Neighbors; c.d.

Chapter 22. Numb

Numb. It was all I felt. I couldn't move. It was like I was stuck in place for the rest of my life and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

"Anna? You okay?" my roommate-Cora-asked, walking over to where I was sitting on my bed.

"No. I, um, just found out something that I really can't deal with right now." I said, leaving my focus on the floor.

"Oh, what is it? If you don't mind me asking." Cora said, placing her right hand on my shoulder.

In the past three months I've been at Juilliard, I'd grown pretty close to Cora. She, Bella (who is going to a college in Chicago at the moment), and we all get along pretty well together.

"I just found out that my brother, um, got in a car wreck. He just turned sixteen. I didn't think he would..." I choked on my words, my vision starting to get a little teared up.

"Oh my, Anna, I'm so sorry." Cora breathed, giving me a hug.

I felt like I should be crying. But I wasn't. It was like I wasn't processing everything yet. I didn't feel like it was real. I know that Aiden didn't die, he was just in a coma at the moment.

I sat, staring at the white wall in front of me. I'd left New York a few hours ago, to see Aiden in the hospital. I'd told my teachers about it so I could make up any work that I needed to when I got back.

"Anna?" a voice didn't break my eye contact with the wall. "An, it's Cameron."

I slowly moved my eyes to the right, where I heard the voice before. There he was: Cameron Dallas. 

He looked sort of sad, wearing gray sweatpants and a navy blue sweatshirt, some Nikes on his feet. His hair wasn't up in its usual quiff, it was just pushed slightly to the side.

"Hi, Cam." I said, feeling like it was the first time I'd spoken in months.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, taking a seat next to me.

I shrugged in response, moving my gaze back to the wall.

"It's like I found out, and I feel like I should be crying and it feels like I can't cry. I can't process it. He's my brother, and he's only sixteen. I know he's only in a coma, but I mean, well, you know what I mean." I said, nudging him with my arm slightly.

"I always know what you mean, Anna." Cameron said, scooting his chair closer to me.

I gave him a small smile, then pulled my legs up into the chair, close to my chest. I just hoped that Aiden would be okay.