A Dance with the Devil

Chapter 8.1

“The number you have dialled is either unattended or out of—“

For the countless times, I pressed the end button and dialled again, muttering curses under my breath.

“The number you have—“

“Dammit!” I cursed a little too loud causing the people in the bus to turn and give me disapproving looks. I pushed the end button and tried again regardless of the people aroud me.

“Miss, we’re in a gasoline station. Turn off your phone.” Someone said.

I ignored whoever it was and continued to redial.

“Hey, Miss, get off the buss!” another one scolded me. “You’re risking us all here!”

I shot a glare towards the direction of the voices scolding me and was about to counter their words when someone grabbed my phone away from behind.

“Its okay, I got it.” A familiar voice said. I turned around and scowled at Zeke. He was holding my phone out of my reach so it was no use to grab it away.

“Easy.” Zeke grinned down at me. “I’ll give it back later when we’re all safe.”

How come I didn’t notice we were riding on the same bus? When did he even get on? I was sure I was here first. Maybe I was really preoccupied with my phone to notice the people getting on.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that.” Zeke uttered defensively. “I just feel like saving everyone’s life from my inconsiderate little classmate.”

I was about to say something but the bus suddenly started moving and I was thrown backwards to Zeke’s direction. Luckily, he’s got a good instinct and I was steadied by his hold on my shoulders.

“Careful.” He said, obviously trying not to laugh at me. “Here. You can call your boyfriend again.”

He handed me my phone and I drastically snatched it away with a scowl on my face. “I’m not thanking you. And I’m not…he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Sure.” He mocked. “And you’re welcome.”

“I didn’t say thank you.”

“There!” Zeke laughed. “You just did so you’re welcome…again.”

I rolled my eyes. “Like a kid.”

Zeke’s face was filled with amusement now. “So they say. It’s my charm.”

I snorted. He just laughed again.

“Saint Luke’s!” The driver informed the passengers. Sure enough, I could see the hospital clearly at the right side of the road. I was already on my stop.

“I’m off.” I muttered as I made my way out.

“See ‘ya.” Zeke responded just in time before I finally got off the bus.

Saint Luke’s brought so much unpleasant memories about the accident a month ago. I was confined for a week in there. Trevor was so much worse. He was confined for as long as I could remember. He was in comma when I left the hospital and I was forbidden to see him. His mother was furious. She wouldn’t even let me peek inside his room. I remembered begging, crying and apologizing repeteadly but she was not convinced. Dad was the same with her. Then at some point they ended up agreeing that both of us would be forbidden to see each other ever again. Even so, I was able to slip in his room the night before we leave the hospital and tucked a note in his hand. Fearing that we wouldn’t be seeing each other then on, I let him know I was fine and if he ever read it, he should give me a call. All this time I was blaming myself because of what happened. I should be the one in comma. Trevor didn’t deserve any of it.

I knew Trevor’s room so I didn’t have to approach the information desk. When I reach the right floor, I hurried to find Trevor’s room. It didn’t take long since I still remember where the exact room was. I was walking fast but when it’s only a few steps away from his door, my pace slowed and I felt my stomach churned. I clenched my fist trying to keep my hands from trembling.

Then all of a sudden my mind lost track of the real reason why I went there.

The only reason left was…I wanted to see him. I wanted to see Trevor.

And that I missed him. I tried to deny it for the past weeks. Tried to fight off the longing, thinking I was not supposed to feel it and thinking that I was just feeling guilty.

But now there was no point to it. My mind gave away all of my excuses.

I stopped infront of the door, unable to keep my hands from trembling.

The reason I came here with you, with no buts and without second thoughts, is because I---

His words stayed in my head; repeated over and over again.

My hand took the door handle nervously. I breathed a lump of air before pushing the door open revealing an empty room.

I frowned in confusion. Then questions aroused inside my head simultaneously.

Wrong room?

Wrong floor?

 I turned back towards the door tag just to be sure. Room 809. This was it. I couldn’t be wrong.

Is he moved to another room?

“Miss?” someone called.

I turned and came face to face with a young nurse I seemed to recognize. She was oe of the nurses who was assigned to me when I was here.

“Um…I…” My voice sounded shaky. Almost silly. It was as if I was caught doing a crime.

“Oh no,” the nurse frowned apolegetically and seemed to realized something. “You’re Miss Raven McQuillen, right? You’re here to visit your friend who was here…I should’ve known. ”

“What do you mean my friend who was here? Where is he?”

“You didn’t know?” the nurse asked, suddenly looking sorry. My heat raced. I didn’t know what?

I swallowed to fight the lump in my throat and I tried to keep a straight face. “D..Did he…Is he…”

“No, no.” The nurse cut me off, noticing the alarm in my voice. “He didn’t…you know. He woke up last week and then his mother took him home just two days ago.”

I sighed in relief but concern was still on my face. “That’s good news. I wasn’t informed, though.”

“Don’t worry. Maybe he’ll call you one of these days.”

I doubt it. I thought bitterly.

If he could call me, he’d probably called me earlier when he woke up. Maybe his parents found my note, throw it away and bought him a new phone. Who knows what happened next?

“Thank you for telling me.” I finally said. “I…I have to go.”

The nurse nodded and smiled. “Take care.”

I didn’t go straight home that afternoon. I dropped by the park, took a swing and watched the sunset. Today was just my second day at school and there were so much that happened already. I got enemies and I got a job to do for the rest of the school year. Tyler and I fought. Good news that Trevor woke up and was already home. Bad news that he didn’t call me.

Worst implied news? We would never be able to see each other again.

The nurse told me he was brought home but I knew better than to think they still live at their old house where Trevor and I spent most of our old times together. They probably live somewhere else now. Where I could not be able to find them, obviously. They were dead serious of their agreement with my dad.

“They should never cross paths again.”  Dad’s voice echoed in my head.

“I’ll make sure of that.” Trevor’s mom agreed back in the hospital, a month ago.

Yep. Too much for two days. I sighed. My life’s wonderful.