was dozing off, some lady in a grey suit walked up to me. She sat down and started explaining to me that because I lived alone with my dad, and was a minor, I needed a different place to live. So my dad just DIES, and she tells me I have to move? I pretend I cant hear her and try to fall back asleep. She tries to gently wake me, when I hear Scarlett's voice. The lady got up and walked away.

 "Hey kitten," Scarlett said in a voice so soft it almost purred.

Alice's Dad P.O.V

"I'd like to see my daughter." I explained to my doctor. He nodded and came back a few minutes later with Alice in tow. She looked very bedraggled. The makeup that I prefer she doesn't wear was smeared all over her cheeks.

She glanced at me and averted her eyes. Did I look that bad? Just then she starts to cry, silently. I have not seen her cry since her mom left. This is one of the more recent times I have seen her when I'm sober enough to talk to her. She looked back at me and I started speaking.

"Alice. I love you. I'm sor-" I'm sorry.  

I thought it, but it didn't come out. Just then I lifted off my bed and stood upright. I looked around, and jumped when I saw myself laying in the bed. No wonder she looked away from me. I was sort of scary. But nonetheless, she walked up to me and lowered herself to the ground. "I love you too." No sooner than she said it had she left the room. I sat down on the bed and sighed. How am I going to be there for my baby when she can't even see me? Not that I was there for her before. But I was still 'there.'

Scarlett's P.O.V

Alice was asleep in the chair next to me when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out and looked at it. "Are we still on for later today? I haven't heard from you in quite awhile, dear." Above it read the name Erick. I typed back. "I'm sorry. My friends dad is in the hospital. She needs me now. Maybe after school tomorrow." A few seconds later it went off again. "Sure thing. Let me know." I put my phone away and shook Alice awake. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at me.

 "Come on, let's go home. You can stay at my house until your dad is better."

 A solitary tear rolled down her cheek when she announced, "My dad is dead."