"How're you?" Seth asks, swiveling around in his chair.

I shrug and chuckle. "Been better."

He grins at me. He's a soft spoken boy who seems very sweet. But I bet he's probably popular with the ladies, being in a college sport and how he looks. He's not my Orio, and he's not my type, but he's attractive.

"You're right... stupid question."

"Naw, it's okay."

"I'm really, really happy you guys are okay at least."

"Thank you. That means a lot, actually."

He smiles. "I mean, with how often Ori talks about you when you're not around, you're practically family."

I flick my eyes over to Orion. He shakes his head curtly once, mouthing 'not now'. I look back at Seth.

Ms. Price walks over then, John staying with Orion. She gently squeezes my shoulder. "I'm sorry Tristan, I didn't mean to ignore you."

I pat her hand. "Don't be ridiculous."

"How are you?"

"About as well as to be expected."

"Tris," Orion says sharply, and I know what he means. I fight off the urge to roll my eyes.

"Uh, well, actually I ripped out my stitches accidentally and they had to sew me back up."

She gasps.

"But I'm fine now! Promise!"

"That's why he's in here," Orion states with eyes that look like barely opened blinds, "so I can keep an eye on him..."

Ms. Price chuckles. She then looks down. "Have your parents been here yet?"

I take a deep breath. "Um...no."

"Oh shit," Orion says, his eyes going wide. "Do they even know?"

"No."

"Ohmygosh!" Ms. Price gasps, and begins to be a busy body around the room. "Where's your stuff? I'm sure your phone is there, and if not you can use the room phone I'm sure."

"It's fine, really--"

"It's not fine! Goodness, I don't want to think how I'd be if I found out after the fact that my son was in the hospital."

"Really, it's fine--"

"Ah-ha!"

She brings me my bag. I'm grossed out by the blood-soaked clothes, all from Orion. Jesus, no wonder he was pale... Ignoring such thoughts, I fish my cell out of my pocket.

For a moment I just stare at it. I pray that it's busted, because then at least I can say I don't have their number memorized. But alas, it turns on. The screen isn't even cracked somehow.

I don't want to do this. I don't want to worry my mom. I don't want to deal with the pain that's going to come when she shows up sans my dad. I don't want to face the fact that when my dad doesn't show up, it's going to confirm the fact he always loved Tyler more.

But everyone is staring at me, so I pull up my mom's number, hit dial, and put it to my ear. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Hopefully she's so drunk she's passed out--

"Tristan!"

I look at my lap at her cheerful greeting. "H-hey ma..."

"How're you, sweetie?"

I look up at Ms. Price and take a deep breath. "Er...actually, about that..."

~

It was the day after Orion chased me with a spider that the crash happened. Even though it's only been four days, that happiness seems like a lifetime ago.

We've come to find out the unusual amount of rain was the reason those rocks came tumbling into the highway. It's ironic in a sick and twisted way; Amy was the one so freaked out at the prospect of a landslide, and here she was, fighting for her life after just that happened. If I believed in such garbage, I'd say she jinxed it.

"Stop."

I look over at Orio. His ebony eyes are slits.

"W-what?"

"You're tapping your fingers against your leg. It's driving me crazy."

"Oh." I clench my hands into fists to stop my drumming.

He smiles at me. "It'll be fine."

I look away. We're waiting for my mom. She told me she would buy the first ticket to Colorado that she could find. 

Well, she said "tickets", but I'm sure it was a slip-up. Or maybe she really was going to buy two, and my dad would just be "too busy with the shop" to come out. Jesus knows I've heard that line enough the past three years...

"I'll reimburse their tickets," Orion states.

"Ticket."

"Tris, I'm sure your dad will come."

"You don't have to do that. They do well with the shop, they have the money."

"Maybe I want to."

"Why?"

"Gee, I d'no," he drolls sardonically. "Maybe because they're going to be my fucking in-laws and I wanna do something nice for them?"

I chuckle. "Fine, don't get your panties in a bunch."

He snorts. "You know I don't wear that."

Before I can give him a smart ass comment right back there's a knock on the door. I look over and my jaw admittedly drops open. It's my parents. Parents.

My mom rushes over and it's not long until the front of my hospital gown is soaked through with her tears. I don't know what else to do so I just awkwardly pat her back.

"It's okay, ma. Really, it's okay."

"No it isn't," she says in her voice that barely has a Texan accent, "I almost lost you. I almost lost my only other kid. It's not alright."

"It is," I tell her soothingly, reminding me how after my brother died I was the one who consoled her. "You didn't lose me--it's an almost."

She erects herself, dabbing her eyes with tissue she's pulled from her purse. Her blonde hair is perfect, as always. Jewelery on point, dressed fashionably, pair of heels. I can't help but smile at her.

"I've missed you, ma."

My truth just makes her dissolve back into tears. It's only then does my dad come over. He grabs the chair and situates it bedside the woman who birthed me. She gratefully sinks down into it. He puts his bear-paw of a hand on my mom's shoulder. Our hands are one of the only things we have in common.

