Everything Opposite

Chapter Thirteen

Alex
Logan, Tyler, Josh, me, and the guys all entered the tiny room. Ryleigh looked so peaceful now. It wasn't anything like the sight I saw hours ago. I felt numb now. Rian forced me to eat something from the cafeteria and a bottle of juice. I had felt weak after the blood loss.

Ryleigh still slept on as the stars came out. Nurses came in and out, dark circles lining their sleepy eyes. A little after nine, Josh's phone rang. We couldn't hear the other end of the conversation but Josh dropped the phone on the floor accidentally and put his head into his hands.

"Hey, man, it's okay,"Tyler said, rubbing his back. Josh shook his head no and I saw his shoulders shake as he tried to gather his composure. "Who was on the phone?"Tyler asked carefully. Josh looked up. I've never seen someone look so defeated and broken. "Ryleigh's birth mom. She claims that she never laid a finger on Ryleigh and that Ryleigh lied to come live with her idols,"Josh explained. We all froze. "I---I really need to go but----,"Josh trailed off, looking at Ryleigh's still body. "We'll stay with her. You go do what you need to. Fight for our girl,"Jack said. With a kiss on Ryleigh's forehead, Josh was out the door with Tyler on his heels.

Awhile later, Zack and Rian took Logan to the cafeteria to eat despite her fighting it. They were bringing food back for Jack and I. I haven't left the chair next to her bed. She still hasn't woken up. A nurse came in awhile ago to change the IV fluids out when it started beeping that it was empty. There were so many thoughts pulsing through my brain about how I could have stopped this. It also brought up memories of my brother. I wished I could stop thinking but there was no noise except for the heart monitor. I started singing Painting Flowers softly to myself and Ryleigh while Jack looked at his phone. Josh and Tyler were with an attorney right now to discuss everything that was said on that short phone conversation with Ryleigh's birth mom.

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Ryleigh
There was a lot of nothingness. It felt so empty and I wonder if I had finally done it and this was what it was like to be dead. I couldn't feel anything right now but a cold set deep in my bones. It was a kind of numbness I welcomed. It drove away the pain I was feeling before I entered this black spanse of space.

I heard a quiet talking around me now but I couldn't make out who it was or what they were saying. I knew I wasn't ready to wake up yet. I was so tired. I let myself drift off.

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I felt myself coming back into reality. I realized I wasn't dead. I could hear Painting Flowers being sung. I slowly opened my eyes then groaned at the brightness of my room. Someone heard it and shuffled over to shut the lights off. I opened them again to a darker room. "Ryleigh, honey?"A voice asked me but my tired mind had trouble placing it.

My bed started moving to a sitting position. I realized I was in a hospital room. Alex Gaskarth came into view. Jack Barakat laid on the small visitors couch, asleep. Josh and Tyler weren't anywhere to be seen. The other half of All Time Low was missing. "Alex?"I choked out, trying not to cry. He just stood and sat on the edge of my bed, wrapping me into a tight hug.

"I'm glad your okay. You gave us such a scare,"Alex said, letting me wet his shirt with my tears. "Where's Tyler and Josh?"I asked, pulling back and wiping at the tears drying on my cheeks. I saw his hesitation to tell me. "They got a phone call and had somewhere to be,"Alex decided to speak. "Where? What's actually going on? Please, Alex,"I begged. I saw his inner self conflict. "Your mother wants you back,"he said, trying to gauge my reaction. "What?"I whisper yelled.

The heart monitor was beeping quickly at the sudden pounding of my heart. The walls were closing in and I felt like I couldn't breathe. "Shh! It's okay, breathe,"Alex said trying to get me to breathe with him. He pulled me close and I listened to his calm heartbeat, letting it's rhythm calm me back down. "Their attorney called. They went to meet with her to fight your birth mom. It's gonna be okay,"Alex promised. I nodded, my head rubbing against his shirt.

"What time is it, Lexy?"I asked softly. "After two in the morning. Rian, Logan, and Zack should be on their way back,"he said. As if on cue, the three entered the room. Logan launched herself at me, her quiet sobs shaking her frail shoulders as she hugged me tightly while crying. I just held her. "It's okay, Log. I'm okay,"I assured her as she continued to cry. She sat next to me, hugging me and crying.

After awhile, I felt her drifting off by my side. I felt this need to protect her. She's like the sister I never had. We were close. I was careful with my bandaged hand. A nurse had come in to check on me a bit ago and informed I had stitches in some lacerations on my hands. I just hoped Logan hadn't been the one to find me. I hated that any of them did but even if I still felt like dying I was glad I was alive.

"What happened today?"I asked. "I found you in the bathroom. The other guys had to pull Logan away and I rode with you in the ambulance when you started crashing and they didn't have blood so we transfused mine into you,"Alex pointed out the bandage on his arm while saying this.

"I'm sorry,"I said. I just felt this urge to apologize. "What are you apologizing for? Nothing is your fault. It's all gonna be okay,"Alex assured me. I wasn't even sure anymore. But I was sorry that I fucked everything up once more. I'm a trainwreck that can't ever been cleaned up. It was hard to fight that feeling off. Just when I get myself figured out, I fall apart again. I was sick and tired of falling apart. Alex's phone started to ring and he told me it was Josh. "How's it going, dude?"Alex asked upon answering. "Oh, well fuck,"Alex said.

A/N: Hey y'all. I dunno if you saw my update the other day. I am so sorry this took so long to get out. I got stuck and I've been busy. Depression has crept back up in my life and I find it hard to move every day. I just lost my best friend I was in love with because he didn't care like he said apparently. I'm gonna try to be better. I know I say that a lot, life just enjoys kicking my ass. I appreciate every last one of you. Dedicating this to JacobAlexannderConne she's had my back for forever and her updates last night kind of got me motivated to work on this again. Much love!

B