White Walls

Chapter 15

What are you doing here?

Nurse Jenn looked between the two, put her hands up, and left the room, shaking her head and muttering "teenagers".

"I, um..." Yuzuru stammered, trying to form some sort of coherent excuse.

"Is it embarrassing?" Em noticed, sitting on the visitor's chair by his bed, pouring a glass of water for Yuzuru from the water jug.

"Yeah, um yeah kind of. Bladder problem." He said, with an embarrassed blush.

That's actually true, he thought, twiddling his fingers.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Em asked softly, brushing Yuzu's hair, damp with sweat, away from his forehead. The glass of water was now in his hands, his fingernails tapping against the smooth surface, with a plink plink kind of sound.

"Didn't want you to worry," he whispered.

"You make me worry even more, by doing so, y'know," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Yuzuru paled.

"I'm sorry--" he tried to apologise, sitting up quickly, causing his wound to flare with pain. He winced.

"Hey, take it easy, don't be sorry, it's alright," Em soothed, her hands patting his shoulder, helping him lie back down comfortably.

"Anyway..." They both said at the same time, then froze.

"You go first." Yuzuru said.

"Um,"

I can't say it.

"How's life so far?" She said quickly, gulping.

Better not tell him.

Not now.

Not yet.

"Um, good, not bad. My friend Javi always challenges me to quad battles--" he rambled on, but quickly shut his mouth.

Quad battles? What are you thinking, Baka?? You were this close from telling her holyholyholy

"Quad battles?" She raised an eyebrow, reaching for the water jug and another glass.

Shit.

"Nothing, I was going to say squat battles," he randomly blurted.

"Squat battles?" She asked, incredulous, trying not to burst out laughing.

"Yeah, yeah we do squats in school a lot," he lied, looking away as he mentally facepalmed himself.

"Must be a really cool school! Which school do you study in? An international school?" Em asked, trying not to spill the jug of water in her shaking hands.

Stop it.

"I don't really want to talk about my school," Yuzu looked down at his fingers again, playing with his nails.

He's probably bullied at his school, Em thought.

"Anyway," she tried to change the topic, but her hand wobbled and the water spilled, overflowing into her lap.

Yuzuru quickly grabbed some tissues from Pooh, and started to dab at her knee.

"Be careful, friend," he joked.

"Yeah, I probably should," she gave a weak grin, looking at her watch.

"I have to go, see you soon," Em squeezed his hand, hurriedly pulling her bag with her as she left the room quietly.

Yuzu was left in the silence, hand still grasping at the lingering feel of her warm hand.

Em let out a breath as soon as she left the room, leaning against the wall.

She was so worried.

The moment she saw his face, it felt so scary to be rooted to the spot, her heart frozen.

The prospect of him being so pale, sick in bed made her tremble.

She didn't want him to ever die.

It was a little scary, meeting him back in the hospital again.

Sure, it made her heart flutter, but it made her so terrified for his health.

Sometimes, she felt insecure.

Like she didn't know who he truly was.

Other than the occasional text messages consisting of normal teenager stuff like "wyd" and smiley faces, she didn't know anything about the boy hiding behind the screen.

She loved and hated him for that.

Loved, because he was amazingly mysterious, like a never ending puzzle, giving her surprises.

Hated, because she desperately wanted to know more about him.

The moment she tries to get closer to him, he just pushed away.

As Em trudged home, fingers playing with the metal clasp of the necklace, she hummed a lullaby that her mother used to sing.

Tom he was a piper's son

In the paediatric ward, where she would lay on the white sheets.

he learnt to play when he was young

Gasping, screaming and crying, begging to breathe.

And all the tune that he could play

Her mother would stroke her forehead, pushing back wisps of her soft hair, her heart aching to see her daughter struggling.

Was "Over The Hills and Far Away".

She let out a frustrated sigh as she lay on her bed again, staring at nothing in particular.

She was so sick and tired of not knowing.

Not knowing who her crush really was.

Yuzu was cute, he was charming, had a great personality, but she didn't know who he really was.

And it was driving her mad.

She flipped her phone, quickly forming a few words to Yuzu :-)

The day you decide to trust me with your secrets, I'll be here.

Without thinking, she sent the message.

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