FicWad

Maddy

The bell rang, signaling the end of first period. I stood up to leave, only to have Adrian grab my arm.

“Hey, Maddy, will you walk with me? I think we’re heading the same way, and I didn’t think you’d want to roam these halls alone on the first day.”

I grinned and blushed. Dang my flushed cheeks. “Sure, thanks.”

Adrian smiled like he had just won the Nobel Peace Prize and offered me his arm. I took it, laughing quietly, ignoring the stares that people gave us as he swept me out of the room, looking like a Duke with his Duchess.

We headed down the hallways, him to the gym, me to Algebra 1, and Adrian began to ask me questions.

“So, what’s your favorite color?”

I smiled wide. “You’re really asking me about my favorite color? What is this, second grade all over again?”

He grinned, his smile making me feel faint. “Yeah, kind of. It’s something I do a lot when I’m getting to know someone, or trying to get into someone’s head. I play the question game. I ask a question, you ask a question. We go back and forth until we run out of questions, and then we know that we know each other.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “Black. You?”

“Black.”

I laughed. “I assumed,” I said, looking pointedly at his black Hollywood Undead band tee and black hoodie.

“Who’s your best friend?” he asked, dodging around a fallen student who was clutching his inhaler for dear life.

“Her name’s Kerri Collins. And she’s more than a friend- she’s a sister. She saved me from suicide. Meeting her was the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I haven’t a doubt. I love her so much. And this year, I finally get to see her. We got separated two years ago, you see? I switched schools because of bullies. She got me hooked on this band,” I gestured to my My Chemical Romance tee shirt, “and gave me words to live by- ‘We’ll carry on.’ I’m just happy I finally get to see her again. When I left school with her, it felt like someone tore out a piece of my heart. Now, that person gave that piece back, along with some glue.”

Adrian nodded, looking solemn as we neared our destinations. “I know Kerri. She’s a really good friend of mine. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of you from her before. Unless… your last name isn’t Begley, is it?”

I nodded.

“She’s told me about you. All good, I swear,” he added, seeing my wary look. “I’m just glad I finally got to meet you.”

I couldn’t help but smile again at that. He was quite the charmer.

As we neared the entrance to the Algebra classroom, Adrian spoke once again.

“One last question. Do you see me in your future? Because I’d really like to be.”

I was speechless. Finally, I found words, though they were not the ones I had intended to come out of my mouth.

“That was two questions. I’ll answer yours after I ask mine.” The warning bell rang.

He looked hurt. It crushed me to see him like this, the boy who I’d just met and already loved, but I couldn’t find words to tell him how I felt. So I simply said, “You should probably get to class. See you at lunch?”

He nodded glumly and walked away.

As I sat down in my seat, I felt terrible. Instead of listening to the instructor drone on about rules and expectations, I picked up a piece of paper and began to write.

Dear Adrian…
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Christian


I woke up to the sound of a heart monitor. I felt strangely numb as I took in my surroundings. White walls. White bandages. White flowers in a white vase. Doctors in white gowns. An endless sea of white.

I yawned and tried to stretch, surprised to find my arms heavy and unresponsive. I felt dazed and had no idea where I was. I wiggled my toes and almost cried out in pain as my whole leg flared to life- intense pain that made me wish I hadn’t moved at all. Memories came folding back. The storm. Ray’s truck. A scream. Then- nothing.

I spoke, or at least tried to speak. My words came out in a drugged slur.

“Wuh huppnd?”

A nurse appeared at my bedside.

“What is your name?” she asked me, obviously checking for amnesia. I rolled my eyes and slurred out as best I could with my drugged body, “Christan Callwaaay.”

She nodded. “Well, Christian, you are a very lucky man. You sustained almost no injuries from the crash, besides a concussion and a broken leg. Your brother, Ray, however, fared a little worse. He won’t be driving anytime soon, I’m afraid. His legs were severely damaged in the wreck. It may take years before he is able to walk again.”

I swallowed hard, my seemingly swollen tongue making it impossible to scream for my brother, tears running down my face. The pain medication made it hard to think, but I realized that I needed someone who could help me; someone who would make them let me in to see my brother.

“Wurr um I?” I asked.

“You are in Dearborn County Hospital,” she answered, seeming confused about why I would need to know that.

“Cun yoo cull sumun furr me?”

“Of course I can. Do you have the number or name? We’ll try to contact them. Are they some relation to you?”

I thought quickly. They wouldn’t let in a visitor who wasn’t family. “Sisturr.”

The nurse nodded.

“Kerri Cullins. Hurr numburr is five three suvn, oh oh suvn sixx.” I mumbled. The sentence was quite a challenge, and left me drained.

