Complicated People, Complicated Love

Dagger

Lucas

       I pace the hallway outside of Maya's hospital door. I'm not allowed in and I want to scream from the anger I feel because they won't let me see her.  It's been hours. The news isn't good so far, but they know she'll make it. The door opens and Ms. Hart comes out, looking distraught.

       "Katy!" I say, running to meet her. She raises her arms to my neck and I hug her. "How is she?" I ask. When I pull away she brings a hand to her throat and her face scrunches as she silently cries. I can feel the blood rush out of my face. I lunge forward and push the door to Maya's room open. Katy calls after me but I ignore her.

       There she is, sitting up, flipping through tv channels. I fall to the floor, tears falling from my eyes. "Maya," I say, too relieved to say more. I stand up and pull myself onto the chair next to her bed. "You sacred me," I say, "I thought you were gone," I wipe my face and grab her hand. She flinches and pulls away.

      I'm taken aback. I look at her, confused and she's staring at me like I'm a serial killer. Her eyes are wide and her mouth is shaking. She's hugging herself, far away from me. I stand up and take a step back.

      "Maya," I say, reaching forward slowly.

      "No!" She yells. She covers her ears and looks away from me. I look to the door and see Katy and the doctor looking at me sadly.

        "What's going on?" I whisper to them. The doctor motions me over and I reluctantly walk to his side.

       "I've explained this to Ms. Hart already," he starts, "Maya's rare head condition has, sort of erupted, you could say," I stare at him blankly. "It ruptured, in a way, her brain took damage from it, more than it had in the past. She doesn't remember anything since the car accident. I'm sorry. She-" I couldn't hear him anymore. She didn't remember me, she hardly remembers herself.

       I look to my side and see Maya in her bed. She looks so innocent and scared.

        Oh god, I'm dizzy. The love of my life doesn't know who I am, she's gone. I turn around and throw up. This is making me sick to my stomach. I lean against the wall with my head in my hand. What am I going to do?

                                     . . .
   
         I knock on the door a few hours later, after I've composed myself to the best of my ability. I open it and when Maya sees me her eyes widen again. "It's ok, sweetie," Katy says to her, "he's your friend."

       Maya nods and looks a little less scared. "Hi, Maya," I say, trying to act as polite as I can. "My name's Lucas," she nods and I come a little closer. "I'm from Texas, I moved here two years ago and we met because I sat behind you in class. I-"

        "What class?" She asks. I'm a little shocked by her voice. It's so quiet, she sounds younger.

      "Um, history. But we were in a lot of other classes together too. I became fast friends with you, Riley, and Farkle, actually you were my first friends." She smiles at their names.

       "So, we're friends?" A little dagger scrapes my heart, but I smile through it.

       "Yes," I say, "we're, like, best friends," she smiles a little.

       There's a knock on the door and Riley, Farkle, and Archie come in. Maya's smile widens a thousand time more and she raises her arms for hugs.

       Riley smiles and crushes her with a hug and Farkle joins in. When Maya sees Archie, she blushes a little bit. The dagger goes deeper.