39

Katherine Thornes

My eyes fluttered open, and the first thing my senses picked up were the beeping sounds of machines around me and then the antiseptic and saline smell associated with hospitals hit my nostrils. I absolutely hated the smell of hospitals, it was nauseating.

I was in a hospital.

But what brought me here?

Oh yeah right, I remember now. I panicked so much about my test that I got a high fever and passed out.

I struggled to sit atop the bed and when I managed to do so, I was met with quite a shocker.

Rachel and my father were seated right in front of me. Was I hallucinating? Had I hit my head so hard against the concrete floor during my fall that I was now seeing things?

"Oh thank Goodness, you're awake Katherine!" Rachel gushed, immediately standing up from her seat and throwing her arms around me in a hug.

I noted that Katie was also here too. Off course she would, she was the one who most likely brought me here.

But what about Dad and Rachel? What were they doing here?

I hugged Rachel back nevertheless, even though I was so, so, so confused.

She disengaged and stepped back. My dad rose up from his seat and straightened his suit.

"Well, we were very worried about you when Katie called and told us that you had suddenly collapsed. Please try to rest, and take things easy. Stop overworking yourself." My father said to me and I was a bit confused. I shouldn't overwork myself, take things easy. What's he talking about?

I looked to Katie for answers, but she had her attention fixated on Rachel, who was looking down at me with pity in her eyes.

"Katherine dear, we've brought food for you, energy drinks, and lots of fruit. So you can recover and be strong. Please, take care of yourself." Rachel said to me, taking my hand into hers and her eyes looked like she was pleading with me— pleading with me to take things easy.

Take what things easy?

What is everyone saying?

"Uhm, okay…" I trailed confusedly, unsure of what everyone was talking about. "Thank you for everything." I appreciated, now sighting the food and fruits at the other side of the room.

Rachel had gone over to stand with my dad, she had her bag in her hand. They were about to leave.

"Alright Katherine, be well. We'll be leaving now that we know you're awake and fine. We'll call to check on you later in the evening. Please, take care." My father bid farewell.

What's it with everyone and throwing around "Take Care?"

What happened to me?

"Okay, dad. Thank you so much, thank you so much, Rachel." I said and they smiled— a smile that showed so much pity towards me, and I wondered why. Afterwards, they left and Katie and I were left alone in the room.

"Katie, tell me why my parents are speaking to me like I just got diagnosed with cancer?" I immediately blurted out the moment they left.

A hint of a smile played at the edge of her lips, "They just care about you so much. Lucky you, having three parents that have your interest at heart."

Make that two and a half parent, my mother has been more of a pain than a parent lately.

"Okay, but for reals now, what happened to me? Why do they keep telling me to take care and all that? I just got a fever and was unconscious for a few hours." I stated.

"Two days you mean." Katie corrected and I was stunned. What? I was unconscious for two days. Because of a simple fever, really?

"Two days?" I asked surprisedly. I couldn't believe it.

"Yes. You collapsed, that you know, and the doctor said it was because you've been stressing, overworking yourself and not eating right." Katie stated and everything added up together and started making sense.

I've been overworked and stressed my whole life, of course, I'll break down and blackout for two days. And I don't really eat well either.

"Wow." Was all I could say, I knew nothing else. I have to overwork myself if I want to continue to sit at the top of my class with perfect grades.

And now that my body was giving out, I didn't know what else to do.

"Your mother came to see you once, that was the day you fainted. She brought some fruit and chocolates, I don't know why she deemed it fit to give a sick person chocolates but she did." Katie said. Oh? So my mother came to visit. I hope she feels guilty knowing that my being in this condition is solely her fault. "I ate all the chocolates though. Sick people don't take chocolates." Katie added, I chuckled.

Wait, I haven't heard someone's name yet.

"What about Alex?" I questioned. If he didn't show up to check up on me, I'll be so pissed and I'll also—

"He stayed the whole day with you yesterday," Katie answered and I was dumbfounded, speechless.

