Twilight Rays

25. It's cold outside

"What are we having for dinner?"
"I'm not feeling it today, I'll just make some couscous."
"Dude, you can just go hide in your room if she's the reason you're acting all weird."
"I'm not acting weird!"
"You're about to cook something you don't even like."
I punched the wall, realizing just how ridiculous I was.
"You know what, you're right, I should get going."
"Where though?"
"I'll walk to Jauschua's."
"Be there before 10."
"11."
"10:30."
"Fine!"
I had a really hard time obeying Mo when I first move to his place. But I quickly understood he just wanted me to accept he was the one who was working, studying and watching over me, and he was planning on keeping his custody. So I would try to make it home for 10:45, just to show him how pathetic my curfew was.

Jauschua lived 20 minutes away from our appartment. We played on his xBox One for so long he's the one who asked me:
"Ray, aren't you calling Mo to pick you up?"
"Yo, what time is it?"
"Almost 11."
"Man, it's a miracle he hasn't called yet! Better get going before he notices anything!"
"It's freezing outside, you sure you don't want a ride?"
"I'm fine, I like walking better."
We fist pump and I walked out of his house. My eyes got teary within 2 minutes."It is cold, huh." I thought to myself, shrugging my shoulders to protect my face. So cold, in fact, that I was actually surprised to see three persons walking in opposite direction. I first thought it was Mo and Tweetie looking for me, but I doubted there was a third person who had come at their practice. As I got closer, I realized they were guys. When we crossed, I tried to recognize them, but they all had their hood on, and they kept averting my eyes. I shrugged it off and kept walking until something hit me from behind. I slipped on the thin ice, utterly lost. Had I walk on my laces? I turned around to look for a branch of some sort and another hit, this time in my face. I winced: pretty sure this one was someone's. I tried to get back up but a kick in my rib cage forced me to stay on the ground. This lasted for a few minutes, them hitting me and me laying in the snow, only thinking of getting up. Finally one of them spoke.
"Got any money on you?"
"Even if I had some, I don't think I would be able to give it to you." I said incredibly slowly.
I closed my eyes, trying to figure out where exactly was I injured. I suddenly felt myself being lifted off the ground by my coat's collar.
"Do you have a cellphone then?"
And without waiting for my answer, he knocked me out with a punch.

When I came back to my senses, I first noticed my fingers were frozen. I tried to open my eyes, but pain rushed to my head and my left eye. I tried to bring my hand to my face, but it hurt too. Dang, even breathing was painful.
"Hello?" I murmured, not knowing where I was.
I heard a gasp. I finally understood I was in a car, because it suddenly stopped.
"Raja?" said a familiar voice.
She unbuckled herself and told me:
"I need to get you to your house, I don't think it's safe to move you, but it is cold outside."
I didn't reply anything, I was too shocked to be in her car to think of something smart to say.
"Joey? How do we do that?"
"I'll drag him, you just open the door."
Soon I felt myself being taken by the arms, because it hurt horribly. Someone - probably Twilla - took my two legs. She let go of them after a while and I heard my front door being unlocked.
"Go home now. I'll call an ambulance. Thanks again."
"No problem. Call me if there's anything wrong."
"Okay."
They had laid me down on the couch and Twilla was calling 911 from the kitchen. After a while, she kneeled in front of me. She slowly took off my coat, my beanie and my scarf.
"It hurts." I finally moaned.
Twilla froze.
"It hurts...when I inhale." I finished, cringing.
"They're gonna be there soon, hold on."
She wiped my forehead with her sleeve (I hadn't even notice I was sweating) and ran her fingers through my hair.
"Where is Mo?"
"Working, chut..." she intimidated me.
I tried to touch my ribs but I cringed while attending it. Twilla slid her hand under my t-shirt. I thought her fingers would be cold as usual, but they were warm.
"Where does it hurt?" she whispered. "Higher."
Her palm met a huge bruise.
"Here?"
"There's another spot."
My heart skipped a beat - which horribly hurts when you have two cracked ribs - when she reached it.
"There. This hurts the most."
"Why?"
"Because you don't trust me."
She remained silent.
"I'm a mess, ain't I?"
"You're a hot mess."
I smiled a little.
"I'm tired though."
"Stop talking."
"Then talk to me. Tell me where I got hurt."
"I don't think you..."
"Please, you can leave afterwards."
She removed her hand from my torso.
"Well, she finally replied, you have one black eye. The left one. You may have broken ribs... I don't know how long you spent outside, just laying in the middle of the street. I was on my way to Joey's place to give you a ride when I found you. I didn't recognize you at first. I just stopped and I tried to see if the person was hurt or drunk. But when I realized it was you, I called Joey. You were so pale and cold... Joey came. We put you in my car's back seat. When we brought you here, I noticed you were bleeding from one hand. Don't you wear gloves when you go outside? Anyways. You still have your phone, but I don't see your wallet... Oh my, I think you sprained your ankle, it's all blue and stuff... Did you hear that? I think the ambulance finally came."
"Twilla?"
"Yes?"
"Are you gonna leave and pretend nothing ever happened?"
"I... I don't know."
The words were stuck in my throat.
"I love you, T." I blurted out.
I heard her walk away to open the door to the men, probably cops and ambulance guys. After that, I drifted off to sleep.