The Next Chapter: Twisted Series Next Generation

Chapter 24: Dahlia Harper

For a moment, a vibrant white light blinded my vision. I truly believed I had passed. That it was my turn to go and I would never have the opportunity to finish my film list.

Then, that illuminating light began to disintegrate to the point where the white cleared up and instead became walls.

Hospital walls to be more specific.

And beside the hospital walls, stand two idiots with their hands anxiously clasped together on their laps while guilt ribbons their faces.

The sight was even more aggravating when summed up with the pounding headache that practically used a jackhammer in my mind.

"How do you feel?" Sofia forces a smile on her face, approaching my side as she tries to reach her hand out to me as if I was a rabid animal.

Every bone in my body instructed me to slap it away.

An exasperated sigh falls from my lips, my head falls back against the pillow while I keep my gaze glued up at the ceiling. "Like I just bashed my head against the counter and passed out." I spat out bitter and blunt.

Silence renders over the atmosphere and intertwined with the tension until the both of them release broken laughs in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Anastasia comes up on my other side, flashing me all her teeth unnaturally when she smiles like the Joker. "That's our Dahlia, always cracking jokes." Her throat bobbing up and down like she was forcing pennies down her throat.

Apparently, I gashed my scalp over and there was blood staining my hair to the point where I could be mistaken as a redhead. A number of stitches hold together the skin on my head so I do not lose all the blood in my body.

Drumming my fingers on the edge of the bed, releasing an exhausted breath as I run my hands through my hair. "Where's my phone?"

Sofia chimes and shoves the item in my face too eagerly while also accidentally bumping the cold edge against my nose in an unwanted angle. Her eyes widen and she mutters out a sorry in the form of a yelp. Rubbing my nose while my eyes fall shut with defeat.

It was only two in the afternoon and the amount of events that had taken place in the duration of this day had led me to be in a hospital bed in the presence of dunces.

Grabbing my phone that had dropped into my lap, the bright light causes me to wince as it appears and all air leaves my lungs the moment the screen focuses.

Twelve missed calls from my mother.

Twenty four missed calls from my father.

At that moment I wished to be back into the unconscious state of mind that had eased me out of the chaos in my life.

Panic renders in my expression while my head snaps towards Sofia.

"Calm down." She replies in tranquillity while leaning back against the wall. "I called them back from my phone and told them you were napping which was not one hundred percent a lie." Her shoulders shrug which contrasts mine in a comical sense.

So far, my parents have one son with a busted lip. Another who was on the verge of teetering on a state of insanity.

They do not need a daughter on a hospital bed who apparently dyed her hair with her blood. This would be the exact thing to modify all decisions so mom and dad stays here in DC and all my efforts were for naught.

"Did you know that instead of narrowing your eyes when you're angry. You instead make them go really wide." Ana adds, she does a dramatic movement of mimicking her pinching her eyes open to a disturbing level.

Sofia and I both remain silent which only invokes her to release an uncomfortable chuckle while dropping her hands.

"Should have read the room." Ana murmurs out before shrinking into the corner.

This situation has said enough about how the living situation was going to be a disaster from here on out.

"Look, you two." I speak while sitting up straighter. "I love you two but, having you both stay under the same roof is like watching two peacocks fight to catch the attention of the same female peacock."

Both of their brows furrow so high up as they stare at me dumbfounded.

My hands fall into my lap as I release a sigh. "In this case, the apartment is the girl peacock who's dominance you two want."

"You surely would have thought of a better analogy." Ana retorts back with a broken snicker before Sofia shoots daggers at her in hopes of getting her to shut up.

"That is not the point, the point is that uhm." My voice trails off. Confrontation was never my strong suit and that is not an exception even with people who I consider my family. My hands ball into weak fists as I mentally coach myself to say the words.

"What she means is." Sofia pushes off the wall and perches her hands up onto her hips. "You need to end this stupid fight."

Ana remains rigid, blowing a dramatic scoff in the air while she turns her gaze away. "Camilla was the one who told me to stay here."

My chest tightens and I feel my expression soften in her direction. "Ana." I speak as gently as I can. "We love you, but even you have to realize. This is a stupid fight."

"Yeah I obviously know that." She mimics back with a defensive factor lacing her tone. Her guard up while her shoulders stay stiff.

The longer this conversation continues the more the tension grows between the three of us. I do not want Ana thinking we are ganging up on her, all I want is to get out of this hospital bed and make this day come to an end.

"Anastasia." Sofia speaks sternly while standing up straighter. "Camilla has enough on her plate. She's going to get an earful from your parents and they were going to drag you home on the third day anyway. Save her the trouble."

Ana responds only with her eyes rolling dramatically, pushing off of the wall as she stands up straight and glances at us once. "You two can't talk, you're biassed to her."

My heart clenches and I feel my shoulders inch back. "That isn't true, we love you Ana."

"For the record." Ana begins, her arms laying flat by her side as a small hunch manages into her shoulder. "She has enough minions on her side justifying her stupid behaviour."

Both Sofia and mine eyebrows shoot up while we stare at her in disbelief.

"What are-." I begin, but she strides out of the hospital room before I have a moment to do anything.

"I'll go get her, you sure you'll be okay alone." Sofia speaks, her toes turned out as she looks on the verge of bolting out and capturing our runner.

Returning to her with a weak nod as I watch her rush out impressively in the shoes she was wearing.

For the first time today, a moment of peace returns to my mind as I slump back against the bed. Forcing all the absurd events of today to a crevice of my mind as I attempt to relax.

"Oh, you're awake."

An unfamiliar voice chimes in and kills the silence causing me to mentally curse every living thing.

On the verge of losing my mind, my head swivels in the direction of the voice and I feel myself gape at the sight of the individual before me. 

(Sorry for no chapters for the past two days, stick around for more chapters to come with the proper schedule of them being posted everyday!!)