"Thanks for coming, dad," I say gruffly, and honestly a little timidly.

He looks shocked. Genuinely shocked. Then he screws up his face, running a hand through his brown hair. "Jesus, you say that like I showed up to dinner or something..."

"Well, I know you get busy with the shop."

He blinks his grey eyes, yet another physical contrast we have. "You're kidding, right?"

I'm genuinely confused. "About what?"

"Jesus..." he breathes out, running his hand through his hair again. He begins to pace, hand on his hip where his red flannel shirt is tucked into his light brown belt and jeans. He stops at the edge of my bed, leaning against it. "Tristan! You almost died!"

I'm alarmed, thinking he's angry. "I know, I'm really sorry--"

He screws his face up more. I glance over at Orion who is trying to look anywhere but the scene playing out before him.

"Sorry?" my dad belts.

I open my mouth to apologize again, but shut my mouth tight when he breaks down. I've never seen my dad cry. Not even when Tyler died.

"D-Dad!"

"Fuck the shop!"

I blink.

"Oh my God," he continues, wiping his face and forcing himself to not cry anymore. "I'm such a fucking failure if you honestly think the shop is more important than your life." He shakes his head, sounding offended. "What got into your Goddamn head, Tristan?"

I'm slowly starting to panic. "Well--I mean--after Tyler died--"

"Fuck," he says, coming around and sitting on the bed, "this is a conversation we should've had years ago."

I don't move, still panicked.

"I'm sorry," he tells me, looking at his hands. "I'm sorry after he died I wasn't around much. I'm sorry I was selfish and wasn't there for you like I should've been."

I shrug. "It's understandable. I know it was a bad blow to you, especially since he was your favorite--"

"What?"

My mom gasps. If I were Orion, I'd be doing that nervous laugh he does. But I'm not him, so I just clam up and freeze.

"Where in the fuck," my dad says, "did you get that from?"

My dad is the reason I try not to swear. He's completely harmless, he doesn't even like killing bugs, would rather transfer them outside...but he swears like a sailor.

"Uh," I reply, bewildered. I'm sure my eyes are huge. "I mean, it just--it just seemed like it. You always took him camping, and hunting, and you always took him to the movies--"

My dad looks pained. "Tristan... you don't like any of that stuff."

He had a point. "Well, I mean, it's not like you spent much time with me."

"Because you were off riding your skateboard, or playing basketball, or hooking up with guys--"

"Dad!"

"What?" He glances over to Orion--he doesn't know that's my Orion. "Oh, sorry." My dad pulls the dividing curtain closed. I can imagine Orion trying to stifle laughter. I bet he has two hands clamped over his mouth...

"Well I mean it's true!"

"DAD!"

"I wasn't born yesterday. There's only so many times you could've stayed overnight at your friend's house--what was his name? Matt?"

I moan loudly and hear some sort of noise from behind the curtain. Orion then pretends to cough.

"If you really went over there that much they would've adopted you. Not to mention you'd come back home smelling like someone's cologne every time, and it was different every time--"

"Father!"

Orion loses his battle against not laughing. He's in hysterics. I yank open the curtain dividing us.

"Oh my God," Orion says, clutching his stomach, "it hurts to laugh but this is just too good..."

"Ma, dad, I'd like you to meet Orion. Orion, these are my parents."

Immediately my dad turns as red as a sunburn after sixteen hours in the sun. He looks absolutely mortified at Orion.

"Oh fuck, I am so sorry."

It merely makes Orion laugh more. He waves his hand, snort-laughing.

"I'm thrilled you find this so hilarious..." I grumble.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Orion tells my father, holding out his hand, attempting to contain his giggles.

Still deep red, he comes around and shakes Orion's hand. Then my mother goes to him. When he attempts to shake her hand, too, she pulls him into a hug.

"Now now, I'll have none of that nonsense," she tells him, and when they're done hugging dabs her eyes.

"Sorry I haven't been able to meet you yet," Orion tells them genuinely. He then shoots me a quick glare. "I haven't really had the opportunity to..."

"It's fine," my mother says, "we know so much about you."

Orion looks befuddled. "You do?"

"Oh yes. He talks about you all the time."

My dad grins. "Can't get him to shut up about you, in fact."

Orion looks at me. "You're as red as your dad now."

I don't care how infantile it is. I cover my head with my blanket and moan.

"I am sorry," I hear my dad tell Orion, but now he's laughing, "did what I say earlier put my son in the dog house?"

I fling the covers off. "Dad!"

My dad grins like a leprechaun who's just spotted gold. "This is too priceless. I've never seen you so flustered."

Orion laughs. "Naw, no trouble here."

"He's not in the dog house?" my mom teases, which causes Orion to crack up again.

"Why am I hooked up to an IV?" I lament, looking at the ceiling. "Why am I trapped in a hospital? Can't I just run away now?"

"Aw, what's wrong, love?" Orion asks me, the devious grin back on his face. "Embarrassed?"

"Just a smidgen."

Even so, I smile.