Free Fall

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kendall 

There are so many reasons to be happy. 

I don't know why it took me so long to figure that out, but I'm glad I did. Sure, I was finally getting out of that horrible hospital room. The room that has my most horrible memories bottled up, my demons lurking in very corner. Every square inch of it remind me of Charlie. 

Of Erick. 

I'm glad Kelsey and her mom came to get me the next day. The worst thing in life is waiting for something that will never happen. Waiting for Charlie to barge in with her signature smile plastered on her face. Waiting for Erick to come back and tell me he likes me. More than likes me. I so badly wanted Erick to be like the guys in my romance novels, but I could never be so lucky to deserve that.

As Kelsey and I made our way slowly down the hallway towards the exit, Karen suddenly popped out of a hallway and her eyes became glossy. Opening my arms, Karen hurried over to me and gripped me in a tight hug. 

"I'm going to miss you, Karen." I said into her hair and she clutched me tighter in acknowledgement before pulling away slightly. 

"I'm going to miss you too, Kendall." We stared at each other in mutual remeberence before she took a few steps back and disappeared back down the hallway.

*

Erick 

I sat at the ginormous granite island, tossing a half-full water bottle back and forth between my hands. Watching the water slosh was a whole lot more fun than avoiding my uncle's gaze. 

"Erick."

I continued ignoring him and focused on the clear water. He sighed.

"Erick, it's not good to keep everything bottled up. Talk to me."

I snuck a glance up at him and saw him leaning against the counters,  arms crossed over his chest. I looked back at the bottle. 

"There's nothing to talk about."

"It's not my fault for what your father did."

I glare at him. "I know that."

It's not. My dad is a grown man and made his own decisions, not even thinking about his family. Being in the biggest gang in the state to help 'bring in income' is not a manly thing to do. And now his stupid gang got in a gun fight in the streets and bam, forty years to life is staring at my dad straight in the eye. My stomach clenched and I dropped the water bottle on the counter, not stopping it as it rolled and smacked noisly to the floor. I buried my head in my hands and took a deep breath.

This killed my mom. If any kid looks at his mom and sees no one there because of his own father, how are they ever supposed to be okay? She packed and left for Mexico without telling me. Just abandoned me with my uncle. 

"Erick, I-"

I didn't want to hear anymore. I shoved back my seat and grabbed my backpack off the chair next to me before storming out of the french double doors to my car. I was shaking with anger so bad that I couldn't  insert the key into the ignition. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and calmed my racing heart before trying again. Success. 

I cranked the heat all the way and turned the vents toward me, rubbing my hands together to warm them. My stress level was already going down. I decided it isn't worth my time to get all worked up over something my dad chose to do and I had no part of.  I already decided I was going to Mexico  to take care of my mom after baseball was over, giving up my dream of being in the majors or becoming a doctor. But family comes first and since my dad screwed up it's my job to protect my mom.

I drove to school slowly, relazing it didn't start for another hour and a half. Driving by the hospital, I took a long glance at the third window over on the second floor which I'd come to know as well as the back of my hand. 

Kendall's beautiful face and bright smile that brought my own smile to my face. I don't think she understands how much I depended on her to make my days 100 times better, but she wlays managed to. I've told her things that I haven't told anyone else, not even Cole and I'm positive she's done the same. I fell in love with the girl in room 213 in a matter of months. 

I tore my gaze from the window and drove a little faster, shaking my head. I can't have those feelings anymore. I'm leaving soon and Kendall will be here and just become a distant feather, floating in and out of my memories.