Electrifying

Chapter Three

I was in pain. My body felt like it was on fire. My skin is warm, hot even. Yet I felt so cold at the same time. I opened my eyes, groggy, my vision blurred. The ceiling was white and the yellow light was blinding.

I sat up, taking in my surroundings. I was in... a hospital? I swallowed thickly. I had a tube in my arm. I looked away quickly. That was gross to look at.

There was a nurse in here. Her eyes widened. Was she that shocked? About what? "Oh, Miss. Johnson, you're finally awake! I'm going to go call your guardian—"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Awake? How long was I asleep?"

The nurse gave me a gentle smile. "Dear, you were in a coma for a week."

What?!

***

I was discharged from the hospital after they ran some tests, to make sure I was stable. Nathan picked me up. He doesn't even have a license, because he failed his driving test. So why did he pick me up instead of Nicolas who actually does have a license?

"Nellie, we were so worried," Nathan was saying. "You know how lucky you are? Not many people get hit by lightning and live. We were preparing to have to donate ya body to sciences since we can't afford a funeral!"

I give him a look of alarm and he laughs at my expression. "Nellie, I'm just joking, I love you," he says. As siblings, those words aren't uttered very often. He must have really been scared to lose me.

"I'm sorry for worrying everyone," I say, lowering my head.

"It's okay," Nathan said. "It was so unexpected, though. Next time you have a moment of bravery, don't use it to be reckless, okay?"

I smile. As if I'll have another moment of bravery, but I simply nodded.

We arrived home and when Nathan stopped the car, we got out.

I barely stepped inside for two seconds before Naomi tackled me into a hug. "Nellie! Oh my gosh! Peach!" she cried, squeezing tightly around me. "I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry," I say. "I'm okay, though."

Naomi let's go and studies me. "Ew, you have got to get out of this hospital attire—"

I glanced at Nathan as Naomi dragged me away, pleading with my eyes for him to help me, but he only laughed.

Naomi pulled me into our room and went through my closet. "All your clothes suck," she commented.

"Sorry."

I need to stop apologizing. She pulled out a plain shirt and a pair of black jeans and threw them at me. "Put those on, blueberry!"

I laugh. "Okay... strawberry."

"Only I use the fruit nicknames!"

I laughed harder and then I put the clothes on. There was something I was wondering. "Hey, Naomi, where's Nicholas and Nolan?"

Naomi sighed. "Our dear brother Nic has been over at a girl's house this past week," she told me. "He didn't even come back when we told him that you were in a coma!"

"Oh."

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Nellie, but he's a jerk that doesn't care about any of us," she says. I was hoping that she doesn't go on one of her little rants again.

"What about Nolan?"

Naomi frowned. "Poor boy has been wracked with guilt," she told me. "He hasn't come out of
his room."

My heart clenched.

Poor Nolan. Now I felt bad for doubting that he cared about me.

"I'm going to go check on him," I tell her.

"Okay," Naomi says, plopping down onto her bed.

I sigh and rushed toward Nolan's room. I knocked on the door and waited for a response. After a few seconds, I heard Nolan's voice.

"Who is it?" he called, sounding agitated.

I swallow.

"Nellie," I answered.

I wait a few minutes and then the door opens, reveling Nolan's widened eyes. Just past him, I saw Snow sitting on his bed.

"Nellie," Nolan says, and for a moment, I thought he was about to hug me, but he ended up not doing that. "Are you okay?"

I nodded and smiled. "I feel fine."

Nolan studied me, narrowing his eyes. I gulped under his gaze.

"Are your eyes lighter?"

I stare at him, confused. "What are you talking about?" I asked him.

"Well—-I'm not sure," Nolan says, letting out a small sigh. "I'm just being crazy, I guess."

"Right."

"You seem more confident," Nolan said. "Not stuttering so much."

"For now," I agreed. "Are you okay?"

Nolan nods. "Yeah. Listen, Nellie," he started and then shifted his feet around. "I—I'm sorry for being so mean all the time. Maybe if I was nicer—-oh I don't know!"

"Don't worry about it," I tell him, smiling softly. Maybe getting hit by lighting was the best thing that could've happened. "Everything's good now."

Nolan nods and smiled back at me. Only a week ago—before the thunder storm—he was a moody kid that never smiled. That was the first genuine smile I've seen from him in a long time, and I was grateful, and I'd totally get hit with lightning again and again, for this outcome.

"Can I hug you?" Nolan asks, almost shyly.

I can't remember the last time we hugged. My smile turned into a full fledge grin as I wrapped my arms around him in a way of answer. Nolan melted in my embrace.

"I wasn't sure you'd wake up," Nolan says as I let go of him. "I'm so relieved, though."

"Me too," I say. Having my siblings being nice to me and not criticizing me was a nice change, but how long will this last?

For now, though, I'm able to talk normally. My anxiety isn't even going haywire yet. I have an anxiety disorder so I know my anxiety isn't gone, but it felt nice to just feel calm, even if it's only temporary.

"Come here," Nolan says, and leads me to the mirror in his room. "It's bugging me, I'm almost positive you're eyes weren't that light. Take a look."

I look in the mirror and my eyes widen only slight. My eyes were a very light shade of blue, when they used to be a dark blue.

I swallow thickly.

Is this normal? When you're asleep for so long your eyes just go lighter?

Even as I thought it, though, I realized that that was a stupid thought.

I made a mental note to look at Naomi's eyes, to compare them to my eyes.

"You see what I mean?" Nolan asks me.

I nodded. "Yeah, my eyes are lighter. It's weird," I say. "I don't know why...."

"I'm sure it's not a big deal," Nolan says. "It's just so weird."

I nodded. "Yeah."

My throat was very dry.

"I'm going to go get some water," I say.

Nolan nods, and I left his room, and went toward the kitchen.

I flip the light switch on, and just as I did, there was a shock on my hand, and all the lights went out.