Sea Of Flames

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When I wake, I’m staring into the eyes of Keif Woods. Keif and his family are my next door neighbors. Mr. Woods is a doctor and I am obviously in his care. I’m confused and my head has a pulse. I bring my hand to my forehead and I feel a large bump. I groan. I close my eyes but then room feels like its spinning.

“Good afternoon, Paralee.” He says in a low voice.   Even if he speaks quietly the sound seems way too loud. I think of covering my ears, but that would be impolite.

 “What happened?” I make out but my voice cracks, and I don’t know if he understood me. I try to sit up. The light in this room are just too brigth and it starts to give me a headache. I close my eyes momentarily.

“Well you were swimming and you hit your head on the buoy. You almost drowned. It was a good thing that Idella wasn’t far away to save you. Do you remeber all of this Paralee?” Idella saved my life. I beat Wym to the buoy. My head hurts so much.

"Yes, i do. The last thing I remeber is hitting my head and then i saw a figure over me." i explain. Dr. Woods grabs a sheet of paper next to him and quickly writes something onto it. He appears quite interested in my well being. Of course he is a voice in my head says, H'es a doctor for crying out loud?!

“How long has it been since then?” I ask Dr. Woods. He put the paper down onto a table and looks at his watch. He pauses to thin for a moment and the he replies.

“I believe a couple of hours.” I close my eyes because I feel nauseous. I know I’m probably green and ready to throw up. I can tell by the look on Dr. Wood’s face. I hear a knock at the door , but i dont bother to go get it or even to open my eyes. “There is someone who wants to see you.” He says as he leaves the room. I assume that my parents are about to burst into the room along with Alder and Wym but they don’t. Instead Orvil Woods enters, Dr.Woods's son. I nearly throw up when he walks to my bed. Mostly because I feel nauseous but partly because I had no idea he knew me. He must’ve seen me hit my head. Then i think of how bad it would be if i acted weird around him. The mere thought makes the burning acid rush up my throat. I turn over and see a bowl. i trhow up into it. A nurse rushes in to take it away. I don't know if I just threw up because I was sick or because of Orvil.

“If this is a bad time I can come when you are feeling up to par.” Orvil says he chuckles lightly. I feel so stupid. I wish he didn’t know me. Orvil is looking at me with his dark eyes. I want to ask him why he came and I know that this is the only place Wym’s prying eyes can’t reach.

“I’m feeling much better after that.” I say. I see a smile spread across his face.He takes his hands out of his pockets and comes over to my bed.  He sits on a nearby stool. I ask the question that’s been puzzling me, “Why are you here? I mean with me.”

“Well I saw you hit your head and I went to get my dad. After that I came to the hospital with my him to make sure you were okay.” He smiles at me and I do the best to smile back. I wonder why he felt like he had to come to the hospital. But I push the thought away. “If you want we can walk home together.”

“I’d love that.” I say. “But I don’t have any shoes and I might fall if I try to walk.” I’m being honest I truly want to walk home with him.

“I can carry you.” The idea is a little weird. First Orvil comes to visit me. Then he offers to carry me home. Is Orvil flirting with me? The thought is repulsing. Not that Orvil is ugly; in fact he is quite handsome. I’m repulsed because I’m not pretty. At least not compared to girls like Idella and Kipsie. And I just threw up in front of him. I wonder if he’s just toying with my feelings.

“Or I could push you in a wheelchair.” He proposes grabbing my hand. His hands are warm I can’t help but smile. I want to stay like this for a while. Sit here and pause the moment. Now I know that he’s flirting.

“Sure. Thanks by the way for offering.” I reply. He comes back with my discharge papers and a wheelchair. I sit in and let him push me out.

The sun is slowly going down and the sunset if magnificent. The orange light mixed in with a pink and slowly turns into blue. There is not a cloud in the sky. I put my toes on the cement. It’s warm from the sun and the heat radiates through my body. Orvil pushes me slowly  as I am distracted by the sun.

 “Wonder why your family never came to see you.” Orvil remarks. I’m also wondering why Alder wasn’t the first to enter in my room. I wonder if they had something better to do. Suddenly I’m worried. Was anyone else hurt? Or was it as simple as they knew I would be fine. Maybe Orvil whisked me away not knowing my parents and siblings awaited to take me home. Time flies and the next thing I’m aware of I’m at my doorstep and I stand up, feeling fine and enter. My mom is in the kitchen cooking and Wym and Alder are sitting reading.

“I’m back.” I say and my mom turns her head and rushes toward me with arms open to hug me. She hugs me and I feel the warmth of her body. I wrap my arms around her and take in a deep breath of her perfume.

“Paralee, it looks like you have a volcano on your forehead.” Wym says I stick my tongue out at him and he does the same.

“Honey, you should go get some rest. Don’t worry about your swimsuit, I’ll wash the blood off.” I had never noticed I was still in my bathing suit. I slowly make my way up the stairs to my room. I strip off and take a warm shower. I brush my hair and I fall on my bed. I put on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I pull the fuzziest blanket I can find up to my nose. I breathe deeply in and out. The events of the day are syncing in. I hit my head. Idella saved me. Orvil was flirting with me. I don’t see how my day could twist anymore. My eyes feel so heavy but I don’t want to sleep. Off in the distance I hear the phone ring. Just as I’m about to drift of mom yells, “Paralee there’s someone on the phone for you”

I get up and look over the banister. My mother signals for me to come. I don’t know who would be calling me. It’s probably someone from school calling to see if I’m okay, someone from the hospital. Perhaps I’ve won a prize. Or it might be a prank call. But nervertheless, I'm shocked there's a call for me. I'm not very popular. In fact I don't have many friends.

“Hello?” I say and I wait for an answer. I don’t know why I’m nervous but my heart is pounding faster and faster.

“Hi, it’s Orvil.”

I’m both relieved and intrigued. I am relieved because it could have been the hospital telling me that I have been injured much more badly than they expected. Or the police, though I have done nothing wrong. I’m intrigued because why would Orvil call me? We have barely spoken to each other. I have on occasion spoken to him for school projects and said ‘hi’ to him. What could Orvil possibly need? My first reaction is to run to my room. I can’t let anyone know who it is. Mom probably knows who it is, but Wym would bug me endlessly.  “I wanted to ask you to go somewhere.”

“Where is somewhere?” I say. Orvil must've been flirting with me today. I had a feeling he was asking me out. Although, I couldn't be sure, no one has ever asked me before.  

“Actually I’m not quite sure. How about we have a picnic in Morrisdale Park?” He asks. The truth is I want to go. But my head aches and it’ll be dark soon. I don’t want to say no. I might never get another chance like this. If I go late Wym and Alder won’t know. Mentally, I create a plan. I'll get ready late and sneak out. I just hope i won't get caught espceially in the condition I'm in. I'd never hear the end of it if my mom knew.

“Where do I meet you?” I reply. I try and forget the nagging thought of getting caught. What are you thinking? my mind asks me. Your mother will be furious! I push my conscince away and

“We’ll meet each other near the abandoned check-in at nine.” And everything falls silent. I hear the dial tone and push the ‘end conversation’ button.