Everything Has Changed

Chapter 3

        Marina was mad.

        At the moment, she hated Mr. Shepherd, who most of the time was her favorite teacher. She hated the person who had enrolled Ethan Putnam into Winchester High. Most of all, however, she hated Ethan.

        She despised his guts. She had had a peaceful existence, sitting in the back corner, and then he had to go and ruin it by sitting next to her and making small talk.

        Small talk.

        Small conversation, large amounts of discomfort and awkwardness. She absolutely despised social people. She had a quiet world, and she hated intruders. On average, they were loud and very annoying. Marina had even debated becoming a hermit when she grew up.

          At least she would be alone.

          The world was way too irritating to deal with on a regular basis.

        During the class, she had tried to be nice. Keyword: tried. It was more or less impossible. Yet, throughout the course of one day, she had watched him grow closer with her classmates until he was the social king of the grade. In particular, she had watched him converse with the british twins in the grade, Patrick and Oliver. They were now his henchmen. Where Ethan went, Patrick and Oliver went. Which was a shame, she thought. They had seemed nice before Ethan came, but anyone who was friends with Ethan couldn't be that good. 

        She shook her head. Her day had gone on like a normal day with the exception of Ethan, and she liked her life. Quiet, peaceful...normal. 

          She slammed her locker closed and made her way to the entrance, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She didn't have a car and most of the time depended on her sister to drive her home.

        After half an hour of waiting outside the school, playing games on her phone, a message popped up.

Sorry, something came up. Can you find a ride? -Gabriela 

          Then her phone died.

        That traitor, Marina thought bitterly while pocketing her phone. She knows my status at school, yet she asks me to find a ride?

        Marina took out her phone again, trying to text her sister. Realization hit when it wouldn't turn on. Now she had no means of communication, either. How was she going to tell Gabi that she couldn't get a ride? 

        She sighed, getting to her feet to start the long trek home.

**********      

      Two hours and forty two minutes later, Marina arrived home. Sweaty and dirty and dehydrated, but home. And there's no place like home.

      Marina had come home to an empty house. After rinsing her face, she walked around the building trying to find her family. All that she found was a note that looked as if it was written in a hurry,

        Marina,

        We're at the hospital. When you get this, come. There's been an accident.

        Love, Mom.

        Marina gulped. Is this what Gabi had referred to? The 'something' that had come up, preventing Marina from getting a ride?

      Marina sprinted outside her house. The hospital was only 5 minutes away by walking, but because Marina was running so fast, it only took two.

        She rushed through the doors and stopped in front of the receptionist. "Is there anyone here with the last name Alvez?" Marina could barely get the word out, she was so frantic with worry.

        The receptionist typed a few things, then looked up sadly. "Room 221, honey."

        Marina hurridly thanked her, then speed-walked to the elevator (she was sure that running would get her kicked out) and repeatedly pressed the up button before deciding the elevetor was too slow and opened the door to the stairs.

        Opening the door to room 221, she braced herself for what she would find, but nothing could prepare her for her sobbing mother. Marina was stunned. Her mom was the strongest person she knew. She had never seen her cry, even when she had to get stitches because the knife slipped when she was cooking jalepenos. [A/N at  bottom] Needless to say, her mother was tough. And now she was crying.

        "Car.. wreck," her mother managed to get out before breaking down

        Past her mother, she could see a body, motionless on the bedside. She drew closer to the body and recoiled in despair.

        Past the stitches on his cheek, the burn marks all over his face, she could still recognize him, even though she wished she couldn't. Ignorance is bliss. She could live without knowing this.

        The comatose body laying on the bed was her brother.

        Marina started screaming. She couldn't take it. Why was he here? He was supposed to be in university? Why would he come down to visit?

        The answer was given when Gabi looked at her, loathing in her eyes. "Happy Birthday, Marina. I hope you enjoy today." Gabi got up and left the room, tears in her red rimmed eyes.

        This was all her fault. Marina was disappointed in herself. From now on, she would be quiet, and even more in the background. The reason her brother was in the car wreck was because of her. This was all her fault.

        She hated herself.

        Crying, she fled from the room.

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Author's Note: I couldn't even write that without flinching. I once was slicing jalepenos and then some got on my hand and I rubbed my eye... the horror. I can't imagine what it would feel like in a bursted artery, touching your insides (screams in imaginary pain) thank you for listening/reading/whatever to my ranting.)]