I Will Fight For You

Ghost In A Crackhead Shell.

The days following the party were bad. I was sick. They took me to the hospital later that same night due to food poisoning. I just thought my dizziness was from the alcohol. My father was livid after finding out about my drunkenness. Drinking age and all that, that was only a show. He was more worried about it disturbing my training schedule over the next few days. But mainly more of his reputation.

From what I was told, I passed out and they tried to clean me from all the throw up but I just kept getting sick. Jay called an ambulance and had to let everyone know what was happening for them to leave. I would have hoped to keep my embarrassment a secret but obviously with no luck. All my friends knew, at least the texts I received were of concern for me. 

I stayed home longer than I was suppose to. I really didn't feel like going back to school so I mostly stayed at the gym. I jumped rope, I did squats, I planked and I ran. I hated running but I did it to preoccupy my mind.

It was Thursday when Hannah stopped by after school, she'd been continuously texting me even with my one word replies.

I hadn't gone to the gym that day instead woke up late and lazed in front of the tv for the remainder of the day. Mattie, our housekeeper, lila, and I had just made our way into season two of Rick and Morty when the doorbell rang. I was way too comfortable in my position to move. I was lying down with Mattie by my head and Lila by my feet and a bag of hot Cheetos next to me. I wouldn't have answered if I knew it was her but I wasn't the one to open the door. We played rock, paper, scissors and Mattie lost. I forgot to tell him I was avoiding  Hannah, although, I did tell him about the kiss.

I didn't really look at her not until we were both in my room. I sat on my bed and she stood by the door. In hindsight, I'm now mentally acknowledging how much of I fool I am because of when she came over.

"How are you feeling?" She asked once I was settled.

I shrugged, "I shouldn't have been eating hot Cheetos but I'm stubborn, I guess".

She laughed looking a bit fidgety in her floral dress. "Your Dad will probably take you back to the hospital to pump your stomach." A funny inside joke to which I laughed but then it got insanely quite. "So, uh, I haven't talked to Riley much and, uh, you haven't been responding either. It wasn't until the next day that this girl Jay was with told me what went down that's how I found out you got sick."

"Oh, uh, yeah," I cleared my throat feeling it suddenly getting scratchy. "Punishment. Phone. Yeah." I lied, she knew it too. My father has never punished me with anything that isn't gym related. We use to joke about switching parents when it came to parenting.

"Well, I just-"

"Sorry, Hannah, I'm just really busy at the moment. Can't we talk later?"

I internally cringed. Could I be anymore fucking obvious. I couldn't talk with her right now I was still trying to make shit straight with this Riley stuff and I might fuck up and let it slip. I guess I used that as justification as to why I didn't realize just how much my imperviousness affected her.

Still wearing her heart on her sleeves she convened the brightest fake smile she could, rested a bundle, I only now noticed, onto my computer desk and walked out the room. The start and restarting of an old, rusty engine declares her departure. You can hear the truck sputter for at least half a mile as she drives away. Why her father hasn't dismantled that truck yet I won't understand.

As per schedule the sprinklers turned on. I remained on the bed for a few minutes my muscles too sore for any abrupt movements. It's the gunshots emitting from the tv downstairs that evokes me to get up not wanting to miss anymore of my show. But my eyes land on the parcel perched on my desk slanting sideways. It's one of those weird plastic/paper disposable bags that you open by pulling apart from the top or the mouth as I call it.