Equals

Chapter 30

Going Back

 

He walks slowly, gripping my hand tighter than ever. I’m basically pulling him every step of the way. I keep telling him he can do this, but it doesn’t make a difference. I open the door, and he takes his first step outside, in the hallway. Maddy looks up at us, shocked, probably at the fact that we’re actually touching without him having a panic attack…

 

“Azurite, you got him out!” She grabs his other arm, and he shudders in pain.

 

“Oh, Maddy, he’s kind of…uhm…sore. Here, hold him here.” I take her hand and put it around his waist, like mine, and his face relaxes. We walk about two laps around the second floor, trying to get him to walk on his own. Finally he tells us he’s fine. We hear a voice behind us.

 

“Hey Mike! Hey, bud where you have been!?” I turn around.

 

“Ugh…”

 

“Hey Az, missed you too. So Mike, how you been?” He hits Michael’s shoulder, but Michael pretends to be untouched. He laughs.

 

“Hey Dawson, I’ve been around, haven’t you seen me?”

 

“No, we’ve all been looking though! Damn dude, they really fixed you up.”

 

“Ha, yeah same for you apparently…”

 

“So, you wanna join us all back in the room? Az and Mads can come too.” Maddy looks at me and rolls her eyes. Apparently she hates her nickname as much as I hate mine. He looks back at us, and back to Dawson.

 

“Yeah, sure, I could use a break. C’mon ‘Az,’ and ‘Mads.’” He laughs. We finally get to the room, and as soon as he steps in Dawson announces their ‘King’ is back. Immediately Mila and Luna lunge at him and kiss his cheeks. He gently pulls them off and wipes their lipstick off. I guess I was looking at him, because a second later he apologizes. Colter and Asher basically say the same things Dawson had said earlier. Archer and Arlo are the only ones left. Arlo says ‘hi’ gently, and goes back to his seat while Archer challenges him to arm wrestle.

 

“Ha...sorry Archer—still sore…”

 

“Oh please, you’ve been resting for weeks, now show me what you got…”

 

“I wish, I need to get my money back, but I really can’t.”

 

“Prove it…” Michael lifts up his shirt again, showing his new scars, I look away and Maddy looks like she’s about to scream. “Damn dude, you turned into a badass didn’t you?” Everyone laughs—except for me.

 

“Sure, that’s one way of putting it.” He laughs again, “rematch soon though. You owe me $75.”

 

“Yeah, yeah I know…”

 

I look down, and notice the sleeves on the long-sleeved white shirt I lent him are turning red. I nudge him, and he looks down at me.