STYLES in Disguise *slow editing*

CHAPTER 2: Please be Strong

Soft chattering woke me up from my unconscious state. Letting my eyelids to move up, a blurry, glaring sight gave me the difficulty to see the figure in front of me. As my vision started to get clear, my brown orbs focused to a grizzled haired man who was wearing a sign of relief on his face. His shadow shed my face, witnessing a massive number of people around us. I felt pity with myself as I was receiving worried looks.

I slowly moved upward and managed myself into a seating position. My brown eyes wandered, seeing the glittering broken glasses scattered on the muddy road. But all of a sudden, my concentration to the dramatic scenery was disturbed by the ache coming from the different parts of my body. I looked down to examined myself and saw full of bleeding wounds and bruises.

"What happened?" I asked myself as I tried to remember what happened and I got this things.

"Oh My Gosh! She's breathing!" a girl's voice freaked out which made my head turn to her direction.

There, I saw a mud filled body lying near a black Mercedes car in the middle of the road. I can barely recognize who it was but when I saw a familiar bracelet locked on her wrist, I already knew who it was, my mom. That bracelet was my gift on her 40th birthday and I could still remember how happy she was that day.

Shaking my thoughts aside, I stood up from where I was seating and walked toward her. As I took my first step forward, my body felt a smarting pain caused me to leap in every step I made. When I had reached her, I endured the painful sensation as I knelt down to the ground and slowly placed her head into my thighs. Her pale yet beautiful face welcomed me when I looked down to her.

I cup my hand over her cheek and leaned closer to her. "Mom, are you alright? Please mom, talk to me! Why wouldn't you open your eyes? Mom!" my hands were shaking involuntarily. I don't know what to do. Many options were running around my head. How will I know if it is the one?

"Can somebody please call an Ambulance?" I begged. I know the people were worried too but it was not the right time for them to just stood there and do nothing. My mom needed to be rushed to the hospital for her life's sake.

Suddenly, I heard a gasping of air coming from her. Her lips were all dried up. I felt hope but still, I couldn't neglect the fact that she was almost on her path of leaving me.

"Stacey, love..." she cup her hand to my cheek. "p-pl-please d-do-don't c-cr-cry." And a weak smile escaped through my lips.

Her brown eyes were half opened and made an eye contact with mine. The tears in my eyes were formed at the sight of her in pain. The way she looked at me simply mean that she was still trying to be strong in spite of her present condition.

"Mom...please be strong." As I leaned closer to her, "You told me and promised me that you wouldn't leave me, then, prove it." I told her with my tears falling on my cheeks.

"S-st-stacey.." she cooed. Her voice cracked. My heart beats fast at the sound of her voice. "Remember this, okay?" and I nodded. "I love you and I always will."

"Mom, I love you too. I'm not going anywhere." she held my hand. "Mom, please. Hold on. The ambulance will be here any minute." she kissed my hand and placed it over her chest. I bit my lower lip while letting the tears stream down my face

The sound of the ambulance got louder and louder as the vehicle approached our direction. The sea of crowd went to the side of the road to give way for the ambulance. Its red and blue twinkling lights glared me. My vision began to get blurry and shaky. My world went dizzy and the last thing I knew was my body collapsed to the asphalt, muddy and wet road.

************

I felt half awake and half asleep. The memories before came back, as if, I'm still in that situation.

I rolled my eyelids up ended up staring blankly at the white ceiling. It was weird not hearing any irritating sounds. My body still ached but it was refreshing to fell the cold air running through my skin. The place was kind of nice and relaxing. Wait! Where am I?

I got up into a seating position and my eyes wandered around. I held my arms up and saw my wounds covered with bandages but the bruises were still visible.

"Oh my gosh! KC, you're awake!" the ebony haired girl squealed at my right side. Her smooth yet high pitch voice almost broke my eardrums. With no hesitation, she pulled me in her arms and hugged me tightly which made me flinched.

"Karen, are you planning to kill me? Hello... Can't you control your emotions? My body is in pain." I ranted but the only thing she did was chuckled.

"Doctor, she's awake!" Karen ran out the door and screamed at the top of her lungs. I smiled at her childish action.

Then, I've realised something, I'm in a hospital? This can't be happening! I hate it here!

The door opened and a man wearing his white coat and a stethoscope hanging on his neck with his nurses behind him entered the room.

All of the happenings went fast, leaving me dumb state. They went to my side and checked on my vital signs.

"She's fine," the doctor reassured Karen. "I'm glad that you're already awake Ms. Davis.", now he turned his head to me and smiled. "If there's something wrong, you know where to find me." Then he looked at Karen for the second time. He instructed to Karen.

"Okie dokie." She replied with a smirk on her face. I can see the sparkle in Karen's brown eyes while she was having an eye-to-eye contact with the doctor. The doctor just nodded and went out the door, not even destructed by Karen's flirtatious gestures.

"You made me nervous KC. I can't sleep thinking about you, if you're okay." She held my wounded hand.

"See, I'm okay now. Don't worry." I smiled at her. "Maybe you have to be more worry about the evidence of drool at the corner of your lips." I joked but she believed in it and frantically wiped it.

Karen is a sister and a bestfriend to me. She's the only person aside from my mom that I trust. She knows how to make my day better whenever the blue sky turns into gray. She's charming, caring, intelligent, and the loudest girl I've ever known. We both love foods. That's for sure.

Maybe you were wondering why she called me "KC" while my name is "Stacey". It was a long story actually but I am going to summarize it for you. Let me give you a fast throwback.

Way back when I was in grade 1, I was playing in the sand box n our school. The day was so bright and exciting for a child like me who only wants to play all day. Suddenly, I heard a girl crying. I went to her and her ebony hair was all messed up, covering her face. I managed I to tuck the strands of her hair behind her ears and I saw her tears streamed down. I wiped her tears with my handkerchief and asked her if she's okay. She just nodded. I stretched out my hand to her, "Hi! I'm Stacey Davis" she smiled. "Hello, nice meeting you KC, I'm Karen Steven." I smiled back.

And that where it all started. Maybe she didn't hear it clearly, right? Or she can't pronounce it properly?

Every time she calls me KC, I never realize that she's saying my name in a wrong way. Instead of "Stacey", she's saying "KC".

Reminiscing those days ever fail me to feel lucky to have her. They say that if someone gave you a nickname, you're special to that person. And I believe in that.

Now I have a sister and I have a mother, what could I asked for?

Wait, where's my mother anyway?