Catch Me

Chapter 10

Waking up, for a second, everything felt like it always did. But then the memories of the past weekend came back and hit me like a truck. Green eyes, Isabella crying, soft lips brushing against mine, the police, being alive for he first time and all those other things that happend in less than two days.

I got up and went to the bathroom. Passing Isabella's room made me feel sick, and I turned away as fast as possible. I looked in the mirrow and saw how exhausted I looked. Dark circles under my eyes, that no conciler in the world could cover up. I sight and turn on the shower. This time my clothes stayed outside of it but when I got in, I simply stayed there, letting the water run over my body like last time.

After being done in the bathroom and putting on some jeans and a hoody, I take my backpack and make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, trying to be quiet so my parents wouldn't wake up. I took my usual bowl of cereal and while I ate my breakfast, I looked over my notes once again to be prepared for the test in history today. Luckily I did all my homework and studying on Friday right after school, so I was positive to get along with the questions. I never had big problems getting straight A's but I always knew that I had to study for it and because I had fun learning new things, it never really bothered me. When I was done eating, it was already 7:40 so I needed to hurry, even if I only needed less than ten minutes to get to school. I put my bowl and spoon in the sink and grab an appel to put it into my bag. Then I put on my Vans and leave the house through the sidedoor leading to our cars. Arriving at mine, I text Chiara that I would pick her up at the usual time and started driving after opening up the door of the garage.

I pick up Chiara and she immediantly can tell that something is off. Usually my sister is sitting in the passengerseat but today my best friend slides on that one, when she notices that it's free.
"Good morning sunshine. Where is your sister?" I wait until she was done putting her seatbelt on and started driving before telling her the short version of what happend on Sunday.
"Oh my God that is horrible", Chiara looks shocked.
"Are you okay? I realized that you suddenly disappeared and because of your text massage, I knew that you have left erlier but I didn't thought that something like that was the reason for it."
"Yeah, I had to take care of Isabella", I quietly say. I didn't tell Chiara about the misterious girl from the club that somehow crops up in the hospital and leaves without any explanation. There were more important things to tell and I had to make up my mind on my own at first before I could tell anyone. When we arrive at school, Chiara huggs me tells me that everything is going to be okay before our ways split. We are going to meet at lunch because we didn't have any period together in the morning.

Before I go to biologie, I make my way to the secretary's office and explain that Isabella was in an accident and won't be able to come to school for quite some time. She simply nods and without taking her eyes off of the computer, she tells me that our parents have to come and talk to the principle if she wouldn't be here until Wednesday. I sight quietly and thank her. Walking to my first period, I text my parents what the secretary told me and mentaly prepare myself for the first lesson of the day.

During class, my thoughs drift off to Isabella and somehow manage to escape to some particular green eyes with golden sprinkles in it. Luckilly in history, I can push these thoughs away most of the time so I can concentrate on the questions.

I sigh with relive when the bell rings and I give my papers to the teacher and leave to the cafeteria. I sit down on our usual table and take out the apple I brought from home. Before I can even take a bite, Lucas, Ben and Ally come sprinting at me to hugg me and assail me with questions. I still answer them when Chiara stits down next to me.
"Sorry", she tells me. "I had to tell them. We were all worried when you dissapeard and didn't answer our texts."
"It's okay. Really. But please don't tell anyone else okay?" Everyone nods and starts disscussing the incident giving me time to zoone out to - once again think about the meaning of liking it to kiss a girl.

After the bell rang to end the lunch break, I decide to stay in school and walk with Ben to my next class. I snap out of my thoughts when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"Sorry, what did you say?" I ask Ben who clearly asked me something. He looks at me worried.
"I asked you, how you are doing? I mean the weekend was rough and I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine", I repeat a little to fast. "Isabella is going to be okay soon and that is everything that counts for me". Hesitation is written all over his face.
"What?"
"You know that I play soccer with Ryan right? And yesterday we had a match and he seemed pretty off, wasn't himself."

I sight. I knew people would find out sooner or later but I'm still a little surprised. I haven't thought about Ryan at all and the usual guilt hit me but not as hard as it was, when I was still with him.
"I know that it's a lot right now and I just want you to know that I am here for you. If you need help, wanna talk or just need some company. You can always call me okay?" Again I am surprised. Ben and I have never been very close. But him being there for me and caring about me, warms my heart a little.
"Thank you", I whisper. We continue walking.

"Wanna sit next to me? I mean... so you don't have to sit next to Ryan in spanish", he offers and a small smile appears on my face.
"That's really sweet of you. Thank you Ben. " We smile at each other and walk through the door. I follow him to his seat in the back, usually I prefer to stay in the front, and sit down next to him. We wait for the teacher to come and talk about nonsense. It feels good to have a normal conversation again and to not have to think about my sister, my parents or the green eyed girl, that saved me from falling twice in less than six hours. Class begins and when the teacher checks attendance, I realize Ryan isn't there. I look at Ben.
"He really didn't seem good yesterday. Maybe he just needs some time before seeing you again?", he tries to calm me. I nod. Other than me, Ryan really had a hard time about about our break-up. Again I feel guilty but my thoughts are soon occupied by other things.

I'm glad when school is over and walk up to my car before anyone can start a conversation with me. Somehow they found out about Isabella being in hospital and they were all curious about how she got there. Chiara already leans on my car waiting for me. I drive her home in silence and continue driving to the hospital to see Isabella. On my way to her room, I meet the doctor from the first night on the elevator and he tells me, that her condition hasn't changed but being stable was a good indicator for recovery. Arriving at her room, I see my Mom sleeping  in her usual chair, her head laying on the bed. Dad is sitting on the table on the left side of the room and is typing furiously on his laptop. When he notices me, he shuts down the laptop and comes to hug me.
"Hey, how was school?" Trying to do a normal conversation.

Getting back to normality. We all try that while the days are passing by. Isabella gets better - at least the doctors and nurses say that. I can't see a difference. She still looks pale and small laying in her bed with all the tubes coming out of her and the machines being attached to her.
We kind of find our new rhythm. Waking up, me going to school and Mom and Dad driving to the hospital. At school I avoide running into Ryan and the kids, that wanna know about Isabella. When they ask me I simply tell them that she is very sick and in the hospital because of it. And that she isn't allowed to have visitors other than family. I'm not completely sure about the last one but the doctors said that she needed to rest and I don't want her to get worse because of too many visitors. After school I drive to the hospital and start doing my homework and studying while my parents are working on their laptops. When we are asked to go home, we do so and while Mom and Dad make some calls to tell the rest of the family oversea how Isabella is doing, I'm cooking dinner. We eat in silence and I tell them about my day at school. They ask about Ryan and because I don't want them to worry, I tell them that we are doing good. We don't talk about Isabella at all, only about nonsense.

Mom and Dad are still in shock. When they aren't sleeping, they keep themselves occupied by working. The first week, they are able to do that from the hospital with their laptops but after that, they both have to go to court and stay at their working place again. So in the second week we all meet at the hospital in the cause of the day and drive home together again. I keep my thoughts occupied with school and Isabella and try to push the thoughts about the girl and what that means for my sexuality, away.  Only at night these thoughts are able to take over and cause me nights with very little sleep. Sometimes I even sleep at the hospital, like my Mom does and wake up out of a very confusing dream about green eyes with golden sprinkles.