Along came Avery

1 2 . s e c r e t r e v e a l e d

At first, I think I'm hallucinating. That it's all in my head. The muttering and mumbling tingling my ears surely must be because of my mind racing from one thought to another, but the more I try shutting them out, the more I realize it's all external sounds, and that slowly has me taking in a deep amount of air before exhaling, then peeling my eyes open.

They pause, the chattering, and very soon my blinking eyes come in contact with blue concerned eyes. She, now I can see it's Amber, smiles softly at me and her hand gently rubs my arm.

"Zee. How are you feeling?"

Right. The pounding my my heart and head. The heaviness in my body and eyes. The lack of energy pumping inside of me. I feel like crap.

"I'm hungry." I mutter out with a hoarse voice. "And thirsty."

"I can get you something to eat, okay?" I nod at her. "Avery will stay here and watch over you in the meanwhile. I'll be back soon." She helps me up to a sitting position, and very soon I realize I'm in my room on my bed with my thick blanket covering my form.

I also notice Avery at the corner, arms crossed over his chest and eyes penetrating my physique silently. I don't even want to say anything to him. I'm awake, I guess thanks be to him but I could have died back there, because of him. Why am I here, awake, when he wanted me dead from the get-go. It was an opportunity to dump me over, to let me fall down those five stories to my death. Instead, here we are in my room with him watching me. Here I am, shaken and torn mentally and emotionally.

Did he bring me here? What did he tell Amber?

Amber hands me a bottled water and then takes a step back, watching me open it slowly and take light sips. "You must be scared. Avery told me about what happened." I look up at her with an eyebrow. "The fight that happened at the mall. Must have scared you so much. He told me you passed out after they were pulled apart."

Oh. He said that?

"I'll be back, okay? I'll go get some food at the mini restaurant downstairs by the foyer. They should have something ready to go."

I nod my head and close the bottle, before placing it on my lap.

"Okay. I'll be back." She turns and heads out my bedroom door. "Just watch her, okay? Help her relax. I'm sure she's just trying to process it."

Avery hums in response, allowing her to exit. The both of us say nothing to each other for as long as we hear shuffling in the small dorm. However, the silence still prolongs even after we hear the front door shut. I sit staring at my hands, they are slightly trembling, and I can only presume he's still where he was, arms folded and eyes watching me like hawks.

I could have died. Of all the times I wanted to die, of all the times I said it should have been me instead of her, there was a grand opportunity and I've never feared my life as much as I did in that moment.

My eyes lift and turn to my window. The curtains aren't drawn closed so I can see the sun has beyond set, but the sky is still quite bright, blue, and I'm sure the streetlights are now on. My bottom lip rolls inside my mouth in thought, and then I lift my hand to scratch my scalp.

"What promise?"

He's the first person to break the silence. Of course, because I for sure was going to sit and wait for Amber to come back right up until he left. I don't want to talk to him; I know I'll be forced to, but right now I just don't want to speak. To think about everything. To process the scar I mentally will carry for the rest of my life.

Do I even have the right to complain?

Ironically, I chuckle and cover my mouth, eyes pressing shut painfully to hold back tears.