M U T E

|| 6 ||

She looks weak. Her skin is pale, and she's sleeping. My dad sits next to her, holding onto her delicate hand. Her body looks like it can fall apart at any minute.

"Please, be okay," he whispers.

I go to stand next to my dad, and set a hand on his shoulder. He's crying. I hate seeing him like this. My brothers go on the other side of Mom. We all pull chairs and sit down, waiting for her to wake up.

* * * *

After a few hours of us talking here and there, many moments of silence, and just a faint whistling from my dad, Mom's eyes twitch. I sit up quickly, watching as her eyes fully open.

I check the clock. It's 4:06. School is out already, and we missed the last half. Mom's eyes shut again.

"My....throat," her voice is sore, and she struggles with the words.

"Do you need water?" Dad asks.

She nods, her eyes remaining shut.

My dad gets up and walks over to the table. He retrieves her water, handing it to her just as my phone goes off.

I'm about to decline, but my dad tells me to answer. The call is from Myra. I walk out of the room as I answer it.

"What happened to you? Why'd you leave school? You looked upset when I saw you at lunch. Is everything okay?" She rapidly throws the questions at me as soon as the call starts.

"My mom is in the hospital. That's where I am," I tell her in simple words.

She starts going on about how she hopes everything is okay, and she tells me that she will send out prayers for my mother. After that, she says something off-topic.

"Oh! I saw Bryce. He was there after 7th. He asked about you. 'Said he wanted to walk you to class again. I think he likes you."

"Yeah right." I say, my voice coming out quiet once again.

"We'll see. Anyways, I'll talk to you later. I'm hoping the best for you and your mom. Have a good night!" Call ends.

I go back into the room.

"Hey, can you take the boys home? I'm staying with your mom tonight. I'll order a pizza for delivery," dad tells me, handing me the car keys and $20.00, "that's for the pizza."

I nod and take the boys with me out of the room. They talk to each other the whole way home, and I drive without saying a word. When we arrive at home, the boys go straight to the room that they share while I walk to the living room with my book. We have this library in the basement where we store all these books for me.

My parents made this specifically for me. It was a birthday present, and may I add, the best present I have ever received. My dad built the bookshelves with the help of my uncles. All of my family set up this perfect environment for me. They even pitched in books to fill the shelves. Myra pitched in a few books as well. When I saw it, I could not believe that it was real.

Now, it's my perfect place to read, and I could just sit in there for hours because I love it so much. However, today I am waiting on pizza. I want to hear the knock, so I stay upstairs in the living room.

* * * *

I hear the knock, finally after about 40 minutes, and I rush to the door. I am starving. I open the door but, there is no pizza. My face falls in disappointment.

"Wow, you seem happy to see us. What? Who were you expecting? Someone special?"

Bryce. He stands there with a completely shocked and speechless Myra. She's staring at him like he's an alien. I sigh, and let them in. I then proceed back to the living room with my book.