Personality Academy

Jayden

Rowan burst into the hospital room and stopped at the sight of Kayla connected to several machines, but that wasn’t what stopped him; Kayla had curled up against Jayden. Both of them seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and if Kayla didn’t look so peaceful, he would’ve beat Jayden.

 

He stomped out, bumping into Amber by the door. Amber peaked into the room, and ran after Rowan. “Rowan, stop!” Amber called as she ran down the sterile white corridor.

 

They walked out of the hospital wing in silence, and continued to walk in silence until they made it to the water fountain in the courtyard outside the school.

 

Rowan sat on a bench facing the fountain and Amber followed suit. “All the stories and legends, they’re true,” Rowan said without any emotion.

 

“I’m sure there is a good reason that Kayla... Kayla is not... There’s a good reason,” Amber said, trying to figure out what to say.

 

“Thanks for the terrible pep talk,” Rowan said, giving her a sad smile.

 

 

Paris walked into Jayden and Kayla’s hospital room. He found Jayden on an armchair not two feet from Kayla’s hospital bed. Paris shook Jayden’s shoulders.

“Have you been here all night?” Paris asked with a laugh.

 

“Is it morning?” Jayden asked as he stretched.

 

“It’s the afternoon,” Paris said, opening the dark curtains to let in light.

 

“Then yes, I have been here all night,” Jayden said. “You’re chipper.”

 

Paris had taken on his happier complexion as he checked the monitors Kayla was hooked up to. “And you are going to class,” Paris said. “But first, lunch. I’m guessing you haven’t had any.”

 

“No,” Jayden said as he reluctantly walked out of the room.

Paris began to follow Jayden out, but stopped at the doorway and walked back to Kayla’s bedside. He wrapped his fingers around Kayla’s hand as he studied the heart monitor. He’d been in enough hospital rooms to recognize a steady heartbeat like the one displayed on Kayla’s monitor now.

 

“You’ll make it out of this little sis’,” he said placing a quick kiss on Kayla’s forehead. Then, he left the room and walked with Jayden to their room where hamburgers and fries sat on the two desks.

 

Jayden and Paris sat at their desks and turned so they were facing each other. Jayden took a few bites of his burger then asked “Where’d you get the burgers?”

 

“Being the top team has its advantages,” Paris said with a grin.