This chapter is dedicated to Infectious1x1.
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Character;

Richard Dallas.

*

Immediately my eyes slittered open, I was welcomed with a severe headache.

I was on a bed, I looked around my surroundings and it was so unfamiliar.

Wait! This is my room, I was just the one lying down the other way round on my bed.

I stayed in the same position, waiting for the pain in my head to subside.

It reduced a bit, I took a step out of bed and immediately my foot touched the cold tiled floor of my room, the headache came pounding again.

Stupid hangover.

I dragged myself towards the windows and opened the curtains, the morning sun came rushing in, hitting perfectly, warming and soothing on my skin, giving me the hope that perhaps everything was going to be okay.

I turned backwards and that was when I noticed my bag, shoes and accessories were on the sidetable beside my bed though I was still putting on my previous clothes.

On the other side, I noticed some pills and a bottle containing warm water.

I scurried over and took in the pills, before drinking the water till the very last gulp, hopefully it will be able to make me feel better.

My gaze rested on the digital clock,
12:27pm.

Jeeez!

Even if I tactically didn't remember almost anything that happened last night, I knew that I was already late for something.

And it's definitely not school.

I may have not been in my complete senses yesterday but I know that I was going somewhere with Timothy today, I didn't know why I was so eager to go, maybe because I needed a break from school, home or any other place that reminded me of my problems and I just wanted to feel normal again even if it's just for a few minutes.

He said that he would be here by 1:00pm today and I heard barely thirty minutes to get ready which means that I might run late given that I was in a confused and tired state at the moment.

I don't know how it happened but in less than a minute, I was already slipped off my clothings and strapped around in my bathrobe.

A few seconds later, I was already in the bathroom drawing my water and brushing my teeth.

I was in a hurry but I still had to take enough time to brush my teeth, wash my hair and body. I know that I had a long hectic day yesterday and I didn't want to reek in the presence of his family.

His family.

I wonder how his family is, were they really as bad as he says? I've always had issues with all of my family members one after the other but it didn't mean I could hate them that much.

I got out of the bathroom still clad in the same bathrobe but with a white towel round my hair.

I had just finished creaming my body when I heard the doorbell ring.

What the hell! It was still 12:56pm, does he need to be so early?!

I ran to my closet, still pondering on what to damn wear before I heard the doorbell ring again.

I just took out the first things that caught my attention, a pair of faded blue jeans and a grey-off-shoulder top.

I threw it on immediately, I ran down the stairs till I got infront of the door. I took a deep breathe before opening it and I saw Timothy as expected, he was clad in black jeans and a casual black top.

Are we attending a burial ceremony?

"It's a few minutes past 1:00...and I doubt you're ready," he started.

"Why would you say that? I'm ready, I just need to grab my bag and phone....that's all," I argued.

He didn't reply, he just looked at my feet, I looked too and I noticed that I was still in my pink home flip flops. He looked up to my face....or maybe higher.

Is there anything wrong with my hair?

I tried touching my hair but my hand landed on something fluffy...which is definitely not my hair, I still had my towel tied round it.

"Oh...." Spilled out of my mouth.

"I'm so sorry...Am I making you run late?....If that's so, you don't need to worry anymore, you can just leave me behi--"

"Nevermind....I'll wait."

I didn't even bother asking if he was sure or not.

With that, I turned around and dashed back inside and that was when I realized how empty the house was.

Ivy and Kelly must've been off to school already and Mom would be at work.

I was fleeting up the stairs before something popped up in my head.

Who must've brought me home?

I pushed that aside and continued my journey to my room. Someone was waiting for me and I was already running late.

*

I opened the door again but this time I felt ready at least, I had changed my flipflops to a pair of comfortable grey and white sneakers while my black hair had been lotioned, dried, brushed and let to fall freely down my shoulders.

I didn't see him and I started having this feeling that he'd left after waiting before I noticed a familiar figure leaning against the wall.

He started walking towards me when his gaze landed on me.

"I thought you'd left," I said immediately we were at a reasonable distance.

He didn't reply, just chuckled exposing one of the cutest dimples I've ever seen.

I guess he's not angry.

"Let's just go," he finally replied.

Seems like he doesn't talk much.

"Okay....fine....but we could use my car--" I was cut short when I looked at the driveway and noticed that my car was nowhere in sight.

"My car is probably still in the bar."

"No...I drove it back here last night," Timothy replied.

Does it mean?

"You were the one that brought me home?"

"Yeah....I realized that it was the best option to take, not like I could just leave you there and I also didn't want history to repeat itself." He said and it brought back past memories of our first encounter.

I imagined him scooping me up from the floor and carrying me all the way to my car.

I felt my cheek redden out of embarrassment.

"Oh....okay," I replied.

"It's probably one of my sisters or my mom, I'm sure they didn't want me going far."

They knew that I couldn't go almost anywhere without it.

"Definitely," he replied.

"But remember....just be in control of yourself in the mean time," he said to me.

"Let's go...."

*

Public transportation is like hell.

How do people get to use them like everyday? I felt like I was going to pass out on just my first ride.

I've gotten so used to my 'baby'....my car.

It had gotten through heaven and hell with me. I remember when it was given to me on my 16th birthday, that is one of the most happiest time in my life. I would be turning 18 in a few weeks but it's still here....

Even if it's not here at the moment...

Unlike the rest.

"We're almost there," Timothy answered my question again for like the fourth time.

"That's what you've been saying but we've been walking for hours," I whined.

