The Coach's Daughter

Emergency

A couple days and two quizes later I was slowly falling asleep at two in the morning, again. I guess I'm what you'd call a night owl, I unplug at roughly eleven, turning off my phone and computer. But, then I just get to thinking, about school, and music, and football, and life. But as my iHome clock glowed a 2:13 I heard a text come in.

Lyle: I need help. House caught fire. Grandpa may not make it.

I bolted out of bed and into my parents room. Tears running down my face I shook my dad awake.

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!" More tears.

"Huh?" He sat up and gripped my face, tears still running down it. "Baby, Sweetie what's wrong?"

"Daddy. It's Lyle! He need's help! His house is on fire we need to go!" Dad nodded and he jumped out of bed and retreived a tee shirt from his drawer. I scruuried to my bedroom and slipped on flip flops and a sweatshirt before we ran to the car.

As soon as the car started moving I texted Lyle back. 'We're leaving now. Be there in 2.'

"Dad, he said his granddad may not make it." Dad let out a worried sigh. Lyle's parents died in a car crash when he was 11, I remembered it, he didn't come into school for a whole week, me and momma brought him cookies. He lives with his grandpa now, because all his other relitives are either dead or across the country.

We pulled into his driveway and I jumped out of the car before it stopped moving. The house was gone,burned to a crisp. I frantically looked through the large amount of firetrucks, ambulences, and people for Lyle. I guess he saw me first because I found him running at me. Before I would say anyhing he wrapped his arms around me in the tightest hug I've ever experianced. His head on my shoulder, sobbing. "Cinder, he's not gonna make it, what... what am I gonna do?" I just hugged him back, rubbing his back and trying to hush him.

Dad was talking to the firemen and the parametics. His face sad and tired. He nodded his head and shook the mens hand before walking over to us. "Lyle, I'm gonna take you and Aurora to the hospital okay? Lyle sniffed in response.

We climbed into the backseat and Dad started to drive. The only sound in the car was Lyle's sniffs. I laced my fingers into his and gave his hand a squeeze. He held it tight and stared out the window.

When we got to the hospital Lyle and I (still holding hands) sat in the waiting room while Dad asked the reseptionist about Lyle's grandpa. Lyle didn't say a word, his tears still fell down his face, silently now. Whenever he'd sniff he'd grip just a bit more.

"Mr. Holt? Lyle?" The nurse spoke. "You may go in." Lyle sprung from hs seat and through the door, Dad and I followed. The nurse stopped Dad and whispered "He doesn't have much time left, one day tops." Dad frowned and shooke his head. I pushed past him and down the hall to where Lyle was. He held his grandpa's burned hand.

I stood in the doorway and watched him. "Gramps." He spoke, just above a whisper, "You can't leave, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Please." The heart moniter beeped, slowly, and longer, until it stopped. When it stopped Lyle let out the most pain staking cry. I ran into the room and embraced the screaming and crying Lyle. He hugged back, we sat like that until the nurses came in.

They took Lyle's grandpa to another room to see if he could donate any organs, leaving us, on the floor of his hospital room crying.

About fifteen minutes later Dad walked in. "Ella, I just got off the phone with your mom. Lyle, we would like you to spend the night at our house until we can talk to social services in the morning." Lyle noddded and picked himslef up off the floor and hugged my dad.

"Thank you coach." He whispered before the three of us headed out to the car.

When we got home my mom was up and had hot chocolate and tea on the counter, she knew tea was my preferance. Lyle mumbled a thanks as we sat at the bar drinking our drinks. Momma was going into detail about how she had put some blankets on the guestroom bed and they were just upstairs if he needed anything. He again mumbled thanks and both of my parents retreated back to bed for their last few hours of sleep.

After we drank our drinks I showed him the guest room. "I'm sorry."

He looked at me and frowned, "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"This sucks." I mean, let's just state the obvious Aurora, geez.

"Tell me about it." He flopped down on bed. I flopped down next to him.

"Are you gonna go to school tommorrow?"

"Nope. You?"

"I think my parents will let me skip, due to severe lack of sleep."

"Yeah, and I have to talk to that social worker."

"Where are you gonna live?"

"No clue. Will you come visit me?"

"Yes sir." He giggled. "When are you gonna tell Sophie?"

"We broke up."

"Yeah? When?"

"Last week, when she accused me of being madly in love with you." He stood up and headed to the bathroom.

I stood up as well and followed him out, "wait what?"

He walked into the bathroom and shut the door before saying, "Goodnight Auroa."

"Goodnight Lyle." And on my way up the stairs I relized, that was the first time since 5th grade, he called me Aurora..