Sweetened Facade

Chapter Six

I woke up to a bright white light being flashed into my eyes. Murmurs and muffled noises echoed throughout the room. I lay on a soft, cushioned bed, heads popping in and out of my vision. It took me a while to come to my senses and make an attempt at sitting up. A hand gently pushed me back down again, shushing the other people in the room.
"You're okay Tate. You just passed out."   I stared blankly at his tired eyes. He must have followed me to the elevator.
I slumped back down reluctantly. I felt drained, both emotionally and physically. Insomnia was not something that bothered me that much. It only got worse when Finn was in hospital or around stressful times. With exams approaching and Finn not being home, I've been burning out slowly. I closed my eyes, wanting to scratch my fringe out of my face, until I realised I was being anchored down.
My eyes shot open to see my hand in Dylan's, his tired eyes watching carefully over me.
"Hey!" I yanked my hand away but he clung onto it.
"Shush. You sleep. Isn't this what girls want anyway?" He smirked. That jerk is taking advantage of my vulnerability.
I wiggled my hand loose and shot him a glare. "I'm not like other girls."
His expression changed from a smirk to a scowl, and he was now shuffling the chair closer to the hospital bed.
"Well, I won't leave you till I'm sure you're fine. You look dead tired." His voice was clear and his words well spoken. Was he being sincere?
"Leave me alone," I muttered, twisting my body to the other side. His words were cut off with the entry of Dr. Alec.
"Ria, you'll be fine, your body is just really tired. Do you need another prescription of the pills? Have you been getting much sleep since Finn is here?"  His questions shocked me, and I was irritated that Dylan was here to listen to it. I shook my head silently, resulting in him whopping out a little notepad and scribbling something in his loopy cursive. He quickly ripped it off and placed it on the bedside table.
"I know you're worried, but Finn is alright. He can't be fine if you're not taking care of yourself too. Drink that glass of water and rest. Finn's right upstairs, safe and sound." His tone of voice was reassuring and calm. Over the years I've learned to get along well with the doctors, having learned all the medical terms I needed to know. They looked out for me, made sure I was well. "Young man, better take good care of this one, she's quite stubborn. Make sure she sleeps." His words were directed at Dylan who sat back in his chair and replied with a Sir, yes,Sir.
Dr. Alec then walked out and I was left alone with Dylan. I turned my back to him and tried to close my eyes. He really isn't leaving. Knowing that Finn was just upstairs gave me a sense of comfort and I eventually dozed off.

***
Screeches. The car swerved off and spun in all directions. Crash! We were floating. Her face as she realised what was happening. He lost his cool, all of us screaming in horror as the water approached. Splash! The world went dark, the ice cold water scratching up my legs, pulling Mum down, pulling Dad down. She frantically pulled at my seatbelt, trying to pull my door open. Dad was. Bashing at the windows, at the doors, desperately trying to get out.
"It's okay sweetie, we'll be fine. You'll be fine." There were tears strolling down her cheeks. The water was up to my neck by the time Mum managed to roll down the window as much as she could. Dad floated up from his chair and planted a quick kiss on my cheek. "We'll come right up sweetie." I'll never forget his dad blue eyes, his weak smile. I swam up with all my might, waiting expectantly for them to come. They never came.

***

Sweat was trickling down the back of my neck as tears stung my eyes. My heart ached and I felt like I would throw up. Sniffling quietly I nuzzled my face into the pillow.

"Ria," a voice called out softly. I winced at the sound of someone saying my name. I didn't dare turn around to look at him.

" You alright?" His voice seemed tense. I felt his hand reach out to my shoulder.

"Why are you here?" I snapped rudely, my cold side took over.

"What's wrong?" He asked. He walked around the bed now to face me. I hid under the covers, but he gently tugged on them to uncover my stuffy nose and red eyes. His face didn't change, he wasn't repulsed by my hideous appearance.

He ran his hands through my hair smoothly and I gave in, not wanting to rebuttal. I let a strange boy run his hand through my hair. His presence was warm, radiating through his simple clothes towards me. I avoided his eyes, trying to clear my head of the blood curdling scream ringing in my head.

"Here, drink this." He picked up the tall glass of water and I sat up slowly, reaching out to take it from him. He gently pushed my hand down and put the glass to my lips, practically feeding it to me. I forced the liquid down. A stray drop of water trickled out of my mouth. Dylan was quick to notice, grabbing a tissue and gently patting it away.

"You can leave now," I pushed his hand away, avoiding his eyes. I didn't want him to see me vulnerable like this, the rumours would only be increased.

"Ria, I can't leave you here like this. You're not gonna convince me otherwise. Just put your head down and rest." He rearranged the pillow and I slumped back down. Since when did he think it's okay to call me by my first name?

"Sleep."

I squeezed my eyes shut and slid under the covers, positioning myself away from him.

*** Dylan's POV

Ria whimpered quietly, he forehead furrowed. She looked like she was in pain or suffering from something. A single tear rolled down her pale cheek. She started to shift in the bed, whispering something quietly. Her hands were gripping tightly onto the covers.
"Ria," I called out to her softly. I didn't know what to do, but I couldn't just do nothing. I took her hand and squeezed it slightly, letting her know I was there for her. Her skin was soft and smooth, not even a scratch. Her nails were neatly painted a dark shade of blue. She seemed to relax a little bit now, the tension in her shoulders loosened and her forehead calm.
If only she knew how beautiful she looked when she sleeps. I noticed her the first day she walked in, but I wasn't ready to talk to any of the female population after all that I've been going through. I ignored her, but it was only a matter of time before I started to become curious about her. Despite her bad girl reputation, she was smart, always got good grades and was attentive in class. I've grown intrigued just by sitting next to her in class and watching her work hard. It was only a matter of chance that she would be here today, at the same time as me.

All I knew was that I wanted to be there for someone, like I would have wanted someone to be there for me.

After a little while, her eyes fluttered open. She had a cute tired face that scrunched up when she saw me.

"Hey! Just because I'm not feeling great does not mean you can take advantage of me!" She pulled her hand away from me but I stopped her just in time.

I bent my head down to kiss her soft skin, pressing my lips to the tender surface.

She pulled her hand away quickly and flicked me in the head.

"If you touch me without my permission ever again, I'll sue you!" I couldn't help but laugh.

Challenge accepted. I had to earn her permission now.