Chapter Ten

Present day

Storm

"You don't fucking understand! She could've died!"

"Am I the one who refused to be with her? No."

"Wha- You left her in the middle of the night with no way of getting back home!"

"She said she'd call you."

"Guys, shut up! I think she's waking up."

I fluttered my eyes open, looking around the bright hospital room. I immediately noticed the window that presented dark clouds and fluorescent lights that shone down on me.

"Honey, are you okay?" someone rushed to me and squeezed my shoulders. "I'm so sorry for everything I said, I wasn't thinking straight."

Zara.

I inhaled her orange-scented shampoo and hugged her back. She winced, moving away.

"You should probably go easy with that hand," she pointed out. I looked down at my right hand which was in a cast.

"Wha- what happened?" I mumbled, glancing at Drew and Law in the back of my room.

"Orsen called the ambulance when you passed out at his house," she reminded me, intertwining our hands. "I asked him what happened, but he refused to talk to any of us. I think he was ashamed."

"That bastard deserves everything that comes at him," Drew snarled, twirling a put-out cigarette between his fingers.

Our eyes locked and suddenly, everything from last night flushed my memory.

We did it again.

My stomach tied in knots and I wasn't able to hold back the guilt.

"Storm, I'm truly sorry and embarrassed for what I said to you. Will you ever forgive me?" sadness flashed through Zara's eyes and her bottom lip trembled.

"Oh, Zara," I hugged her neck, bringing her closer. "I already forgave you."

"Aw, how cute," Law commented, snapping a picture of us with his phone. "I'm gonna hang this one on my wall," he told Drew.

Both Zara and I flashed him a look, but he couldn't care less.

"Okay, who's ready to hear my idea for the prank?" Drew smirked, placing the cigarette behind his ear.

"Don't you think it's a little inappropriate to talk about pranks when Storm is laying here in a hospital bed?" Zara disagreed.

"Nope," he shook his head.

"Hate to break it to you, Drew, but I highly doubt you'll top off Sar's prank," Zara shrugged, snuggling beside me in the bed.

"Wanna bet?" his lips flickered upwards, challenging us.

I raised my brows, looking at everyone in the room. "I believe in your imagination," I told him.

"You better, babe," he nodded in my direction. I winced at the name he'd just called me, imagining Sar's voice talking to me.

He always called me that.

"What if I told you it involves strippers, alcohol, and the priceless reaction of Snakey?" Drew suggested, referring to the Principal.

"You had me at strippers," Zara cheered, jumping out of my bed. "Oh, and we can pay them to dress in policeman uniform!" she clapped.

"So, here's the idea - the Homecoming is just around the corner and we'll throw the biggest fiasco there."

"How will we ever pull that off? Snakey always watches those dances like a hawk," Law wondered.

"That's easy, the girls will take care of it," Drew explained and winked at me.

I winced again, looking down at my hands. I was attached to a few machines and a needle was stuck in my left arm, connecting me with the IV.

"Drew, can I talk to you outside?" Zara asked him, dragging him out of the room before he could answer.

God, how could've I done this to Sar? I practically cheated on him with his best friend, whom he knew since they were born.

"Hey, are you okay?" Law worriedly asked, walking to my bed. "Can I help you with something?"

I looked at his blue eyes, carefully thinking about what I will say next. "I messed up, Law. I'm a fucking mess."

He took my left hand and frowned. "You're not a mess, Storm. We're teenagers, we make mistakes."

"No, you don't understand," tears stung my eyes. "I cheated on Sar."

He stared at me with his mouth opened, not knowing what to say.

"Storm, he's not here anymore. It's okay if you moved on," he assured me, still holding my hand.

Unlike Drew's touch, which was full of desire and frustration, Law's was friendly and comforting.

"I... I can't- he wouldn't want me to," I stammered, guilt practically eating me alive.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

I nodded.

"My parents raised me with love and affection, they were a perfect couple. My whole life, I've known nothing less. Well, until I became a teenager and got a girlfriend that cheated on me. I was just about to tell her that I loved her, but I was glad I didn't," he scoffed, a nostalgic smile creeping from his lips.

"I can't even imagine how you felt."

"No, actually, it's the opposite. It was easier to cope because she didn't love me, so I could understand the reason she cheated. I would cheat on someone too if I felt no attachment towards them," he explained and I furrowed my brows.

"I don't understand. Are you saying you're okay with cheating?"

He chuckled, slightly shaking his head. "No, I would be devastated if someone cheated on me. But it would have to be someone I knew loved me."

"Is that why you're always drinking? You're hurt because you know Zara cares about you and she still doesn't choose you," I finally connected the dots.

I didn't even realize what had left my mouth until I saw Law's face. He was paler than the moon and tears huddled in his glassy eyes.

"Law, I'm sorry I didn't-"

He stormed out of the room without a word, not looking back.

Fuck, I did it again.

I fucked up.

"Miss Travis?" an old man walked into my room, whom I assumed was my doctor.

I forced a smile.

"How are you doing? Are you in any pain?" she asked, reviewing my medical file.

My heart is shattered, along with my hand, and my brain is scrambled like my morning eggs.

"I'm okay." This is the pain I have to live through because I deserve it.

