"Amelia"

Chapter 5: It's Funny Like That

Amelia found herself happily sitting next to Arizona's hospital bed on Monday. She had gone to school and saw Levi registering. He smiled at her and she smiled back. It was an odd feeling for Amelia, but she figured that anything was better than the numbness that she had felt almost everyday.

Arizona was still sleeping. It had been nearly two days, and she didn't seem to show any signs of wanting to wake up. The doctor's insisted that Arizona had been through both a mental and physical trauma, so her recovery would most likely be delayed. Amelia hoped that she would wake soon, because talking to someone who couldn't talk back back made her feel both crazy and pathetic.

"So, there is this guy." Amelia sighed, hoping that Arizona would magically wake from this startling piece of news just like people did in the movies. When she didn't Amelia, feeling crazier than a lady with a bag full of cats, continued.

"His name is Levi. He is Mrs. Miller's grandson, I guess. He lives right next to me. He is really nice and he has really amazing greenish blueish eyes. His hair is kind of blonde, but a dirty blonde. The best part is you know how I've always loved a guy with a big stupidly goofy smile? He has the most amazing and goofy smile. At first, I didn't really see it, but I made him laugh and it just jumped from his face. He invited me, well sort of asked me out to eat, I think. I'm honestly not sure."

Amelia glanced back at Arizona and smiled.

"I know. I know. My love life has always been pretty boring. Speaking of life, you know Emmy, right? She is so amazing. I mean, I've only known her for basically a day, and I just feel this connection with her. I feel like I could tell her anything. I mean, I tell you a lot; my crushes, my cutting, what happens at home sometimes, why my dad probably left. But I feel like I could tell her the stuff that I have nightmares about; why I started cutting, what happened when I was younger, all my hopes and fears. I feel terrible that I've never told you about much of this, but honestly, I was so afraid that you would abandon me."

Amelia looked up again, hoping for a reaction that never came.

"I know this is going to sound stupid too, but I'm really embarrassed about what Levi could have seen. I mean, when Kirsten blows, she usually hits me a couple of times, I hold my arms up and I get a few bruises there, and then she just storms back into her room. I was unprepared for her to have gotten to Nicole. I was also stupid for thinking that she was done after Nicole. I'm just stupid and worthless and... I'm sorry; I'm talking down to myself again."

She glanced up a third time before laying her head down on the hospital bed.

"I just wish you could help me right now."

Amelia gasped before sitting back up and saying proudly.

"I didn't cut. I was sitting on my bed and I felt numb and out of control and everything was a mess, but I just stared at the razor from across the room. I never touched it. You'd be so proud of me. Emmy texted me last night too. We didn't actually talk about much. I guess she wanted to be a teacher before she met Michael and had Ezra. I told her how I wanted to be a teacher. She and I both want to be English teachers. She wants to teach lower grades, but I admitted to wanting to try both. We literally stopped talking at 9:30 when she told me that she knew that she wouldn't be sleeping well because she was worried about you. I told her the same and we both stopped texting."

Amelia glanced over at the lobby and saw Ezra sitting on the floor. She smiled and squeezed Arizona's hand.

"I don't think I've ever said this, but Zoni, I have a good feeling about her."

Then Amelia stood, kissed Arizona's forehead, and walked out to play with Ezra in the lobby. He was playing with the colorful blocks just like before, but he was alone. Amelia knelt down beside him and he looked up at her curiously before returning to his blocks. She sat watching him for awhile, picking up the blocks that would fall from his tower and roll just a tad too far out of his reach.

"He likes you." A slightly familiar voice said from behind her.

Amelia looked back and smiled. Micheal was standing against the wall dressed in jeans and a college baseball tee shirt. He looked a little different when he wasn't working. His blonde hair, darker than Emmy's, was slightly disheveled. After he smiled back, Amelia felt the slight need to apologize,

"Hey. I'm sorry. I saw Ezra and he looked so lonely. I didn't know if he was supervised or not, and when I thought he wasn't, I decided that he needed someone to play with. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You gave my son someone to play with. You made him happy. Why should you apologize for that."

"I-- I don't know."

Micheal smiled, "Well, then don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

Amelia smiled back. She heard a slight childlike squeal and looked behind her to see Ezra holding his face and looking wide eyed at a block that had stumbled way too far out of his reach. He looked up at Amelia.

"Go on; you can get it." Amelia smiled.

"Mmmn" Ezra grunted while shaking his head.

Amelia gently raised her eyebrows and make shooing motion with her hand and said again, "Go on; you can do it."

Ezra smiled before letting out a squeal-like laugh and getting up. He ran as fast as he could over to the fallen block and picked it up. He smiled back at Amelia and then ran over and handed the block to a kneeling Michael.

Ezra fumbled out a few words, "Block. Far way. Fast."

Michael replied lifting him up, "Yea bud; you were super fast."

"Well, I better get going." Amelia said shyly.

"Alright. See ya around, Amelia." Michael said before walking to put away the blocks.

"See ya."

"Oh, Amelia. I almost forgot. Emmy gave you her favorite pair of sweats and she wants to know if you'll give them back eventually. She was laughing so hard. She literally took all the clothes out of our dresser looking for them."

"Okay. They are washed and sitting in a bag at my house."  Amelia replied walking into the elevator.

"Alright; so, just text her and find some way to keep her from tearing apart the house." Michael laughed.

"Will do." Amelia laughed as the elevator door closed.