Amethyst- Book one

One month later...

Chapter Two:

One Month Later...

"UHG!" I growled as I jerked the jacket off of my shoulders. Feeling angry and frustrated, I left the jacket on the floor and stomped into the kitchen. After tossing a bag of popcorn into the microwave, I paced back over to the front door and hung up the stupid jacket. As I lifted the coat to the hook and glanced at my hand, the anger and frustration I felt just a few moments ago returned. Despite the surgery and the fact that it has been healing for a month, my hand still showed no improvement for healing and it was still stuck in this ridiculous, itching cast that chafed against my wrist and gave me blisters. My doctor tried to have the cast refitted several times, but since my hand was broken in three places, this was the best she could give me without risking extensive nerve damage throughout the healing process. She also tried to give softer padding for around the wrist area, but adding anything under there would cut off circulation. I don't think it really mattered, though. I couldn't move three of my fingers anyways. Stupid terrorist. What moron wants to throw a pipe bomb in the bathroom of a Chinese restaurant anyways? It so ridiculous! And now I have to wear this thing on my hand for at least six months!

At least I wasn't dead though. When the cops found me under the rubble, they also found a large, heavy part of a toilet crushing my hand, which was just a couple of inches away from my head. I spent a week in the hospital because of the concussion and broken hand and I had no memory of what happened after I arrived at the restaurant. I had a couple of blurred memories of a terrorist, a pipe bomb, toilet paper and rubies, which I fed to the police. Afterwards, I had some crazy dream that I didn't remember now, so the entire events that night on my 16th birthday was a blur and I woke up the next morning in a hospital bed with my hand encased in a block of gauze and needles. It wasn't one of my best days.

"Am?" Mom's voice called from upstairs. She always sounded really concerned for me since the birthday, as if some moron terrorist guy would run in and shove a bomb in our toaster or something.

"Here." I reported. Safe and sound for the millionth time.

"Hi honey." Mom sighed, relieved as she pulled me into a hug. I know the whole terrorist attack thing was a close call and all, but it's been a month! Gosh.

"How was your day?" Mom asked me with a tight smile. Okay, she looked even more nervous than she did yesterday. What was up?

"Not too good. Barnes still won't let me play. Since when do you need your hands to run?" I huffed.

"She just doesn't want you to risk hurting yourself." Mom told me.

"Yeah, well Macy fell down two weeks ago, sprained her ankle and broke three of her toes. But, guess who was running today." I countered.

"I know, honey, but Macy didn't almost die." Here we go again. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I know the birthday was a close call, believe me, I'm reminded of it every day." I told her as I held up my cast. "But me almost dying a month ago shouldn't be holding me back from living my life, Mom. If I get a second chance of life then I should be living it."

"I know." Mom replied as she brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "We just want you to be safe for a while." Mom told me.

"How much longer is a while?" I asked her. I gave her a smile to let her know I was just teasing, then turned around to retrieve my popcorn. After dumping the hot bag's contents into our plastic, ghosts-and-pumpkins Halloween bowl, I hopped up onto the sideboard, pretending I didn't notice Mom's quick flinch. As I plopped the bowl on my lap and took a bite, I let my feet swing off the side, avoiding hitting the cupboard doors as Mom and Dad kept telling me not to do.