Okay....I just exaggerated there.

"We've been walking for just five minutes...calm down," he replied again, still walking forward while I dragged myself lazily behind him.

He was right, we've only been walking for like five minutes but that didn't justify the fact that I had to squeeze myself in a stuffy bus filled up with half the earth's population.

That ride took a life time and it was sickening.

"I don't even--" I paused when I started seeing the top of a large building from afar.

"See....we're close," he convinced, probably tired of all my whining.

But I wasn't taking it, I couldn't bear walking more metres under this hot sun, this wouldn't have been a problem if I had my car around.

"The distance is till kind of far, we could get in a cab or someth--"

"I didn't force you to come along!"

I was taken aback by the sudden outburst from him.

"Yeah....I didn't and it's not too late to order a 'cab' and head straight back home from here," he firmly said, staring intensely at me, probably waiting for my reply.

But I was short of words.

"I'm being dead serious here! All you've been doing all the way is whining and complaining, it's seriously pissing me off! I'm seriously not in the mood for any of that!" He shouted again.

I just stood there like a little child being scolded without having any choice on what to do next. I don't know how, but, there's a way he pushes my buttons so perfectly and puts me in a tight corner.

A way he just makes me feel so guilty.

Maybe, I was just being selfish, he is going to face something big and I'm still bombarding him with my own issues.

It's not like I had a choice, I had already gone too far enough to go back.

He looked away from me before running his fingers roughly through his hair and bringing his palm down through his face.

He took a deep breathe like he was trying so hard to calm himself before looking back at me.

"Fine....we can take a cab there," he said, moving towards the road side, probably to stop one.

"No, it's fine....we can walk there....I really don't mind," I suddenly said, making him stop to look back at me.

"Are you sure?...There's no problem, we can--"

"No...I'll rather walk, besides the hospital isn't so far from here."

He looked at me with a bit dazzled expression, probably trying to figure out if I'm being real or not.

"Okay."

*

"Ward 306 sir," the receptionist replied.

We had already gotten to the hospital and Timothy had just made inquiries about his dad's new room, he'd been moved to a private ward because he was getting better.

"It's on the third floor," she continued still with a beaming smile on her face.

"Thanks," he appreciated before gesturing towards me to follow him.

I did like he said because truth be told, I have never been to the hospital before and it was a big one at that.

We entered the elevator with a few other people and the elevator moved it's way up before the door opened on the required floor.

The view from there showed a wide and long hallway containing a few benches, a cofee machine and numerous rows of doors leading to different wards.

In all, it had a uniform colour of white and blue with few health tips and disease awareness information pasted on the walls.

This floor wasn't so filled up like the last one we were in and I could spot a middle aged woman, probably around her early forties sitting on one of the benches.

I noticed that we were walking foward and Timothy halted when we were a reasonable distance from her.

Was she perhaps Timothy's....

"Mom?" He called out, causing her to jerk her head towards us on impulse.

I could see her full face now and the resemblance between the both of them was threatening, only that she looked pale and weak.

She stood up from the bench and I could tell how tired she must've been. She must have been in the hospital for a very long time.

"So you came? To be honest, I thought you wouldn't show up," his mom said, talking directly to him.

"He's still my dad."

"But I thought you didn't consider us family anymore...."

"I never said that--"

"You don't need to say it.....it's already so clear..."

"Mom! We don't need to do this...we don't need to talk about this right now!"

"Really? We don't? We have to! Or is it because she's here?!" She shouted and damn...I already knew she was referring to me.

"She's just been here for less than two minutes and you're already dragging her into this...." He retorted, making it almost as low as a whisper but that doesn't mean that I didn't hear every word.

"When do you really start bringing girls in? Pretty ones at that.....Hmmm, things has really changed over time."

"Mom....she's a friend, stop being sarcastic."

"But you know what I'm saying right," she said, raising a brow.

"Just stop it!" He yelled, maybe there was something more to what she said than it seemed.

She took a deep breathe like she was trying to control herself.

Seems like it runs in the family.

"See....I really don't want to have this kind of conversation with you, but I can't help it. I'm your mom.....I'll always be your mom.....you will always have that special place in my heart, do you know how it feels like to have your own child drift away from you, as far as possible? You just make me question my duties as a mom! Now your dad is fighting for his life in there and I'm also wondering how good of a wife I've been."

There was an uncomfortable silence in the hall before she started pacing to and fro.

There was this look of hurt in her eye.

"You don't need to blame yourself....you're not the cause of dad's condition."

"But I'm the cause of yours right?" She asked.

He looked away.

"Have a seat," he said and it took me a while to process the fact that he was talking to me.

"Oh...okay," I replied, not reclining the offer. I didn't want to just sit here and watch the both of them misunderstand themselves but I had no other choice, my leg was already aching like hell.

Timothy just stood beside the bench with his hands tucked in his pockets while his mom just kept on pacing.

The place would have been dead quiet if not for the fact that that it was a hospital and other people were wandering about.

This wasn't what I meant when I said that I wanted to go far from my problems and feel normal again for atleast a few hours.

But then...this was kinda expected.

I was already feeling uncomfortable with the intensity of the air around us, It suddenly felt like there wasn't enough oxygen to breathe.

I suddenly got distracted by the opening sound of the elevator.

About four people came out of the elevator, but one person caught my attention.

Not just for the fact that he was totally hot....

But the fact that he was the exact second copy of the guy standing a few centimetres away from me.

~~~~~~