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Chapter 6

  • You stood up for me.
  • I honestly never got to say thank you for that, so thank you for standing by me. Remember when I had gotten into an argument before? Even if things were pretty bad that time, you were there defending me even when you really, really shouldn't have.
  • You're an amazingly great person that sometimes even I start to think if I even deserve you.
  • You, Kylie Darthrow, are just too good for me.
  • And maybe that's the reason why I love you even more.
  • 888888
  • February 16, 2016. Eighteen-Years-Old.
  • Kylie stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her, taking in the large building and the larger cemetery behind it. Who puts a cemetery behind a freaking hospital? She thought, a hand clutching her bag as she pushed the doors. The scent of sanitary alcohol pushing its way into her nostrils and she frowned. It's like telling the patients that they have more deaths than living that they have to put a cemetery out back.
  • She cringed in annoyance when doctors pushed past her, already putting on their gloves and mask as they head to each room. Some of them were laughing, clutching their stomachs from the jokes that were exchanged while some smirked and nodded as if there was an inside joke being shared. No matter how old she was, she hated how some doctors look so casual as if the life of their patient hadn't been left their fingertips, as if they didn't have to deal with crying relatives all day long.
  • While they were laughing and gasping for air, their patients were suffering and laboring each breath.
  • Kylie never wanted to be a doctor.
  • She walked to the reception table, each step careful across the titles as if she was afraid that one wrong move and she'd fall to the floor struggling to breath.
  • Calm down.
  • He'll be fine.
  • "Hello, do you know where Sam Kallis is staying?" Kylie asked, fingers touching the glinting marble of the counter, looking at the pink haired woman typing in her computer.
  • "Mm-hmm, relation?"
  • "Friend."
  • "1B. First floor, good for you, wouldn't have to do so much walking," the receptionist bobbed her head and pointed to the left corridor. "Just head straight and turn to the first door you see."
  • "Thank you."
  • Kylie headed to where her little manicured fingers led her, spotting some beds being rushed to the other end. There were already a few walking, some getting their papers so they could get out of the hospital. She looked at them, and a part of her hoped to see Sam's mother or even brother who had disappeared from the face of the earth, but no dice.
  • Sam was still there.
  • And from what she heard from her other friends, he still hadn't woke up.
  • But he's fine.
  • There she was.
  • Room 1B.
  • Kylie gripped the handle and pushed into the room to see a nurse bustling around with a paper in her hands probably doing her daily checkup. She didn't look up as she moved from the seat beside Sam to give her some space. "You're probably the third visitor today. Had to force both of them out, especially his mom," the lady sighed piteously. "You must be a friend of his I believe?"
  • "Y-yeah."
  • "Well, I'm almost done, and I'll leave you two alone."
  • He wasn't what Kylie would've imagined he'd look like.
  • No.
  • Sam Kallis looked worse.
  • There were cuts all over his cheeks and bruises on his neck. Both eyes were swollen shut while his lips were chapped and cracked, hidden by an oxygen mask. Sam didn't look peaceful at all, as she might've imagined what a comatose person would look like...he looked as if he was in so much pain.
  • She slowly took the seat beside him, watching as the nurse bustled out of the room.
  • "Hi, Sammy," she whispered, a hand placing the letters she brought on her lap before reaching out to touch the rails of the bed. Kylie leaned over, a finger trailing across his cold and sweaty hand, afraid that one strong hit could break his bones. "You know I'm not supposed to be here...Mona had to hit me back to reality for me to realize that I should put things behind us."
  • Silence.
  • Kylie sighed, "I wish I know what to say. I mean, a month of not speaking to each other, you'd think that I'd be able to update you on my daily life...but I don't think I can, Sam. It's weird, seeing you like this...seeing you look so weak." She let out a weak laugh. "You would've looked outraged right now if you could hear me."
  • He continued to breath.
  • "I-I haven't forgiven you yet," she whispered. "And yes I know that's a pretty mean thing to say to you while you're still out. I wish I could change my mind immediately. I wish I can tell you right now that you're forgiven, but god, Sammy, you've told so many lies and did so many things that...I don't know anymore. Heck, I don't even know if I can trust you anymore." Kylie chewed on her lip and looked down at the white sheets that enveloped his frail body. "I'm so sorry. Please live, Sam. Please-I just can't see you die. Just keep breathing and fighting, and you know what? We'll get through this together, just like always."
