Soul Watch

Chapter 15

"No way!""Are you serious?""Hell no!""What the bombarding hell?"

Those were the reactions to Crysta's retelling of how I somehowhad a soul mate, lying in a coma in Lightston Hospital for two years,which happened to be Carwyn's older brother. I unceremoniously tunedout through most of Crysta's retelling as I laid on my bed, curled up in afetal position and watched the many changing expressions of my friends.It took a week or more for Crysta to persuade me to let the restof our closest friends know what had happened. They were alreadydiscussing, of course, why I seemed so unfocused in lectures lately orwhy I was constantly gazing at my soul watch at random times and why Iseemed to just want to stay in bed with my eyes wide open. At first, I hadall the intention of letting them know since I thought the time was righteven if I haven't figured out what I should do next and have a faintnotion of the purpose of all that has happened. Then I realized after aweek that it could take a while with all the bombarding thoughts comingleft and right in my mind, so I went ahead and let Crysta do what shewanted to. How long could I hide it?

The first thing she did, after an exhausting Friday afternoon, wascome to me when I was lying down on my bed and tell me I had to bethere when she told them. And being my best friend, Crysta knew Iwould be too lazy to get out of bed, now that I was lying comfortably init. She did the next best thing and called for a group meeting in my dorm.When they came to the part why I had an empty soul watch atbirth, my ears perked up, and my mind seemed to seep back into lifeagain as I listened. Each and every word came back to me like athoroughly rehearsed song, and each was punctuated with a memory.One was of me running back to my dorm room, another was of meclutching a stitch at my side and putting a hand on my chest as I ran forthe box under my desk. Another memory resurfaced of me finally pullingmy birth certificate out of the box and reeling back in shock onto mybed. 

And, of course, the number, 6:34 hit me in the chest like a low blow.

I still felt the drop in my stomach, the increased beating of my heart andthe constriction around my throat that the memory brought each time.My hand lowered under the comforter to my stomach, and Igently pressed it, feeling uneasy from the memory still lingering there. Itwas only then I realized how silent it was without Crysta's high pitchvoice that dragged the end of each sentence into an exclamation of sorts.I looked at them and saw that all of them staring at me in silence.Torrey had his eyebrows raised so high I thought they would disappearinto his hairline, Poppy was biting her lip, Monique was chewing herpinkie nail, and Leah was pursing her lips.

I gazed back at them in total confusion and looked at Crysta for alittle comprehension.She gave me a small signal with her eyes as she looked at meand then back to them quickly."What?" I finally asked, exasperated."Torrey just asked you a question," Crysta said as she drew herlegs up to her chest on my bed.It was now that I pushed myself up slowly, feeling indolent afterlying there for what seemed like hours. I positioned myself next toCrysta and sat cross-legged before hugging my pillow to my chest Ilooked back at them.

I then realized how funny this scene might have been without mycurrent predicament. Poppy, Torrey, Leah, and Monique were sitting onthe floor of my dorm, all facing my bed and looking up at Crysta and me.I couldn't help but be reminded of kids in kindergarten that sat aroundthe teacher during story time. And to think just moments ago, Crysta wasindeed retelling a story.

I pursed my lips and looked down; trying to fight the small butinappropriate grin that was threatening to form. I always found humorduring the most inappropriate times."Well?" Torrey snapped impatiently. "Don't keep me insuspense, woman! Tell me!"