Alexander stayed the whole day with me yesterday? Did he miss school? Missed football practice? Missed everything, just to take care of me?

"Are you serious Katie?" I had to be sure I was hearing correctly. I really can't believe my ears.

"Yes. The first day you were here, I offered to stay the night and take care of you but my mum needed me home that night. So Alexander decided to fill in for me." Katie began. "And he stayed that night, the next night, and yesterday I had a test and I had to be in school, so he stayed the whole day." Katie further explained and I still don't know why the information that Alexander spent two nights and a whole day watching over me made my insides flutter with tingly sensations.

It made me feel happy and not only that, there was another foreign feeling I couldn't quite figure out looming in my heart.

"Really?" The whole explanation weakened my orality, I couldn't even speak loudly.

My heart was doing joyful summersaults.

"Yes, he was ready to stay the whole day today but I literally had to drag him out and ask him to go home. He hasn't been getting good sleep, and your parents were coming today; I wasn't sure if you'd like them to meet him yet." Katie said. "Plus, the possibility of your mum popping in and seeing him in here was also there. I figured since she hadn't come since the first day, she might come today. But she hasn't showed up yet."

The joyful summersaults ended immediately at the mention of my mother. Firstly, her overbearing parenting was the one that landed me in this predicament. And then she couldn't even at least visit me again?

I know it would be a bit petty for comparisons, but Rachel, who isn't even my biological mother, has visited me twice. And my own mother only cake once, and she says she cares about me.

Am I being a brat right now?

"So Alex, is it long since he left?" I asked, the moment I'm out of this hospital, I'm going straight to him and giving him a big hug for staying here with me.

"But he made you fail a test." My subconscious chose the wrong time to wickedly remind me and a chill ran down my spine as I remembered.

She was right. Alex indeed made me fail a test. I allowed him to distract me and make me fail a test. I shouldn't be gushing over the fact that he watched over me when he was one of the reasons why I'm here.

If he hadn't showed up in my life, I wouldn't have been distracted and I would've passed this test.

"You didn't fail your test, Katherine," Katie said and I was instantly jolted out of my thoughts. How did she know what I was thinking?

She read the confused look on my face and answered, "You were thinking out loud." Katie said, but I was more focused on the fact that she said I hadn't failed the test.

It was like a large boulder had been removed from my chest.

"Really? Are the results out?"

Katie shook her head in naught, "Uhm no, but—"

"Then why did you tell me I didn't fail?" I retorted. Why would she say something she wasn't sure of?

"I just know you won't fail. I believe in you." Katie said to me and then she reached into her pocket and brought out a paper. "And Alex does too." She said, stretching the paper to me.

It must be a letter. From him.

"Katherine, I want to apologize for distracting you that night— wait no, for being a distraction to you ever since I met you and not making you study as much as you usually do. I'm sorry for weighing you down and I think what's best is for me to stay away from you. I'm not doing you any good.

But I want you to believe in yourself, just as I believe in you, Katie believes in you and your parents believe in you. You would do well on the test, don't stress.

P.S. You look beautiful when you sleep.

Alex."

"He says he's sorry. He said it a million times and made sure I let you know that he was." Katie added.

My heart melted. And a greater part of me didn't want Alex to leave me alone, as much as I'd hate to admit it but I would miss him, dearly. I'll miss him so much.

I don't want him to leave me alone, ever.

"Hey, I see that look in your eyes Katherine." Katie pointed out and I snapped out of my thoughts again, I saw her giving me a stern look.

I was confused, "What?"

"Don't forget about the deal. This is a game, remember. Make Alexander fall in love with you and then break him— not the other way around. I see you getting all flustered, and you're making a mistake Kat. You can't possibly fall in love with Alexan—"

I tuned out Katie's rebukes at that moment because I knew I was most likely not going to follow through with that game plan anymore with the way things are currently. And I don't know, I may get hurt in the process because I think I'm slowly falling in love with Alexander.