Into The Woods

Chapter 23

Suzette:
I always hoped that my prom would be a dream come true. But maybe it was supposed to turn out this way. Maybe this is my destiny. I just never thought on my prom night I'd be headed to the hospital to talk to my secret boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. But I would do anything for him and well this was anything. 

Porter is sitting next to me humming the tune to Love Me Like You Do, by Ellie Goulding. I look over and he has a huge smile plastered on his face. 

I nudge his shoulder. "Whatcha smilin about?" 

He laughs. "I just think it's kinda funny how we are at a hospital. And that Marin actually wants to see us." 

"Yeah I know. Marin hates me." And she made sure I knew that every day. 

"Well, you can't help it if Lark is in love with you and not her." He looks over at me for a second. 

"Honestly I don't think that's why she hates me. She hated me before she was with Lark. It's more than just a boy." I tell him. 

I have known Marin since I was in the 3rd grade. Everyone in our small town have grown up together. Marin was the new girl in 3rd grade. Everyone loved her instantly. She is beautiful and who doesn't love pretty things. Porter, Kendall, and Ava were there they just weren't friends with Lark yet, that didn't happen until the 5th grade. But Marin wanted Lark as soon as she saw him, I could tell. I was just in the way. So I let her have him. I just wanted her to like me. She never did. For some reason I think now that Marin envied me. She wanted to be me. And I wanted to be her. We probably would have been great friends if she didn't hate me. 

Porter pulls his car up into the hospital parking lot. As soon as he parks I open my door and step out of the car. With my big dress it's hard to actually get out of the car but Porter rushes over to take my hand, he helps me and I try not to trip. 

We walk side by side into the hospital. I look around and see a girl coughing viciously, a small boy crying, cradling his finger to his chest. I don't know why we came in through the emergency room but Porter looks like he knows where he's going. 

"Have you visited Marin before?" I ask him as we step onto the elevator. 

"Yeah." He runs a hand through his hair. "I came with Kendall and Ava once. But that was back when Marin was still in a coma." 

"Hmm." 

Porter must be an expert at remembering things because I came to see Marin once and I can't remember what room or floor she was on. 

Once we are on the 5th floor, which is the floor that Marin's room is on, Porter takes me to her room. We don't even have to check in because well there is no one sitting at the desk. He opens the door to her room and Marin is laying in the bed with her eyes closed. Her glossy caramel hair is laying beautifully down her shoulders. 

When she hears the door open, her eyes shoot open. Her blue eyes pass over Porter and rest on me. 

"Suzette." She says in a hoarse voice.

"Hey Marin. You wanted to see me?" 

She nods and then throws the blankets off of her legs. She plants her feet on the white tile and then walks over to me until she is standing right in front of me. Her head is held high, like she's not ashamed to be weak. But that's not really her fault, it's not her fault that some crazy person is after us. 

"Porter you better stay right where you are because if you go behind me at all you will see my underwear. I don't really want people admiring my butt." She says with a smirk. "Even though I do have a great  butt."