  • The worse part was when he didn't answer.
  • November 6, 2015. Eighteen-Years-Old.
  • Kylie thought she had a bad day.
  • Stomach cramping like crazy and head thumping as if a mallet was trying to crush her skull, she walked to school with eyebrows furrowed and a scowl permanently etched on her face.
  • It turned out, however, Sam had it worse.
  • Stalking down the school hall, everybody was silent, analyzing the bruises on his arms and a large cut under his eye. He had a scowl that could outmatch hers, and he didn't even twitch when a stretcher came to view, holding a familiar quarterback on its case. Sam stopped and glared at the by passers as if daring them to say anything before making his was to the principal's office.
  • The door slammed close and the chaos started.
  • If Kylie had been pissed before, she could burn the entire world now.
  • "Would you please shut up?" She said one more time to a group of girls who wouldn't keep their mouth shut. They were in her batch, and they were a group of plastics. Kylie glared at their leader-Haylie, the self-proclaimed Catholic goodie-goodie who was just simply one heck of a gossiper. "Gosh, for someone who called him her friend the other day, you sure change sides quickly."
  • Haylie sighed, looking at her with pitiful spite. "Aw, honey," she sounded so genuinely sorry that Kylie was tempted to start a brawl. Only Jenny could call her that without sounding like a complete and utter witch. "I'm on no one's side. You need to understand that it is the Lord's side who we'll be on.. A true friend should be able to admonish him when he is wrong and praise him when he is right."
  • "Well, sweetie, you've got to understand that teaming up with the side of the Lord does not excuse you for gossiping and cursing your friend," Kylie put up the most irritating smile she could ever muster before batting her eyelashes. "No matter. A true friend should also be able to first hear him out before admonishing him-but hey, side of the Lord, right? Gotta admire that."
  • She left, not even waiting for Haylie to say another word.
  • Of course Sam had to hit the quarterback-Kai Simmone who everybody decided to side with. Who couldn't? He was popular, rich, put together even if he looked like a pug-girls would still swoon for him because hey, he would soon have money that his future wife could waste on plastic surgery.
  • Kylie stomped to her locker to get a Statistics book for her next class when she heard some sophomores talking.
  • "You know I think he got anger problems. And have you seen him with all that baggy outfits? He looks like he's trying too hard."
  • "Yeah, I heard he was taking therapy for it. Gosh, no wonder he acts like he's a huge jerk all the time."
  • "Really?"
  • "Okay that's it," Kylie whirled around and glared at them, eyes narrowing. They were a few inches smaller than her so she easily towered over them, even with their little heels. "Will you please shut the hell-"
  • "Woah there." A hand reached out to grasp Kylie's shoulder and she could see bright concerned eyes. The redhead turned to the sophomores and glowered at them and they shrank at her gaze. "Now, if you want to talk insults here, let's do it. You, pigtails, look like a sick weirdo with pimples dotted around your face that I could connect to draw Canis Majoris. You, flapjacks, you're so short that you'll probably need someone to push you to the toilet and-"
  • They hadn't waited for the next insult before they scrambled out of their sights.
  • Jenny smirked triumphantly before looking at Kylie, sighing. "Okay, you better calm down," she said. "You're on your period. Your emotions are running haywire, but you're only making it worse for the both of you. It's only adding more fuel to the gossip and as much as I love gossip-it shouldn't be about you or Sam, you got that?"
  • "But-"
  • "I know. They're judging him. You're helping him out, but it's not needed. You see how the guy punches? The topic will die down and people will switch back to who got Jaycee pregnant."
  • "It's not fair."
  • "Nothing's fair, hon," Jenny smiled. "And besides, you wouldn't want for Mona to come back and start saying how her ship is going to sail, would you?"
  • Kylie rolled her eyes, "Some day, I'm going to kill her."
  • "She'll take it as encouragement."
  • "Talking about me are you?" They turned around to see the brunette raising an accusing eyebrow at them. Mona shook her head and crossed her arms. "You talk as if I got nothing to do but to ship you guys."
  • "There's still solving math and memorizing chemistry formulas." Jenny poked at her jokingly, to which Mona pouted. "After that, you got no life, Mo."
  • "That just hurts. I do have a social life. And it's not my fault stalking and Netflix sucked me in."
  • "All you do is stalk hot guys and make sure they're single," Kylie accused.
  • She waved her hand, "Details, details."
