Are You Still Here?

t-h-r-e-e

1 month later:

I'm laying in my bed, almost dozing off when my phone starts playing my ringtone, filling the empty room with sound. I answer the phone,

"Hey." I say.

"Want to hang out?" Liam asks.

"Ehh," I pause, thinking about my parents. "Sure." I answer him.

"Meet me at bridgemont park, 3:45." He says quickly when the yelling in the background starts. Then he hangs up.

. . .
I arrive at the park and seat myself on the bench. I pull out my phone to check the time once again.

3:45 p.m

I look around and notice Liam walking over. He smiles brightly and waves.

"I'm glad you actually came." He said, seating himself next to me.

"Well yeah of course, parents aren't home anyways. It's nice here. Never noticed it before." I say, admiring the calming sounds.

"First day I moved here, I walked around and I found it. I sat down for awhile to rethink my life haha...ha..ha." He stares into my eyes.

"Yeah, I do that a lot. Only in my backyard though." I sigh.

"I know it might be uh.." he pauses and moves his focus to a flower across the sidewalk. "Too early? Too early."

"Too early for what?" I ask, confused.

"I uh.." he stops again, searching for his words. "I like you." He sighs, sounding sadlike perhaps.

"Awh, Liam I didn't know you knew I loved jokes. That's a good one, any others?" I ask sarcastically.

"I know you might not believe it but.."

I cut off his words,

"Of course I don't believe it. A handsome, tall and strong boy like you would like some short problematic girl? You have prettier girls to like, don't you?" I ask him.

"Well sure, some people are pretty but you're the prettiest. Why? Because your personality is beautiful and that's why I like you; because you understand me and you get it. You listen to me and I've needed that for so long." He answers.

"Wow." I finish.

He turns to me slowly and wraps his arms around me, pulling us into a hug.

"And just because you have a lot of problems doesn't mean I wouldn't like you."

He releases me.

"I may have a lot of problems but one day, it could be too much to handle. I'm just saying that it's dangerous to love someone like me." I sigh.

"Well I'm up for the challenge." He stares off into the distance.

Every noise started to sound distant. I started to feel light-headed and dizzy.

"I'm go-" and everything turns black.

. . .
I slowly open my eyes, revealing a bright light. I take in a scent of the air and think of one word:
hospital.

"Hello?" I say out loud.

I hear a door open a few seconds later. Following, metal scrapping against metal.

a curtain.

A woman doctor walks over to me.

"Hello Ms. Heart. Wonderful to see you awake. How are you feeling?" She asks, politely but also with that 'I'm so dead inside' smile.

"I'm fine. Why am I here?" I ask her, confused.

"You are here because your friend Liam called emergency after you passed out and wouldn't wake up." She answers me.

Following, she picks up both of my arms, which are wrapped in bandages.

"I believe this is why." She frowns.

"What is? My arms?"

"Yes. How much did you bleed during so?" She asks.

"I'm uncomfortable. Is Liam here?" I ask, changing the topic.

"Yes, he sure is. I shall let him know you would like to see him. I will take my exit now."

Before she leaves the room, she explains the red button to push in case I needed any help and then the door shuts behind the curtain. I wait about five minutes and the door reopens. Liam closes the door and slides the curtain back.

"Avery.." he pauses, seating himself in the armchair beside me.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I was afraid and I still am. You also wanna know why? Or are you still debating on that one?" I spit.

"I'm sorry Avery. I had no right to ask anyways. I deeply apologize." He sighs, turning his head to look out the window.

"No, I'm sorry. I snapped at you. I just didn't know what would happen to me if I said something." I pause for a moment searching for words. "I've just been looking for a way out. I've been looking for a way to release my thoughts and feel nothing." I sigh.

And for a moment, I thought his words were as lost as himself. Silence grew louder. We sat there for what seemed like hours, staring at the ceiling. Him thinking of something to reply with but there was nothing when it came down to it.

~
wc: 807