Instead of Me

∆20∆

Through a countless amount of texts with Annie and Katherine while Mrs. Valentine got herself lost in the hospital trying to find food, I finally learned how both Katherine and Annie showed up at my house to find me passed out on the floor with a pool of blood around my head. 

Katherine had been knocking on my front door, trying to peer through the window to see if I was home. She saw that my car was still parked in the driveway, so she thought I might have been ignoring her. Annie pulled up to my house in Heath's car with a determined expression on her face. As Heath drove away, she marched angrily up to the porch. 

"What are you doing?" Annie asked Kat, who jumped when she heard her voice. 

Katherine was flustered. She smoothed out her shirts, stuttering out a response. "I. . . um I w-was waiting to. . . to um. . ."

Annie waved her hand in the air, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, Kat, but he's been acting about as moody as a pregnant woman who's baby was supposed to be delivered two and a half weeks ago." She crouched over to the potted plant at the side of the porch. She lifted it up and grabbed the spare key. "So, if you're trying to make up with him about something, it probably won't work." Annie set the plant back down. "Now, if you're trying to yell at him for acting like an idiot, you can join me." She offered a fake smile and shoved the key into the lock. 

"I wasn't trying to- I wasn't going to make up with him." Kat was still stammering. 

Annie tried to push the door in. "Finley Robertson, get ready because I'm about ready to blow off some steam!" she yelled into the house. She tried to push the door again, but it wouldn't budge past a couple inches. "Help me push the door in," she said to Katherine. They used all of their might to push the door in. "What the heck is behind here?" Annie muttered as she peeked her head inside the crack. Her face when sheet white and her jaw dropped. Her breath caught inside her throat and she slipped her tiny body through the space between the door and the doorway. 

"Anastasia, what's wrong?" Katherine yelled, her voice full of concern. The immediate thought that crossed her mind was that I was laying dead in my kitchen. That wasn't far from the truth though. "Anastasia?" 

Annie had moved me so that Katherine could get inside. "Go get me a rag or something, Kat." 

Katherine screamed when she saw me. "Is he-"

"He's alive!" Annie shouted, frustrated. "Just get me a rag!" She was holding my head up and pressing her coat to my temple. Tears started blocking her vision, but she forced them to go away. Katherine scrambled through each drawer and cabinet to find a rag. "Finn, what the heck happened?" She kissed my cheek and tried her hardest not to cry. "I'm going to kill your dad." 

Eventually, Katherine found the rag and threw to Annie. She replaced her coat with the rag. "Do I call the police?" Kat asked, her voice shaking. Annie nodded her head until she noticed my eyes fluttering open. "Is he waking up?" Kat's voice was full of relief.

Annie started crying, ready to throw up after thinking I was on the brink of death. "He's waking up," she whispered, trying to convince herself. "He's okay." 

"A-annie?" I mumbled. She couldn't hear me, but she saw my lips moving. 

"Oh my gosh, Anastasia, he's woken up." Katherine ran her fingers through her hair, sighing with a smile on her face. 

Annie brushed her thumb across my cheek. "Annie?" I repeated, louder and more coherent this time. She grinned as tears streamed down her face. Katherine asked her if she should still call the police. "Wh-what are you doing here?" My voice was hoarse. I tried to sit up, but Annie wouldn't allow it.