Chapter II
Paul
While Shea was at Paul's house Paul was still fighting with Emily.
"What did you do to her Paul?" Emily almost shrieks at me. I see that Shea is walking away and I turn to go after her as Emily grabs my arm to hold me still. "Paul tell me now."
"What do you want me to tell you Em?" I ask, "Tell me. Do you want me to say that it was nothing that Shea is overreacting and that everything is going to be alright?"
"No smart-aleck I want you to tell me the truth." Shesh what is it with girls and being so moody?
"Trust me you don't want to know. Besides it's not even your business. Just drop it ok."
"You aren't leaving 'till I know."
"Are you going to try and stop me Emily? Go ahead and try." My voice is so menacing that even I am shocked how harsh I am treating her. Emily let go and bowed her head knowing that she could try to stop him but wasn't strong enough.
"You know I can't do that Paul" says Emily. I sigh as I glide over to Emily and hold her head and kiss her on the forehead.
"I'm truly sorry Em but I don't love you. There is someone else. I know this must be hard but it's true. I just didn't want to hurt you like this. Good-bye Emily." I turn to leave as Emily says something.
"Wait. Paul please will you look at me?"
"Make it fast. I have to head home Em."
"...Is it true? You broke up with me because you love Shea."
"I-"my mind is racing to think how she knew. I must not have hidden it as well as I thought. "Was I that obvious?" I can see her trying to hold back
the tears as she speaks
"No. But now I really know. I had a feeling but I wanted to be sure." Emily shuffles to her door and goes inside.
I decide to go look around for Shea but for some reason I have a feeling that she is safe wherever she went. Instead I walk home to think this out. My feet carry me to my house and I open the door.
"Hi sweetie," my mom calls from the garden, "You have company upstairs."
"Thanks mom." I don't feel like telling her about what happened today. As I head up the stairs I think about Shea. I have heard people tell me that you are in love when one person is in your mind when you wake up and the last thing on your mind when you go to sleep. Well it was that way with me and Shea. Well, at least I thought so. She never had a boyfriend that I know of. I just assumed that she was shy about asking me. I am such an idiot! I don't think she ever did like me. The only reason I went out with Emily is because Shea told me to. I would do anything for her and she doesn't realize it. As I reach the top of the stairs I freeze. Why is my door open?
As I approach the door and look inside I sigh in relief. Shea must have been here for a while and fell asleep listening to music. I bet if I were to look at the CD it would be the only country CD I have. I pull up a chair to sit next to her so she won't wake.
Sometimes this happens and I will sit by her side to protect her in a way. I look at Shea, in her faded green tank top and cut offs as I think about how I have been aching while she would tell me about her crushes. She would talk for hours about one guy and every minute it would tear me up. Then at night I would break things and ask God why this was happening to me. I would ask if it was my punishment for something. He never replied back.
But now I look on her and sweep a piece of her curly light brown hair out of her face and tuck it back. As I do this I notice that she flinched. Also that her head feels really hot. I stand up to get a wet washcloth for her. As I walk back I hear a thud and I run to my room. It looks like Shea tried to stand up then just collapsed.
"Shea wake up." I am begging her to wake up and she doesn't. This is strange because she usually wakes up when I call her name. "MOM" I yell as I run down the stairs.
"Why are you yelling?" my mom hates it when I yell in the house.
"Shea collapsed on the floor and she isn't waking up." It seems like I am talking 90 miles an hour but I know she knew what I said. My mom runs up the stairs to my room as I am on her heels.
"Paul call 9-1-1 right now."
"Wait why?" When she gives me that evil look I take my phone out and dial.
"9-1-1 what is your emergency?"
"I need an ambulance. My friend has collapsed and she's not waking up."
"What's the address?"
"3527 Tangerine Rd."
"Someone is on the way."
"Thank you so much." Click.
Ten minutes later the ambulance arrives and I am still in shock when they load Shea into the vehicle. My mom ushers me into the car as we follow behind. I don't pay much attention to anything but when the song Sarah Beth by Rascal Flatts comes on I quickly turn off the radio. I don't want to think about what could happen to my Shea. I mean as a friend since she doesn't feel the same about me. Why did she have to make this so difficult?
When we get to the hospital I start to walk with them when my mom pulls me to the waiting room.
"I'm going to go call Shea's parents ok." She tells me as she starts to walk away.
This is madness. The doctors won't let me see her even though I'm her best friend. I want to be by her side. When she opens her eyes I want to be the first one she sees not some doctor.
Instead I am sitting in a waiting room by myself staring at the clock. I figured if I stare at it long enough then time would go faster and the sooner I can see Shea. I look at the clock to see that only half an hour went by even though it seems like a million years.
I decide to lie down and attempt to sleep until I can see her. The cold plastic chairs are really uncomfortable but I lay down anyways. It doesn't take long to relax and before I know I'm asleep.
*dream*
I wake up and there is nobody around. Where did everyone go? "Hello?" I call out. This is creepy. I feel like I am in one of those horror flicks where there is nobody around except a serial killer. I get up to go find Shea when it dawns on me, I don't even know her room number. Feeling like an idiot I walk around to try and find her.
For some reason the number 23 is in my head. Shea always told me to follow my gut so I go look room number 23. The hallways have an eerie silence as I walk through them. The room is on floor 1 section 4. I chuckle to myself. She is on floor 1, room 23, and section 4. 1-2-3-4. I know it's not a time to be laughing but if I laugh then I won't be as afraid.
When I get to the room I hear noises, fast impatient beeping noises, footsteps pounding on the tile and then a long ringing beep. I reach to open the door. I grab the handle and everything pauses when I hear an ear splitting scream-