  • The three laughed, and it was fine.
  • º º º º º
  • Kylie Sent 6: 35 P.M.
  • Are you okay?
  • Sam Sent 6:40 P.M.
  • Suspended
  • Kylie Sent 6:42 P.M.
  • If you want to murder someone, I would cover for you.
  • Sam Sent 7:00 P.M.
  • He said something about Carlos and Dad just so you know...that's why I snapped.
  • Sam Sent 7:03 P.M.
  • I didn't mean to punch him or well...hit his head on the wall.
  • Kylie Sent: 7:23 P.M.
  • You don't have to explain yourself.
  • Sam Sent 7:28 P.M.
  • I want to, and it besides, it'll be nice to find someone who'll believe me.
  • Kylie Sent 7:32 P.M.
  • I do believe you.
  • Sam Sent 7:35 P.M.
  • Just so you know, the rumors are also shit.
  • Kylie Sent 7:38 P.M.
  • Told them just that.
  • Sam Sent 7:39 P.M.
  • :)
  • November 11, 2006
  • Ever since October, Kylie decided that it was smart to keep a down low when they come in. And by 'they', she meant the bullies who were out to pull girls' hair and sometimes punch boys. They were the ones who the teachers scolded, but they didn't care. It might be a contributing factor that they owned half of what the school had and their parents spoil them too much. At least, that was what Kylie thought so, she was didn't say it to her parents.
  • "There they are."
  • "They're coming."
  • Panicked whispers were exchanged and heads bumped together as they find their respective seats, all pushing each other just to get a seat at the back of the room.
  • Each day, they would pick someone to bully on. Some days it would be a girl. Some days it would be a boy. The unpredictability went on till most of the class was already picked. And when that happened, they'd move to the next class. Please don't pick me, Kylie chewed on her lip as her eyes lingered on the floor. Feet kicking the chair in front of her and hands shaking uncontrollably, she gulped. Three stood on the platform and they all crossed their arms.
  • Somehow, they looked like Crabbe and Goyle from the Harry Potter movie her mom used to watch. The one in the left smirked and punched his fat fist on his hand. "Who's next?" He said mockingly and everybody ducked his head. It was like an earthquake waiting to happen and no one was ready to watch.
  • The one in the middle who was really tall and skeleton thin cackled like a witch. With a pointed nose and crooked teeth, he also looked like a homeless man on the street. But at least the homeless man was nice. "Eeenie, meenie, miney, moo..." His whiny voice filled the room and everybody quieted down. "You, the fat one with the stupid pigtails."
  • Kylie froze. Please don't let me have pigtails. Please... But when a hand went up to touch her hair, she felt the tears coming up to her eyes. "M-me?" She stuttered, stumbling when she stood up. In the corner of her eye, she could see Sam shaking his head and motioning for her to sit down, but Kylie was too nervous to follow.
  • "Did I stutter?"
  • "I-I'll tell my mom-mommy."
  • They advanced towards her like lions stalking their next prey. She whimpered, backing up and looked around but nobody stood up. Everyone was wide-eyed, yet nobody came to help. The one on the right laughed and a finger twisted one of her pigtails causing Kylie to wince. He pulled it harder. "Let's see if they'll punish us then?" He whispered.
  • "Please..."
  • The largest one of the group tugged the other pigtail and Kylie yelped, tears threatening to spill.
  • "Stop it."
  • The three stopped and turned to the boy who said the two most dangerous words ever to be said in second grade. One look at the nine-year-old and a shot of fear jolted into Kylie's chest. Sam. She shook his head at him, but he ignored her, standing his ground.
  • "Are you ordering us around?" One of the guys cracked his knuckles and Sam tilted his head defiantly.
  • "You're not allowed to hurt my best friend."
  • "Yeah? And who are you to say that?"
  • Sam straightened his back, "Mommy's a lawyer, and she said that if anyone hurts me, she'll start suing them senseless," He shrugged and Kylie had a feeling he also didn't understand what he was saying, but he gave a smirk. "So hit me with your best shot."
  • The three of them turned white, and all of a sudden they started to back away before turning back into a full out run. Kylie sighed in relief, giving him a thumbs-up before sinking back to her chair as he copied her actions.
  • Sam was her protector and she was his. That was understood.
  • But there were going to be days when they wouldn't know how to protect each other from the horrors of the world.
  • And she wasn't ready for that to happen.