Off to Neverland

Off to Neverland (17)

Four stitches was all I needed. Was that a lot? It didn't really seem like that many to me... I hadn't ever gotten stitches before, so I guessed that even if I had gotten a whole lot, I still would have thought that it wasn't very many at all...

But they sure felt weird. I wanted to scratch at them, but I knew that I couldn't. I felt like I needed a cone around my neck like a dog that needed to stop licking their stitches...

Oh, how gross. I can't believe I just compared myself to a dog.

"I'm alright, Dad," I assured him over the phone, letting out a sigh as I sat back down on the nurse's bed. Since I didn't have a cell phone of my own, I had to talk to him over the phone that was in the office. I couldn't help but feel worried about the fact that maybe people could hear me... "You don't have to worry about me."

"Well, you have to expect me to worry about you," my dad responded, sounding tired like he usually did. I knew he was at work, and I couldn't help but scowl as I pictured what Claudia was doing. She was probably sitting on her lazy ass at home, probably eating bonbons as she watched reruns of season three of Jersey Shore. "I am your father, you know."

"I know that," I sighed, crossing my legs now.

"How did you even get hurt?" my father now asked, and I couldn't help but suck in a breath. What was I supposed to say to him? There was no way I could tell him the truth! If I did, then I would have been sent off to military school in a second... My dad told me that I couldn't get into one fight. And even though I didn't even hit Courtney, I was the one that started it.

"I tripped on a stair and fell down," I lied quickly, but then realized how bad that sounded. People died from falling down the steps! I added quickly, "But luckily it was the second to last step, so I didn't fall very far at all..."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," my father replied, and I could just see him rubbing his forehead as he tried to stay away. Working twenty-two hours a day sure did something to your body... I really wished that I could have done something to help him. I wished I could have gotten a job, but everyone in town thought I was an irresponsible brat. "I have to get back to work, Ivy. I'll talk to you later. I'll make sure to tell Claudia and Cassidy that you're okay."

Yeah, like they'll care, I couldn't help but think flatly as I bid my father adieu before slamming the phone back down angrily. I hadn't been thinking about Claudia or Cassidy very much lately, but now I sure was. I couldn't help but hate them even more right then, even though they hadn't even done anything to me.

Yet, of course.

When they finally let me out of the office, I definitely felt relieved. I had been cooped up in the small nurse's office while she sewed at the back of my head for so long, and I was starting to get squirrely. I was just glad that I was finally let out...

"I'm glad to see that you're okay," a voice said from beside me as I shut the office door behind me.

"Jack!" I shouted in surprise, not expecting him to be right there as I clapped my hand over my chest in fright. "You scared me..."

He smiled, leaning forward a little to inspect me. "Sorry. But I'm glad that you're okay."

I smiled back at him, finding it too contagious not to. "Well, thank you. Even though you did almost just give me a heart attack a few seconds ago..."

Jack chuckled, reaching forward and ruffling my hair. Even though I normally would, right then I didn't care very much about it at all. I was just glad that I could still hear his soothing accent and my head injury wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.