"Is it okay if we discharge you in a few days? We want to keep an eye on you some more time," he carefully picked the words.

I frowned. "That's honestly not necessary. I can leave this afternoon, I'm completely alright."

He pursed his lips, examining me. I straightened my back and relaxed my shoulders, brightening him with my greatest smile.

I can't be here any longer.

"Tell you what, I will release you after lunch, but you will have to see a therapist once a week," he closed his hands, resting them on his chest.

A therapist? He doesn't think I'm mentally unstable, does he?

"I don't see the point of a therapist, sir. I'm perfectly fine," I argued.

"I mean it, Miss Travis. I have to be sure this situation won't occur again," he was worried, I could read it from his voice, but he was asking too much.

A therapist won't help me.

Only Sar could help me and he's not here.

"Please, sir. I promise it will never happen again," I begged him, but his mind was set in stone.

I sighed, frustratedly trying to find a way out.

"Fine, I'll see a therapist," I gave in and he smiled, nodding.

"Glad we could make a deal, Miss Travis."

×××××

After Doc released me from the hospital after lunch and Mrs. N picked me up, I went straight to my room.

Although she said nothing wrong, but was worried as any other guardian would be, I felt even worse when I left the hospital.

I didn't feel like eating, especially after everything that had happened.

My injured arm hurt, but I didn't want to take the medicine. I need to feel the pain.

I laid on my bed and connected headphones to my phone, slowly drifting away.

Beep, beep, beep!

I woke up in the dark and Orsen's picture lightened the room.

Before my finger could run to the green button, I looked at the time. 2 AM.

Why is he calling me this late? Or should I say, early.

I sighed and pressed the phone to my ear.

For a few seconds, the only thing I heard was his quick-paced breath.

"Storm?" his voice was trembling, but it didn't sound anything like him.

I sat straight in my bed, my suspiciousness increasing.

"Orsen?"

Was it really him?

"I- I did a stupid thing. I need... please, Storm, help me," he was barely talking, he just slurred the words out of his mouth. I could hear him crying.

I ran through the scenario in my head. What could he possibly do that would be so bad? Should I bring someone with me?

"Orsen, where are you?" I cautiously asked him, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

The tension in his long silence woke up the kind of creeps I felt the night Sar died.

"I'm outside of the town, near that car disposal junkyard," he whimpered breathlessly. I've never heard him this scared before.

He was always the tough one, never showed vulnerability or fear. Has he really changed that much in just four months?

I thought about asking him what the fuck is he doing there, but I decided against it. He's clearly terrified and traumatized, my anger won't contribute.

"Don't go anywhere, I'm on my way," I hung up and grabbed my coat, carefully sliding my injured arm in the sleeve.

I dialed Drew's number and hurried to Zara's room.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" I could practically hear the smugness on his face. "I was just about to make myself a drink, but if you want to join..."

"This is code red, Drew. Orsen's in trouble," I explained as Zara furrowed her brows. I gave her a sign that I'll fill her in later and she got up to put on her jacket. "Zara and I will pick you up in ten."

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room. Both of us had to be extra quiet because Mrs. N wouldn't be too happy to see us sneak out in the middle of the night.

Again.

When we got to Zara's Jeep, she immediately started the car and drove toward Drew's neighborhood.

"So, can you tell me what happened?" she wanted to know. "And where are we going?"

"You should've heard his voice, Zara. He was horrified, like something... bad happened," I whispered, chills flaring through my body.

We exchanged alarmed looks and kept driving in silence.

When we picked up Drew and Law, I filled them in about where we needed to go and everything Orsen had told me.

"The junkyard? The one by the bay?" Law asked confused, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "The fuck is he doing there at this time of the night?"

"The same thing we do, Law. He's probably drunk or high," Zara reminded him. "Or both."

"Fuck Orsen," Drew mumbled, clearly upset. "He thinks it's okay to ghost everyone who cares about him, but once he's in trouble, ooh, he's dialing Storm's number without a second thought."

"It doesn't matter, guys. Whenever he's in trouble, I'll always help him," I concluded this discussion.

"He doesn't deserve you," Drew whispered.

The further we got, the creepier it became. The car disposal junkyard was indeed just by the bay and there was barely any light exposing it.

The place was huge - there were a dozen rows of destroyed cars tangled inside of the fence and I don't know if we'll be able to locate Orsen.

Although Fall barely even began, we were all in winter gear, covered in clothes from head to toe.

We climbed over the tall fence that prevented teenagers from sneaking in and started walking as I dialed Orsen's number.

"We're in the back," he answered the call shakily.

"Hang on," I hung up and lead the way.

"Did he say 'we'?" Zara whispered, cautiously searching for danger.

"Who's we?" Law wanted to know.

"Guys, I don't know! Be quiet," I hissed, coordinating through the maze.

A low, muffled cry baited me behind the corner, where I was the first to find him.

"Orsen!" Zara ran to him and asked if he was hurt, but he silently shook his head.

A body was resting in his embrace and he held to it tightly.

"This is my fault, I killed him!" he cried out, revealing a guy his age who was beaten up to no recognition. "I killed my boyfriend."

×××××