Dreamland [editing]

twenty five

"Oh shut up, you were scared as fuck while watching it," Levi said to Jake.

"Maybe I was scared but I wasn't screaming my lungs off the entire time, nor was I cuddling your arm Levi," Jake replied, and the rest of us laughed.

We finally decided to go ahead with lights out, and Levi was shit scared the entire time, it was adorable, but also very funny.

"Shit this stuff is actually so good," Ryan said, taking a piece of the cheesecake, and even after having been distracted for more than an hour during the movie, my brain was back to thinking too much, and getting lost in stupid, old memories and thoughts.

"I love you Hayley," Asher said

"I love you Ash," I chuckled.

Our voices played in my head, and my brain got fucking tired. Tired of overthinking all the time, and worrying about the past.

I looked around seeing everyone lost in their own conversation, until I made eye contact with Aiden's gray eyes.

He gave me a small smile, and continued to examine my face, he looked like he was searching for something, it was weird, but also, weirdly comforting.

"Okay okay, guys, sit, we're playing Cluedo," Scarlett said, opening up the board game and placing it on the bed.

"Yay can I be Mrs.White? She's always the murderer in the end," Levi said, and I let our a small chuckle.

"Okay, I'm taking Scarlett," Scarlett said proudly.

"Gimme Plum," Jake said.

"Wait no, I want Proffesor Plum," Levi said.

They argued for a hot minute there, and then finally Jake gave up.

For the rest of the evening, I was actually having a really good time. I didn't think about Asher, or the crash, or my father or anything at all. It was just me and my friends, and I enjoyed myself a lot.

****

"Hey, good morning Hayley, Mrs.Jones." the doctor said as she walked into the room.

I greeted her with a small smile, and my mom got up and shook her hand, rather aggressively.

"I was going through your reports last night, your head injury is almost perfectly fine, however your ribs are not doing very great, so we wanted to do a small procedure. The cost will be covered by insurance, and you can chose not to do it, it will just take longer to heel."

I paused for a minute, as did my mom.

"Yeah....yeah I think we'll go ahead...right?" My mom said looking my at me.

"Uhm....yeah I guess so?" I said softly.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal. I'll schedule it for tomorrow?"

"Sure, okay," my mom said hesitantly.

They spoke for a little while longer, before the doctor went back out, and it was just me and my mom.

She sat on the small chair next to my bed with her laptop open.

While she worked I sat doing nothing for a while, until I got bored, and got restless again.

"Sweetie what's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing,"

She frowned, shutting her laptop close.

"I was cleaning up yesterday. I saw a bunch of your art work. Hayley, you're art is....it's amazing,"

"Thanks mom," I said softly. She'd never said that before, and a part of me was mad that I'd never heard my own mother say that she liked my work. Another part of me was afraid that she didn't mean it. But I hoped that she really did mean it....and that she was proud of me..