Signing Love (#Wattys 2018)

Chapter 28

Cole POV

I pried my eyes open as the loud noise of the alarm next to my bed was ringing in my ears. I looked to the side, on my nightstand, to turn off the alarm, and grab a photo frame from off the stand. As soon as I took it into my hands, I got up into a sitting position, and I kissed the picture.

"Good Morning, Sami." I said to the picture. I hugged the picture frame, and sighed, my heart clenching. "I hope you could wake up anytime soon, Gumdrop. I really want to look back into your eyes and see the love you have for me. I promise to visit you in the hospital after school is over. I love you." I kissed the glass covering the picture one more time, before I carefully placed it on my nightstand.

I quickly finished my daily routine, which was brushing my teeth, taking a shower, getting ready for school, and all those stuff, and I slowly went down the stairs, to see Mom and Ariana silently eating their breakfast. At the time I came down the stairs fully, Ariana has just finished eating.

"Bye Mom." I said, kissing her cheek. "I'll be home at six thirty." I was about to leave the door with Ariana, but she stopped me.

"At least eat something and go." Mom offered. "At least a granola bar? A croissant?"

"I'm good."

"You know, if Sami was here right now, I don't think she would be happy seeing you not eat at all. You haven't eaten anything properly." Ariana added. I gulped, looking into my Mother's pleading eyes. I nodded my head, and she handed me a granola bar. I opened it, eating it along the way to school.

After reaching the school, Ariana went her way, and I went my way. I was glad that I had my own friends, some people who care for me; Hunter and Aaron. They greeted me by my locker.

Since the past three weeks, I have been so gloomy, and they have absolutely no idea why. They thought it would be better if they didn't ask me, but I wouldn't mind, even if they did. But I know that I might cry in the middle.. I tried to look unaffected everyday, but inside, I am breaking, more and more. My life is just wearing away. I haven't felt this much grief since my Dad left.

"Hey, since tomorrow is a Saturday, how about we hang out for some time? I know it has been a while since we went out to eat ice cream together." Hunter offered, tearing me away from my thoughts. Aaron nodded.

"Yeah. I am free tomorrow. How about you, Cole?" Aaron asked me.

"I just really need to stay and be alone for some time." I replied. I do. Hunter gave out a long sigh.

"Well, I just think it's going to be you and I, Aaron. Look man, we have clearly noticed that you aren't the happy guy you were before. We really miss the guy you were before. Just, please?" I stayed silent for a second. I agree with them. I kind of do have to get out of this.

"I'll think about it." With that small answer, they gave me a small smile. I decided to give one back to them.

~~~

"Hey, Sami. I actually had a good day today. My friends made me smile today, and I was a little less tense than usual. I mean, that is what you would have me to do, right? Have me happy, healthy, no matter where you are, or where I am. I figured that as long as I am happy, you would be happy, right?"

I placed her cold hand on my warm cheeks, letting the major temperature change send shivers down my spine.

"Do you want me to tell you what happened today at lunch?" I waited a second, as if she would answer in that small amount of time. "Well, I take your silence as a yes."

Flashback

Lunch time came pretty fast, comparing to all the other days that I have been in school since the past three weeks Sami has been asleep. Hunter, Aaron and I have been a little more normal than usual, but not as normal as we were before. We were in fair terms.

I opened my small lunchbag, getting out an Enchilada that Mom packed for me, hoping that I would finish it. I took a bite out of it, silently praising my Mom for the wonderful taste of the spicy Enchilada. I didn't know that I was so hungry until I gulped the small amount of my food down my throat.

"Hey, Tiger." I heard a very annoying feminine voice whisper by my ear, making me shiver in disgust.

Lucy sat on my lap, kissing my cheek while tracing the other one. I slightly pushed her off my lap gently, just to let her know that I wasn't interested in her, and I was getting pretty uncomfortable. If it was the time before I fell for Sami, then sure. I would have enjoyed it, but now isn't the time.

She pouted, trying to look seductive, but nothing happened, so she hugged me from behind, pressing her breasts against my back. This time, I wasn't gentle. I twisted away from her grip, and shoved her away, having her topple over, and her books were all over the place.

Others around the cafeteria gasped in surprise, because they know that I wasn't the guy to push girls away from me. She was helped up by some of her friends, and they got her books for her.

"Baby, why did you do that?" She asked me, placing her hand on my cheek. I shoved her again, but to my disappointment, she didn't fall.  "Cole-"

"No, Lucy. Just stay away from me, you slut." I confessed how I felt about her. And it was so true. She gasped, and blushed from humiliation.

"You have been hanging out with that bitch, Samantha for a really long time. It's not good for you."

"You have no right to tell me what is good for me or what is not. And no, she is not a bitch."

"Yes she is. I haven't seen her in a while. Who knows what guy she was hanging out with right now. How do you know that she's not fucking someone right now?" Her friends and her giggled by her side. I gave out a dry chuckle.

"How do you know where she is right now? Do you have any clue about where she is? You don't. That's why you are saying all this." Her smiled vanished into thin air. "She is in the hospital right now, and she in a coma. Since the past three weeks, the doctors haven't seen any sign that she was going to wake up any time soon. I was in the same accident as she was, and I was being an idiot. A car hit us, and she went into a coma, I fractured my arm. I have been meeting her every single day since the past three weeks, but she didn't wake up yet.

You say that I have been hanging out with her, and I am glad I did. I understood the meaning of life better; it's not about going after girls, and having sex. It's about having fun, and understanding the people around you. Knowing them better. And I am proud to say that I love her, even more than my life. She is going to wake up, and she will be back in school in no time. Just watch and see, she will be my girlfriend. And I will never let her go."

I noticed the whole cafeteria fell silent, and Lucy had tears in her eyes. I grabbed my lunch bag, walking out of the cafeteria.

"Bitch." I whispered, shoving my shoulder into Lucy's. I didn't dare take a look back at anyone in the large room.

End of Flashback

I let out a heavy, shaky breath as a tear rolled freely off my chin. I shut my eye closed, feeling the pain rake inside my heart. Too much time has passed. Why can't she just wake up right now?

"Please, Gumdrop. I'm begging you to wake up. I found out what my mistake was. Just, please. I'll do anything for you. Don't let me go. Because once you do, I won't."

I brushed my lips over the palm of her hand, while having hot tears going down my cheeks.

At that moment, the room fell silent, other than the constant beeping sound of the heart monitor, but in less a second, those several beeps turned into one long, monotonous beep, making my heart almost stop.

She can't be... dead.