The Suicide Helpline | ✔ #Wattys2018

38

X A N D R A

"Nooo!", I whined.

"Yes!", Shawn rolled his eyes, for the millionth time, in this stupid conversation that we were having.

"Absolutely not!", I crossed my arms and pouted, looking in the other direction.

"Stop behaving like a child, Xandra.", Shawn said, yawning.

"I dare you to taste that medicine once! Then, you'll know why I'm not taking it.", I frowned and looked at him angrily. Shawn rolled his eyes again.

"You know, it's not me who's been shot in the stomach!", he said, as a matter of fact. "You need to drink this so that there is no weird insect inside you, taking birth because of a stomach infection, which will eat you from inside and all that will be left of you is a skin bag!"

I widened my eyes and took the medicine immediately. How sweet of him to say it so sensitively. I drank it in one gulp, pinching the bridge of my nose, so that I won't be able to smell it. Ugh. It still tasted pathetic.

"Nice of you to say it that way.", I glared at him and he grinned. How could you stay mad at him when he was being so cute?

"I know. I'm the nicest.", he sang.

"Oh the misconceptions that people have!", I looked up at the ceiling and shook my head in disapproval.

Someone knocked and came inside with a metal trolley, carrying bowls and some other things.

"Food.", the nurse nodded and went out. Shawn stood up from his seat and took the trolley and pushed it towards me. Making me sit up straighter, he adjusted the table in front of me. He opened the lid of the large bowl, and placed the small bowls in front of the both of us.

A heavenly smell was coming from the large bowl. I peeked inside. Sweet corn soup. Yummy. My stomach growled in response and I looked up at Shawn, flushing.

Shawn served the soup in my bowl and started feeding me himself. He really was being the nicest. Oh how much I liked him!

Wait. What?

Nothing!

"You look lost.", Shawn tilted his head slightly and looked at me with the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

Lost I am. In your thoughts. I snickered at that and shook my head.

"No. I'm good."

"Are you sure?", he smirked. Oh how I wanted to beat him into a pulp right now.

"Yup."

He nodded and continued feeding me. After I was done, I forced him to have the soup and order something for himself. He agreed after I blackmailed him that I won't ever eat anything if he didn't eat something now.

I asked him about his family while he was eating his cheese sandwich.

"I only have my dad and my younger brother. His name is Sean. Don't worry, I've told them that I am at a friend's place for some days.", he munched on his crispy sandwich.

The only part I heard was that his brother's name was Sean. Seriously? Like when you had to call Shawn, how did you know it wasn't Sean? Or vice versa.

I was pulled out from my train of useless thoughts when Shawn came and sat beside my head, patting it lightly to help me sleep.

"Sleep now, princess.", he moved his hand slowly on my head. Trust me, that was the most peaceful thing I had ever experienced. And I agreed with my inner voice there itself.

The voice was right. I didn't know what Shawn felt for me.

But, one thing I was sure of. I was starting to like Shawn. A lot more than a friend.

*****