From The Start (1st Draft)

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

 

A whole week passed by. It was terrifying to see the boy I was in love with lifeless on that hospital bed. It was so painful to see the tubes that went up his nose, which sent oxygen into his lungs for him. He could barely even breathe on his own at this point. I held his hand every second I spent with him, and every now and then I would softly kiss him on his chapped and faded lips, even though he couldn't kiss me back. That's what hurt the most.

For a whole week I couldn't find it in me to cry. I had to stay strong. I couldn't let myself give up on the thought of him leaving us, but I had to face the truth. He was entirely gone, and there was nothing left that we could do for him. So one afternoon after school Stephanie, Darlene, and I all came to see him.

It was then when we all finally opened up to each other.

"Guys," I whispered, looking over at where Stephanie was sitting. Darlene was near the window, just blankly staring out at the cloudy sky.

Stephanie pulled herself up and leaned forward, looking at me with fear. "Yeah?" she softly asked.

"What's going on?"

Darlene shook her head, and leaned it hardly against the glass.

"I don't know, Rose," Stephanie answered, standing up and sitting in the chair next to me, so she could also hold on to her brother's limp hand.

"I thought my marrow worked," I let out, sounding more like a question than anything else.

"And it did. It just didn't work for that long," she said, gently hugging me.

"I can't take this anymore. The boy we all love isn't here anymore. He's in a coma," I choked out, as Darlene loudly interrupted.

"I can't stand this," she mumbled, crossing her arms and exhaling sharply.

"Stand what?" I asked her.

"I have to come clean to both of you," Darlene carefully admitted.

Stephanie gasped. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying... I know what happened to Alex."

I was shocked, so I quickly stood up. "What do you even mean when you say that?"

"I mean I saw him," she stopped, trying to even out her breaths. "The night of the football game."

"Meaning?" Stephanie demanded, still tightly holding his hand, refusing to even let go.

"He stepped out of his body. He was in ghost form," she told us, while we both stayed silent. "And then he looked at me, and shook his head... And... I don't know. He went back into it, and that's when I ran off."

"You saw Alexander as a freaking ghost and you didn't even tell us?" Stephanie almost yelled, until I grabbed her shoulders and shook her fiercely.

"Stop it," I argued, Darlene walking closer to us.

"You both need to shut up," she ordered, as Stephanie darted out of the chair and tried to go at Darlene as I took hold of her wrist.

"Stephanie, stop!" I shouted, seeing Darlene's frightened expression.

"I saw him," she finally whispered, shaking her head and looking down at Alex. "I think it was his time, but he refused to go."

"So he basically said no to god, which put him in a coma?" Stephanie asked, almost shrieking it.