Typical teenager, a junior in Kimber High in North Carolina. Admired by the whole town she has a residence in, and known for her captivating beauty and manners. Laila Stars, the one admired by all but not by the most important person. Herself.
Lail...
I'm too tired to reply so I just continue walking, and next thing I know, I'm in the back seat of his car, trying to stay awake. Someone is on the passenger seat, arguing with Zayn. I couldn't make out who though, too dizzy.
They are talking loudly, and too loud for me hear or register.
"Depression drives you crazy sometimes, yeah?" I quietly mumble to myself before ending the night.
"There she's asleep," a girl says and she huffs. I'm still awake, but too tired to open my eyes, "Wouldn't matter anyway, she won't remember anything in the morning."
"I'm just taking her home with me, I won't even touch her! Why are you so mad?" He snaps.
"Oh, maybe because you get googlely eyes every time you see her!" She screams back. I try to silence Zayn and the girl's, who I am assuming is his girlfriend, argument by blocking my ears with my muscles.
"She's my childhood friend for crying out loud!" He shouts back.
"Childhood friend my ass! She's a depressed freak who has people forced to like her!" She intentionally retorts, and that's when I lose it. I start crying quietly and I could feel both of them turn their heads towards me. I suck in a deep breathe and the words escape my mouth before I can catch them.
"She's right," I slur, "I'm a depressed mess," I start laughing, "Just like that girl said." I was a drunken mess, not aware of what I'm doing. I lay my head back down and take a final sniff.
I know I'm depressed. I'm not used to people reminding me.
"Laila, she didn't mean it," Zayn softly says, trying to sugarcoat the situation. I could hear the surprise in his voice, he just doesn't want to show it. Typical him.
"Who are you to talk for me? Of course I mean it. Why would I have said it?" The girl angrily says.
"Get the fuck out of my car," Zayn snaps. The girl gives him a long glare before opening the car and stepping outside in the cold night. I almost feel sympathy for her when she hugs her bare arms tight around her black dress. The dress looks oddly familiar though.
Zayn lets out a long sigh and says, "Go back to bed, Lily," I accept and sleep it off. But the words that girl said were still ringing in ears. How did she know I was depressed in the first place? Was it that obvious?
I flutter my eyes and gasp at the horrific memory. That did not just happen. And I remember exactly when. That must be why Zayn was acting weird that morning. My mind went into a complete different mode I had no control on. The kind of modes I get when I want to jump off a cliff. I tried shutting these modes off by trying to have other thoughts.
I practically slept again after the whole visiting thing. I swear my ears are still ringing from Francesca and Hailee's screech. Everyone came yesterday, even some of the town's residents. Most of them sent gifts that I can hardly see from the corner of my eye.
But the person I was surprised to see yesterday was Riley. She came in with a couple of girls, placing some daises, my favorite flower, on top of my bed. I remember her shrugging off the fact we canceled our plans because of my presence on the white sheets of the hospital bed.
Oh god I can't do it. I can't have other thoughts.
PANIC MODE: ON
He knows I'm depressed. He knows I'm depressed. He knows I'm depressed. He freaking knows I'm depressed. How? It's because my drunk tongue decided to give away my privacy. Now he's going to think I'm some sort of a wounded freak and he'll never want to talk to me again after his earlier visit. He just came to check up on me, that's what people do, right? Come and go? Oh goodness.
But how the hell did that girl know this kind of info? Is it really written all over my face? Did she...? No she didn't.
Shut up Thinking Laila and suck it up. Ranting in your head won't do anything.
PANIC MODE: OFF
I start moving my head left and right on the uncomfortable pillow. I raise my hands up to puff it the pillow out, but it retracts as soon as I see it. It's all bruises, scratches even some gushes are still there. My other hand flies to my mouth to hold back a scream. I turn around the hand covering my mouth, and shoot off the bed.
Yet somethings wrong. I can't feel toes. Let alone move my legs.
I know I have a very ugly cast on my leg, but that doesn't block the sensitivity in my legs, right?
Right?
I huff, pressing the big red button behind me, getting used to finding it there every time I'm here. A loud beep comes and a petit nurse in blue scrubs carefully walks into the room, and lets out a sad smile when she sees me," We've been accustomed to see you here every once in a while, Ms. Stars."
"Good to see you too, Mona," I widely smile back, 'cause I don't know how to reply in all honesty, but quietly groan when my cheeks stings. I rub my cheeks but the nurse's hands get there first, oiling my them with pleasure.
She wipes her hand on a paper towel and throws it on a bin, "What did you call me here for?"
"I want to get up," I bluntly say. I start shaking my hands under the sheets of the bed but my bottom half isn't moving. I look at Mona and worried is written on my face.
She bites her lip and fixes some of her falling bangs, hesitating to answer my question. I notice her discomfort, not long before her words pierce my ears.
"You're..you're paralyzed from the waist down."
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