Lexy Andrews

American Dreams; Part 2

"Hey Little A. I think it's time we talk." Reggie said as he entered the small hospital room, where the brunette girl remained unmoved in the bed.

He took the seat next to her and sighed. This had been a long time coming.

"Yesterday, Archie said something. Something about patients still being able to hear even when they look like their sleeping. I went online and did some research afterwards and it was 50/50. About half of the people who have been in your position remember being able to hear what people said to them. So I've decided that I'm willing to take that chance."

The conversation felt incomplete without Lexy interrupting him every two seconds.

"There's a 50% chance that if you wake up, you'll have heard everything I'm about to admit. But at this point, what's the worst that could happen? Besides... this is a lot easier to say to you when it feels like you're not even listening. So Lexy... I'm in love with you."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Reggie realized that he had never said them before. Ever. Probably because as soon as he found out what love is, those words were immediately reserved for his best friend.

"I've loved you since that Saturday after the Fourth of July when we were just kids. We were playing hide and seek with all of the neighbourhood kids, and as usual we went to the comic book store and behind the back wall. But then we saw Archie coming, and we knew we were gonna get caught. So you, being as stupid as ever, had the clever idea to jump into the dumpster and drag me in with you. We waited in that thing for like... twenty minutes. You were always competitive and didn't want to risk getting caught. And I was so annoyed that you wouldn't let me get out of that dumpster so I decided to prank you. I pressed my foot against your leg and made rat noises."

Reggie cracked up as he reminisced on this milestone of his childhood.

"It was an asshole move considering I knew you were afraid of rats. You were so freaked out that you screamed and then banged your head against the side of the dumpster. And that was it. That was when I fell in love with you. The two of us covered in garbage, smelling like sewer water and you with a big bump on your forehead. After that you made me take over lookout duty. So every time I opened the lid and looked outside, I told you that someone was close by and that we couldn't leave yet. I was lying every single time. I just needed a few more hours with that stupid, stubborn, cocky, defensive, hilarious and beautiful girl that I was in love with while we were hiding from our friends in a dumpster."

If Lexy were awake and listening, she would have punched him for calling her stubborn and defensive.

"And then we grew up with each other. You got me back for the rat prank by demolishing me in a water fight. You told me I was destined to marry a horse with your paper fortune teller. I gave you a cold on Christmas Eve when I sneezed in your fruitcake. You broke your leg when you climbed up the tree to my balcony for the first time. I took your first kiss when Sydney rigged that game of seven seconds in heaven. You were the first girl I ever slow danced with at that Valentine's Day dance in middle school. I made your worst enemy Hailey Morrison my first girlfriend hoping it would make you jealous but it just blew up in my face when you told her that I had a lip disease that was highly contagious. I watched you grow into the person you are today."

He took hold of Lexy's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I've been waiting for these feelings to go away since that day in the dumpster, because the thought of loosing you from my life because you might not like me back killed me inside every time I worked up the nerve to tell you. And now look. I'm finally confessing all of this when there's literally no way of knowing if you'll ever come out of here."