If I Save You

Chapter Five-Angel Boy

                  

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty! Damn...Hallie, are you drooling?"

My eyes flash open. My neck feels stiff, my right leg is asleep, and my ears are ringing. Callum is standing above me, holding a plate of waffles dripping with glazy syrup.

I glare at him. "I don't drool, Callum"

He hands me the plate, and I wolf down most of the waffles. As I look around the room, I notice a large dark blue suitcase resting against my closet, with a Ziploc bag full of rolled up money. I must've prepared for my trip and fell asleep against my wall.

"Well, today's the day you and Ethan head over to New York" Callum says, and starts picking at a little cut on his index finger, and plopped down on my bed, making my bedsprings creak. "Are you excited, little sis?"

New York....Ethan...Kendra...

"Oh, shoot" I stand up so quickly my head starts to spin a little, and a stinging feeling erupts in my right temple. I snatch the Ziploc bag, stuff it into my pocket, and take the suitcase, and drag it across my room to my door, and kick it open.

"Hey-where are you going?" Callum asks. "You didn't even finish your waffles!"

"I'm not hungry" I call out to him distractedly as I race down the hallway,my suitcase clacking behind me, praying to whoever-may-be that Ethan didn't leave without me.

Dammit, you're so stupid. Why didn't you set an alarm? Why didn't you plan ahead of time? He's probably at the train station already leaving without you. Jeez, you're a big, sloppy mess.

My heart pumps faster and faster as anxiety floods through me. I clench my jaw as that drowning feeling bursts through my body, an invisible force tugging me downwards. I really hope he didn't leave me...

"Hallie?" Callum calls once more. My hand is hovering over the doorknob, I'm about to twist it open and run up the stairs like I've never ran before.

"What?" I snap. This better be important.

"Can I have your waffles?" he calls out hopefully.

"Dammit, Callum!"

I race up the stairs, my suitcase slamming and bumping wildly against every single step. Whatever I packed in there must be broken and shattered by now.

I finally reach Ethan's apartment, and I knock on his door quickly, hammering my knuckles against his door.

No response.

I grit my teeth, my hands shaking. Come on, Ethan...

I knock once more. My chin wobbling, I raise my fist to knock one more-

The door opens slowly. Ethan's standing in the doorway, holding Lily. He's wearing the same black hoodie as yesterday, and the same ratted jeans, with the fabric peeling off at his knees. He tilts his head at me, confused. "You look worried"

I exhale a deep relieved breath. I almost collapse on the hallway floor.

"I thought you left without me" I tell him, my voice quiet and breathless.

"Why would I?" he responds.

For a few seconds, I just stand there staring at him.

"Well, anyways..." he glances down at Lily, who was licking her soft pink nose with the tip of her red tongue. "She was crying a few minutes ago. She didn't want me to leave" he smiles sheepishly, but his eyes seem caring as he stares down at his cat.

"Aw, Angel Boy" I smile at him. "But are we leaving now...or...?"

He lifts his eyes up from Lily, and frowns at me with a pout. "Please tell me that isn't a nickname"

Before we leave to the train station, we say a quick goodbye to Kendra, who looks as fragile as a piece of thin glass. The guilt in leaving his mother was apparent in Ethan's eyes. When we said goodbye to her, it looked like it he was taking every ounce of his strength not to burst into tears. He blinked a lot, and rubbed his eyes, as if he was physically forcing the tears back.

His backpack was smaller than mine-it was barely the size of one of his cats. It looks like all he packed was food and one pair of extra clothes.

As we left the apartment building, I felt strange. Like I had just grown a large, fluffy pair of Pegasus wings. I can't remember the last time I left my apartment-the last time I wanted to. Since summer vacation, all I've been doing is dragging myself around my apartment, not even looking through any window, and certainly not any mirror. Mirrors and I don't get along very well; I'm always repulsed by what I see.

It's July, but it doesn't really feel like it. There's a cool breeze that makes the branches of the trees flutter like butterfly wings. Some might even say its chilly, but personally, I'm used to the cold. I catch a few people wearing scarves.

Ethan doesn't seem as free as I do. His eyes are distracted, always darting around every which way, his forehead creased with worry. Maybe he's worrying about his mother. Maybe about his father, or getting to the train station on time.

Maybe he's worrying about me...

Why the hell would he? He has a sick mother and he's meeting his father for the first time. You're probably the last thing on his mind.

But I look up and realise we just walked past the railing of the roof, the very railing I was standing on yesterday, about to jump. But I quickly dismiss the thought of Ethan worrying about me. I can't remember the last time anybody but Callum did that.

A memory does leak its way into my head though...a memory of my mother softly caressing my hair as I cry and tell her about something that was bothering me. I can't remember what had made me upset, but I do remember how she made it all better.

My shoulders sink a little, but I straighten up, and look over at Ethan, who has more worries than I have fingers.

If he can hold it together...than so can I.

Thanks for reading! I hope you guys liked it <3