VII. Change
Seeing my brother in a hospital bed nearly put me in a hospital bed. I got home to find my mother pacing in the living room, her hand over her mouth, trying to cover the sobs. My mother wasn't one to cry. My father was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. I knew it was bad because my father was an extremely optimistic man and he very rarely worried about things unless they were extremely bad.
Neither said anything to me. My mother simply took my hand and led me out to the car. The two of us rode in silence and I knew better than to question her despite how frantic I felt. When we pulled up to the hospital, my heart sank and the moment I stepped into the hospital room, I fainted. I woke up only half an hour later in a chair in my brother's room and just sobbed into a pillow. He had broken bones, sprained joints, and a lot of cuts and bruises. He was still alive and breathing, though. He wasn't even in a coma. He was just extremely weak. They think he might not be able to walk again.
My brother went into surgery that night and I felt an odd sense of suspicious slide into my brain. Thinking back on the past month, trying to remember it all, I could only see red fog fill my memory.
Something happened with Viola in that damn room a month ago and she's the only one that can tell me what it was.
*
I found myself crouching below Viola's window, sighing to myself. I was afraid to go in there for the first time. What would happen? What hadhappened? There was something off about the girl and I wasn't sure if I was ready to find out. What I was ready for, though, were some answers.
"Open the damn window, Vi. I know you're in there." I hissed viciously from my spot in the tree. I kicked her bedroom window again and it flew open, an angry Viola glaring at me.
"What the fuck do you want?" She snapped, tugging her silk white robe tighter around her body. I motioned for her to move aside and narrowed my eyes, preparing to jump. She watched me as I swung myself into her window. This moment is when I realized why she had pulled her robe tighter around her body. She was only in her undergarments.
"Jesus, woman. Put some clothes on, why don't you?" I raised an eye, crossing my arms in attempt to seem less attracted.
"You wouldn't want that. Don't lie to yourself. Now, why are you here?" She sat down on her bed, letting the robe fall wide open. I couldn't help but gaze at her smooth bare skin. What was I here for again?
"Um.." I closed my eyes to focus, "That night of truth or dare. I need to know what happened. I can't remember a thing." I rubbed the space between my eyes and groaned. Viola gazed at me with a lazy smirk. She leaned back on her right elbow, tilting to the side and ran her tongue along her bottom lip. I swallowed hard and stared her down. After a moment passed, she sat up and reached out for me. Her fingers gripped my t-shirt and she tugged me towards her. I stumbled closer and barely managed to keep my feet on the floor.
"Wouldn't you like to know." She mumbled, her hot breath caressing my face as she leaned in closer to me. I chewed my lower lip and gazed at her for a while. It felt like hours when I finally backed away and just climbed out of her window.
The rest of the week went by without anything exciting happening. I had to fight the urge to return to her room after that and she didn't even give me the time of day when she saw me in the hall.
It was Friday and I was currently heading for my favorite class. The only reason I loved this class as I did was because I got to see the girl of my dreams on my way every day.
"Hi there!" That voice brought out the biggest smile I had ever made in my life. She's simply breathtaking.
"Hey." I turned my grinning face towards her and gave her a small wave. She wrapped an arm around me and gave me a simple hug, bidding me farewell. I sighed lovingly and took a seat inside the class. The smile nearly slipped off my face when I came across the face of the devil herself. Not even giving her a second glance, I turned my back and pulled out my notebook.
The bell rang and my teacher started on his usual tangent about the current lesson. I picked up my pencil and started doodling on my notebook. I found myself constantly creating random number patterns and awkward scribbles around them.
The class ended and I hurried to exit the room. I was so ready to go home. I started to plan out what I was going to do. Make some popcorn, rent a new movie, take a long nap..
Viola stood in my path. "Come back to mine tonight at eleven." She spoke quietly forcing me to strain to hear her. She turned on her heel and walked away, giving no sign that she had even spoken to me.
It was now 10:30 and I was sitting at my desk, heart slamming in my chest. I wasn't sure I wanted to go. I wasn't exactly in my right mind at the moment either. Unable to fight the urge when I got home, I had gone straight to the small hallway that connected my living room to the kitchen. In that hall were cupboards filled with assorted alcoholic beverages that need not be refrigerated.
After gulping down half a bottle of vodka, I glanced at the clock and found that it was 11:15. I took a deep breath, one last gulp, and started out for Viola's bedroom.