“She’s a half-sister, I assume?” the nurse asked. I nodded. “Okay. You get some rest. We’ll call her. She’s at school right now?” Another nod. “Okay, I’m assuming Lawrenceburg High School. I’ll give the principal a call and have her sent here.”

I mumbled my thanks and fell asleep.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian

I walked into PE, my elation from talking to Maddy completely gone, replaced by disappointment with her answer. She had seemed scared when I’d asked her about the future, all but flat-out confessing my feelings for her. Oh, I’d heard about her before. I knew all about her. Kerri had talked about her all the time. She had shown me pictures of Maddy, and she was even more beautiful in person. And now she was scared. She knew how I felt. She turned me down.

You should have waited, idiot! She hardly knows you! She probably thinks you’re the creepy sophomore hitting on the freshman girl, looking for a free one night stand! Idiot, retard, you stupid f-

“Hey Adrian.” It was Kerri. She was sitting on the bleachers on her gym uniform, stretching a stiff ankle.

“Hey Kerri. How’s it been? Didn’t hear from you much this summer.”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy being a nerd,” she answered, grinning. “Sitting in my room reading and blaring MCR at top volume. Watching Alicia hit her head on my basement ceiling and fall off the swing. Getting drunk on Mt. Dew. The usual Collins summer. Anyway, I wanted to ask, have you seen Christian? He’s not here today, but I know he’s not sick because I talked to him last night. Frankly, I’m worried. Ray isn’t here either, and that screams wrong. My Kerri senses are tingling.”

I grinned at her use of our old joke. “Nope, I haven’t heard from him in a week. He was locked in his basement with his guitar for the last free days of the year. Anyway, doesn’t Ray usually drive Christian to school? Maybe they got caught in the storm and decided to wait it out. I’m sure they’re fine. Don’t stress so much, Ker.”

“Yeah, I guess…” she muttered, obviously unconvinced. She looked up at me, and concern furrowed her brow. “What’s eating you, Adrian?”

I shrugged. “I’m just an idiot, is all.”

“What did you do?”

I sighed. Class was about to start, and I followed her to the line. They were picking teams. Kerri and I counted and split off to one side of the gym. No need to wait to be picked last as we knew was bound to happen. Better to find out which team you’re on by default.

“I talked to Maddy.”

“And? How does that make you and idiot?”

“I’m in love with her. And I’m pretty sure she knows it. And I KNOW she doesn’t feel the same way. I think I freaked her out. She looked all scared and started stuttering and said that I should get to class. Then she ran away. She RAN into the classroom. GOD I’m so STUPID!” I slammed my fist against the wall. A few younger students squealed and scurried away.

“Adrian. I know Maddy. If she knows you like her, she won’t start ignoring you. She’s been through a lot. She was probably just unsure what to say, so she was buying time. It will NOT be another Cayla. I promise. Be her friend first. Then she’ll see how awesome you are. Don’t stress so much, Adrian.”

I grinned half-heartedly, and opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the intercom.

“WOULD KERRI COLLINS PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE? KERRI COLLINS TO THE OFFICE. PHONE CALL.”

Kerri looked at me apologetically.

“It must be important if I’m getting pulled out of PE. I have to go. Sit with her at lunch. Tell her I said hi!” With that, she was gone.

I sighed, dislodging my hand from the wall and turning to face the opposing team. Dodgeball. What fun.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kerri

When I stepped into the office, I immediately knew something was wrong. Standing at the front desk was the secretary with a worried look on her face. She jumped when I walked in and picked up the phone.

“Here she is,” she said, handing the phone to me as if trying to rid herself of a poisonous snake.

“Hello?”

“Is this Kerri Collins?”

“Yes…” I was worried now. The voice on the other end of the line was sugar-coated. Not a good sign.

“Kerri, we are very sorry to inform you that your half-brothers, the Callaways, were in a serious car accident. Christian has requested to see you. Would you like to have someone pick you up? It is still stormy, and I wouldn’t want you on the roads by yourself.”

I nodded, before realizing that the woman on the phone couldn’t hear me.

“Yes, please,” I whispered, my voice sounding cold and tiny.

I hung up the phone after answering the nurse’s questions, and sat in the office in my gym shorts and tank top, the full weight of the news not fully registered. One thought came to my head as I waited for the nurse to call back and say it was all a joke. Half-brothers? That just screamed Christian. It was totally something he would say.

A white van pulled up to the curb, and I walked out the door. The office paid me no heed, and I stepped into the storm. I couldn’t feel the icy wind biting my skin or the rain soaking my shorts. I just out one foot in front of the other and found myself in the passenger’s side of the van.

Before I knew it, I was stepping into the hospital ward where Christian was sleeping. When I saw him, bleeding and broken on the hospital bed, it hit me.

“Christian!” I screamed, and broke down into tears.