Hidden Close (Jr. Year)

Chapter 58

Part 58 Of The First Draft

This is a nightmare. He's gone and the doctor says that I may never fully recover from my injuries. Every time I open my eyes I hope to see Perry next to me. He's not here, and it’s Becky and Lana who are the ones watching over me. I don't want to see them as cheap substitutes but in my heart I know that they are.

“Perry....why aren't you here? Why don't you care about me? Have you forgotten all that we have been through?”

I thought, wishing that he could hear me. I know darn well that he can't, but I don't care. My whole world is falling apart as I miss day after day of school and the doctor refuses to release me as he is seeing no improvement in me. One night, I squeezed Becky's hand, and told her, my voice weak but still sincere,

“Becky....thank you for being here. I do love you....but....but I want him. If I lose you I hope that we can still be friends. He will...he will....”

I lost my energy, and laid back down, as Becky soothed me. I feel like I've brought her into all of this against her will. She loves me but sometimes I wonder why. I don't want to think she loves me for my looks or body but I know that's part of it. Becky is what I call trivial in my heart. I love her but I feel I love her only because there is no one else for me. We love each other for the wrong reasons, but, you know what? I'm glad she's here.

Lana was a welcome face here at the hospital, too. She brought me hamburgers each day and it sure is nice being able to skip some of the awful things they call food here at the hospital. Lana read to me each day out of books she had found at the hospital's gift shop, them mostly being action adventure books. She even read one to me about vampires and other fantasy characters, but I had to make her stop reading one of the stories. It had reminded me of Perry too much. Lana knew when I had her stop reading what was going on. When Becky had to leave one night to go back home, Lana had asked me in an ever so gently way,

“Do you want to chase after him? I know the way to Atlanta....I can drive you there, babe. I bought a car recently....you can't just let Perry get away. Besides, Brad never gave me any closure. I'd like to know that he didn't want to leave. They are jerks, you know that? We can’t let them get away....”

I was instantly drawn to the idea. I told Lana, with an affirmative sound off,

“I’d love that. Lana, they love us. I know they do. We can't throw that love away. We have to persuade them to come back.”

Lana laughed, and simply replied to me with,

“You got it....”

I slept the next few days away, drifting into and out of consciouness only for moments at a time. After about two more weeks, right around my birthday, the doctor did more xrays of my skull. He was very pleased with the results, and released me the following day to Lana's care. She brought me home, and my mom and dad were thrilled to see I was okay. I told my mom and dad,

“The doctor says that I can take off the bandages. He said he'd do it himself but I as by far too eager to get out of that dreaded place.”

My mother gave me the tightest hug, and my dad exclaimed with jubilee,

“I thought I lost you, Mindi. Thank goodness you are finally home.”

My dad and Lana helped me into the bathroom where they proceeded to carefully take off my bandages. After they were all off, I gazed in the mirror, and commented with a smile,

“Not bad.”

Lana and I entered our bedroom, and  waited until my dad went back downstairs. Then Lana asked me, in a near whisper,

“So when do you want to go?”

I laughed, and then told her, 

“Right after I can write a note for my parents.”

I sat down at my desk and began to furiously scribble on a page out of my notebook. When I was done it came out as this:

“Mom and Dad,

We went after Perry and the others. They left to protect us. As you can see, I'm a mess without them, and that is why we want them to come back. I don't know where they are in Atlanta, but trust me, I will find them. I don't want you to worry about me. It's over between me and Becky. I know that I am bisexual but I also know that she is not the one. I'll be back home as soon as we convince them to make this all better. The only way that can be is if I am in Perry's arms once again. Also, mom, thank you for giving Lana and I this crazy idea.

Signed, with love,

Mindi”

We waited until midnight and then left the house, speeding off in Lana's shiny new blue car. It was fast, too, being what you call a tuner. The drive to Atlanta was constant and we stopped only to eat at a burger shack along the way. When we finally made it to Atlanta, Lana was exhausted and we rented a room together so we could have some rest. When the morning came, I grabbed out the phone book, and I stared at the pages, letting the entries enter my senses. I flipped through it for hours, and then, it came to me. I told Lana, never more sure of it than anything else in my life,

“I know where they are. Come on. Let's go.”

We went back into the car, and went to the edge of northern Atlanta. We then parked nearby a rural road, and then stared in amazement over what we saw. They were outside, and were amazed to see us. Renee, who was  dressed in matching shorts and a tank top, hugged us both. Perry, who was wearing a casual shirt and skin-tight black jeans that really showed off his butt and everything else, he reaction was less favorable, but a smug smile still formed on his face, letting me know he was happy see me,

“You shouldn’t have came here. Now everything will become...complicated.”