Pieces [Wattpad's Editor's Choice]

46: tHuMbS dOwN

We searched the Wacky Lab one last time before turning in for the night (no Arrow) and Isaac and Phil helped us clean it up for the second time. Tyrell came along and Isaac filled him in on Arrow, explaining how I created him and fell in love, but how Arrow couldn't love and probably metamorphosed since we last saw him, but we weren't sure what that looked like.

"Dafuq?" Tyrell responded, surveying the broken jars of organs in the Wacky Lab. "You telling me my man who I welcomed into my dorm is a freaking butterfly? A murderous butterfly?"

"No, he described his awakening like emerging from a cocoon and I'm not sure what changes he's experiencing to make him flip out like this. But he's different." I grabbed the jar in front of Tyrell and dumped it in the bag Isaac held open.

"Aw hell no. Uh uh. Nope. No thank you. He's gotta go. Shit, if I'd known y'all all were part of this cult or whatever, I woulda bounced a long time ago."

I caught Luna's expression from a few feet behind Tyrell: she stopped sweeping up glass and glared at Tyrell. I know what she thought: this whole time, she could've easily broken his interest just by telling him about Arrow. With the calmest expression possible, she dumped the glass from the dust pan back onto the floor and more glass shattered, causing Tyrell (and everyone else) to look over.

"Whoops, my bad. I had my own revelation and thought that'd add effect." She bent over and stuck her butt out for Tyrell to see as she swept it back up.

But part of me wondered if she actually just missed him.

Tyrell stayed to help us clean up anyway, especially trading off with Luna on the sweeping. The two of them argued only three times (which was a record because usually they argued the entire time they spent together) and we all parted ways at the end of the night, returning (disappointedly) to our own dorms.

The next morning, I didn't need an alarm to wake me: my phone rang once, twice, and halfway through a third time before I finally sat up.

For a moment, I thought it'd be Isaac, but that was all just wishful thinking. Why would he even call me anyway?

Instead, it was the unknown number that had called me several times before. Maybe it was a bill collector ready to set up a payment plan for any loans I took during my four years of college.

"Hello?" I answered quietly, lying on my back again and closing my eyes.

"Hey! Frannie! Is this you?"

That voice...I knew it from somewhere. A little higher, sweet, professional. Older. I opened my eyes again and sat up, my bush of curls falling over my forehead. "Uh...yes."

"This is Patricia Kouri. How are you?"

Patricia? Oh. "Patricia! Hey, hi, hello. Yes. I mean, I'm good." I threw my blanket off and stumbled out of bed.

"Good. I've been trying to get a hold of you. I originally was going to ask Isaac to send a message for me, but with spring break, I didn't see him at the hospital and patient care is confidential anyway. This is about your cousin, Arrow. Does he have a phone number?"

Arrow. Oh my God. The results. They were back. How the hell did I not know? Why hadn't I just answered before?

She called me weeks ago. That was her.

"OH. God, I'm so sorry. He doesn't, I'm his emergency contact. Is everything okay?"

"Well...I was calling because we did find something concerning from the blood tests. And something emerged from one of our x-rays that didn't present itself before...so strange..."