Country in the City; Book One

Chapter 20 ~ News

Abigail's P.O.V.

I'm back at school less than a week before I get a phone call in the middle of class. It's my mom, she would never call me in the middle of class unless it's an emergency. I raise my hand.
"Yes Abigail?" Professor Bill asks.
"Can I please be excused?" He looks at me confused. "It's urgent." I tell him. He understands and nods. Michael looks worried, but I only mouth to him, 'My mom called'. He starts to get anxious but I have to go anyways.
As soon as I'm out in the hallway, I dial my moms cellphone number.

"You need to come home." My mom answers.

"What happened!?" I ask frantically.

"Kayleigh fell off the hay stacks. She fractured her arm in three spots and she is screaming for you. We haven't been able to calm her for three hours."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Just a minute."

There's a long pause, then, "Hello? Mommy?"

"Hi princess. I heard you got hurt."

"Ummhmm."

"Can you stop crying for me, princess?"

"O-okay. Are you coming home?"

"Do you need me? You have grandma, and nana?" She calls my mom, grandma, and Michael's mom, nana.

"Yes." She whimpers.

"Alright princess, I'll come home today, but you won't see me until tomorrow. You have to stop crying for grandma and nana though."

"Nana isn't here."

"She's not?"

"Uh uh."

"Oh. Can I talk to grandma for a few minutes?"

"Yeah."

"Okay feel better princess."

"Okay mommy."
"Hello?"

"Mom, have you called Teresa yet?"

"No I don't have her number in my phone and I forgot it on the counter."

"Okay, I'm going to call her and then you put her number in your contacts when you get home."

"I don't know how."

"Have Ella help you."

"Okay, I love you, bye."
I hang up and dial Teresa's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Abigail, Michael's girlfriend."

"Oh, hi! Wait, should you be in class!" She scolds.

"Yes but something came up."

"Oh-no. What's wrong?"

"Kayleigh is in the hospital. I'm coming home tonight, but I won't get there until tomorrow. I need you to go to the hospital and help my mom, if you can. Are you doing anything today? Is that okay with you?"

"Oh-no honey, of course I can go to the hospital. I'm on my way right now."

"Thank you so much Teresa!"

"No problem dear."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Alright, bye now."

"Bye."
I hang up and go back to class.
When we are let out for lunch, Michael takes my hand and suddenly separates us from the group. He leads us to a janitors closet so that we can talk privately.
"What happened?" He asked frantically.
"Kayleigh fell off the hay stacks and fractured her arm in three places. I have to go home tonight. I can't stay here while my mom and your mom are there with Kyle who has a breathing tube still, and Kayleigh who now has a cast on. I need to go and talk to Professor Bill about this too."
"Okay, we can take care of that in a few minutes. How is she doing?"
"They couldn't get her to stop crying for three hours so my mom finally called me. I talked to her and got her to calm down, then called your mom and sent her to the hospital as well I think they are releasing her soon."
"Okay." It's suddenly hard to even think. "You know you're beautiful." Michael and I are cramped super close in this janitors closet. I can tell Michael is feeling the same way, his breathing is getting heavier. He leans down and rests his forehead on mine.
I try to distract both of us, "What is your tattoo?"
"How'd you know about it?" He asked.
"On the first day, the tip was sticking out of you t-shirt." I tell him.
"So you've known about this for three years and you just now ask me?"
I nod, "I was waiting for you to tell me, but you never did."
He rolls up his sleeve and his right shoulder reads: "I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord and He has been my Savior. Isaiah 12:2". It's on a picture of a scroll like in the olden days people used to have. I run my hand over it as if it's like glass and very fragile. As I run my hand along it I can feel Michael's muscles relax as I run over them.
"Does this verse have a special meaning to you?" I ask him.
"I went through a rough patch during high school. I got made fun of a lot. This is the verse that got me through everything. Though I turned away from God, as Machelle told you, I still respected His wishes and still leaned on this verse a lot. As soon as I turned 16 I went to California with my dad and got this tattoo. This was sort of my big step of going back to God after Rachel." He explained.
"How come when you were telling me of your ex's, you didn't tell me about her?"
"I'm not proud of what I did then. I was a hot mess."
"Very hot." I giggle as he grins.
"How come you don't giggle that often?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just now, you giggled. How come you only do it on occasion?"
I ponder this for a second, "I don't know."
He pulls me in for a hug and whispers in my ear, "I like it. You should giggle more often."
Still hugging, he again whispers in my ear, "You know, you're very beautiful." The temptation hits me again in a big rush. I lean back, open the door, and scoot out as I say, "Maybe I should go talk to Professor Bill now about having to leave for the rest of the week." I say as I rush away from the room.
"Wait!" He calls, then I hear a broom and mop crash to the floor. I know he has to stay there and clean it up; nows my chance to escape.