Welcome to the Queendom

Chapter Forty-Nine

I didn't know why I was running but I was and it felt good. How my arms pumped, propelling me forward, faster. I didn't know what happened, though. My feet weren't under me anymore and next thing I knew, I was fighting the long slab of concrete they call a sidewalk. I steamrolled down it not knowing how I stopped or how the ambulance was able to pull up next to me so quickly, but they did and they swept me off to the hospital. It all went by in a blur. I was stripped of my clothes and was put into a papery gown, a heavy weight in a bed. I couldn't move. Each action, even if I just twitched my fingers and toes, hurt. My mom's face loomed over me, her features laced with concern.
"Did you call Dad?" is the first thing that came out of my mouth in a hoarse like whisper.
The tips of her fingers grazed my bruised cheek. I winced.
"Yeah," she answered after what seemed like forever.
"When should he be coming?"
Her face crumpled. "He's not coming, baby."
It takes a moment for this to sink in but it does. Of course he's not. Why would he be? I wasn't on my deathbed, though I doubt he'd be here even if I was. Something inside me broke and I came to the realization that it's just me, my mom and my siblings. Dad isn't in my life vocabulary. It never was, I just wanted to believe it was. It's just my mom. A single woman toppling three kids. I was fatherless...and I didn't care. I could just see the sign: Point of No Return. And once I passed that point, there was no going back. No turning the other cheek. No forgiving and forgetting. And I was actually happy.
"Babe?"
I jerk awake. "Yeah?" I answered groggily.
"You okay?" Dean asked. "You're sweating."
I wipe my face with my sleeve. "I'm fine," I mumbled.
"Bad dream?"
I shrug. "Not really," I replied. "Kind of like a memory dream. Something that happened a couple years back."
He nods in understanding. "I've had some of those. Mostly about the times where my dad's absence really took a toll on us."
I curled up into his side. He sighed happily, running his fingers through my hair. I thought back to that day in my dream. When my mom had told me Jason wasn't coming, I wasn't disappointed, not even a little. I kinda already knew I wasn't in this family he pictured for himself; I guess I just needed confirmation.

"46..47..48..49..50.." I whispered to myself as I made my way up to 50 sit-ups, doing it all in a matter of a minute and a half. I turned and paused the timer on my phone; I had 5 seconds left.
"Babe, come here," Dean said. I got up off the mat just as he plopped down on the one next to me, getting in push-up formation. "Get on my back."
I laughed, thinking he was joking but nothing about his face was humorous. "Oh, you were serious?" I asked.
"I wouldn't have said it if I weren't at least a little serious," he said.
"I doubt you'll be able to do many sit-ups with weight like me."
He shrugged. "You're only like, what, 100 pounds?"
I stepped back, surprised he got it spot on. The ring announcers proclaimed my weight when I made my entrance but I didn't tell anyone that I had lost weight so the number they had stayed.
"Why you seem so surprised?" Dean asked. "You didn't think I noticed?"
I blushed, feeling slightly happy that he paid that much attention to me.
"Come on, get on," he insisted.
I gave in and laid my back against his. "Count for me," he told me.
"To what?"
"Till I get tired, I guess."
106 push-ups later-I told him to do six more since Caiya was that age-we decided to wrap it up.
Dean slapped my butt as we exited MV Fitness. "Stop!" I exclaimed, swatting him.
He just shrugged before glancing down at his watch.
"We have five hours until we have to head to the Baltimore Arena," he stated. "What do you wanna do?"
"Have you gone swimming in the hotel pool?" I asked.
He shook his head making me grin. I grabbed his head, tugging him down the sidewalk. "Come on then."
I frown at the mirror and the tight, confining feeling against my breasts. "What's wrong?" Dean questioned coming up behind me.
"I don't know if it's just me or if my bikini top is getting tighter and I just got this two months ago."
Dean grinned. "Shut up," I tell him.
I adjust my boy short bikini bottoms and luckily they feel just right.
"Think you'll be okay for today's swim?" he asked.
I nod. "Just have to make a stop soon for another top."
"This is awesome," Dean whistled, referring to the view.
I was awestruck myself last night swimming with Seth.
I nodded in agreement, pushing hair from my face. I swam up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Great distraction, huh?"
He nodded. "Definitely."
He turned to me and kissed my forehead.
"Jonathan Good?!"
Dean and I look up to see a lady emerge from inside. She was dressed in a navy blue bikini, two sizes too small with a beige coverup on top. She was wearing a huge straw hat and sunglasses. Her hair was jet black and her lips were naturally pink. Though she wasn't as curvy as me, she wasn't a midget in the height department. Dean frowned, trying to figure out who the girl was. She removed her hat and glasses and beamed at him.
"Kelsey Atkinson?"
"In the flesh," she squealed as Dean got out of the pool and hugged her.
"I haven't seen you since high school," Dean stated as I stayed in the pool, looking awkwardly around at nothing in particular. "You look good. What are you doing here?"
"Well I travel for work and they shipped me here," Kelsey explained. "I thought I'd never see you again."
"Same here," Dean agreed before turning to me. "This is my girlfriend, Chelsea. Chelsea, this is an old friend of mine, Kelsey."
"Hi," I greeted a little timidly.
"Hi," she replied. She smiled at me but there was a look in her eyes that didn't sit well in my stomach.
"What girlfriend is this, 50?" she asked jokingly but it made me scowl.
"She's just joking, Chels," Dean assured.
"Uh-huh."
"Dean used to have a crush on me back in sophomore year," Kelsey stated almost gloatingly making Dean's face flush.
"I asked her to Homecoming, but she shot me down," Dean clarified.
"I should've said yes," Kelsey replied, swiping a hand over his chest.
I rolled my eyes. "Oh give me a break," I grumbled.
"What was that, babe?"
"Nothing."
"You know what, we should all go out for lunch," Dean suggested.
"I thought we were going to swim, though," I pointed out.
Dean waved his hand dismissively. "We could do that any other time. It's not often I see an old friend of mine."