The Long Journey Home (Completed)

Chapter 5 (Edited)

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes

grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. Psalm 31:9

We pulled into a parking spot as the rain turned into a drizzle. I bit my lip as I looked at the hospital.

I hated hospitals, nursing homes, doctor's offices, vet offices, jails, and especially dentist office. The reason for the dentist off was because I usually would have a cavity or something of that nature.

"Do you want to go on in?" Jason asked, while I placed a cap over my hair, since it was dirty, and Lily liked to play with my hair and place it in her mouth.

"Yes, but I'm not going into his room."

"Then, you'll be in the wedding room with Jaz, Lilly, and Patrick." He hopped out of the truck and I followed him, nodding my head.

"Are they here?" I asked, looking around for a familiar 2006 Dodge Wrangler that belonged to one of my best friends.

Jason knew who I was talking about and nodded his head. "Yes," he said. "They wanted to surprise you, but I knew that you don't like surprises."

I nodded, silently. I hated surprises and was glad that he told me. If he didn't, then someone would probably end up hurt. I wouldn't be the one that ended up hurt, though.

Jason smiled at me, sadly. His gray eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Let's go, then. They'll be waiting for you by the front door." He paused and took a deep shuddering breath. "Matthew took Night home. A new stable hand is coming today, and he'll be there when we get home."

I nodded my head. "What is the new stable hands name?" I started to walk to the front door where we check in.

"Gabriel," Jason said. "Gabriel something. I don't know how to say his last name."

I nodded my head, silently. I knew that something might be up with Gabriel. However, I couldn't put a finger on it.

***

A streak of long brown hair, with black streaks was seen, before I couldn't see anymore. Someone had their hands over my eyes, causing the world to go black.

"Guess who?" someone asked. I smelt the lavender perfume of my friend and my body relaxed slightly.

I gasped a little and widened my eyes as far as I could. "No way," I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "Mrs. Santa Clause, you're here, in Washington, in the middle of spring?"

"Eew, no," the female said, as she took her hands off of my eyes and turned me around to face my "captor". She looked at Jason, her purple eyes, narrowed into slits. "You told her didn't you?" she asked. "You sneaky little boy, you told her that we would be here. Didn't you?"

Jason held his hands up, in mock defeat. "Yes, I did tell her that you two would be here. And nice eyes, Jessica. They are as wild as you."

Jessica Bailey walked over to him and poked him in the chest while her boyfriend, my other best friend, came to stand beside me. "Oh, don't you be sucking up to me, Boy," she hissed, poking his chest again. "I told you that I wanted to surprise her."

"And, you know that our girl doesn't like to be surprised, Jess," her boyfriend said.

"Oh, don't you be going on this male's side, Duke," Jessica said. She blinked, and sniffled. "My own boyfriend standing up against-"

"Come on, Rapunzel, and don't make a scene." I grabbed her hand and started to drag her towards the elevator.

"You don't have to pull me," Jessica said, as she tried to get out of my grasp.

"Yes, I do," I replied. "If I don't, then you'll be crawling on the floor, begging Duke to not go against what you had said." I bit back a smirk, as I walked the rest of the way into the elevator and then let her go.

"You know, I don't know why you get along so well with Jess and Em," Jason said, following us, with Duke following us. "They're too rowdy for you."

Duke shrugged his shoulder and grinned that lazy grin at us. "I don't know, either," he said. "I mean, I am a football and track star."

Duke Baker was a well rounded jock. He can run, kick, catch, and hit anything and everything. The only thing that he couldn't do was stay on a horse, even when it's standing still. I'm guessing that part of the issue was my fault, because I didn't check the girth, which was loose.

Actually, I don't even know how we got along so well together, because we act and look different from each other. However, we go to all the games, plays, or races (if they are close and money was good) for each other.

Like I said, Duke was a well rounded jock and looked the part. He had light brown eyes, that grew darker when he was angry, which didn't really happen. He had wavy sun streaked blonde hair that fell into his eyes a little, giving them a bit of mysterious feel about them.Duke also stood at 6'3 and has a big built. He was also as tan as you can get here in Washington.

Duke was the person that you do want as a friend. Yes, he was popular, but he was the most sweetest boy that anyone can know. He gives his all to his friends, his parents, his teachers, and to his church. He was Baptist, however, and not Catholic like me, but yes we still get along. Sometimes, we have these huge debates about religion and such.

Jessica was... how can I put her... interesting. Jessica was slender built, on the skinny side. She stood at 5'7, which was still taller than me. She was always wearing new dues and placing contacts in her eyes. I dont even remember my own best friend's real hair or eye color, since she changes it a lot.

The song Real Wild Child explained her so well. She was funny, kind, and full of life, which was not like Duke, who was a little bit on the shyer side. Jess was the actress of the group. She loved acting and does it all the time, even in public. One rule about Jess, was not to get her mad. She could beat someone to a pulp, with words and or fists.

And then, there was me, Ember Hope Castille. I have green eyes, that some people say that they look like jades, and they sparkle with a fire burning in them. Like I said before, I have super curly dark auburn hair, which got me my name, Ember. I'm the shortest of the group, standing at 5'3 with muscles and more muscles.

I am also the one that people don't want to mess with, nor did anyone want to see me mad. Boy, I could kick anyone's butt if I was really pissed at them. I'm even worse than Jess, when she gets mad. (I get it from my mother, as well as my auburn hair.)

I sighed a little as the elevator opened onto the third floor. I looked around, wide eyed as Jason squeezed my shoulder, bringing me some comfort. I glanced at him and smiled at my 23 year old brother, before I walked out, still very nervous about what I was going to see.

Jason led the way, while Jess placed her arm through mine. Duke stayed on my left side, putting a hand on my shoulder. And, that was how we walked to the waiting room, which had been like my second home for the last year or so.