All Alone

Chapter 26

I am worried about Libby. After we got back from the beach she wouldn't answer my texts or skype requests, maybe she is embarrassed or ashamed. I contacted Kaylee, but apparently, Libby bolted from the car as soon as they reached her house and slammed the door on the way inside. Kaylee had to lock up the car and hide the keys under the door mat before she could walk home.

I had to go to the hospital and get my nose reset, and I was lucky enough to not have any internal bleeding. The doctors didn't say a word about my scars, and they are so faded and I had blankets on, so nobody paid that much attention to them. They were too focused on my black eyes.

Did you know that when you get hit in the nose hard enough, the bruise will diffuse to your eyes because your nose can't bruise? I think I heard that once, but I had totally forgotten. I am supposed to rest and that means brain rest as well. I am not allowed to read or write or draw or do basically anything that I enjoy doing. I am hardly allowed to watch TV either.

I hate concussions.

"Hey Avi, it is time for dinner!" Claire's voice drifted up to my room and helped spark what would probably be a splitting headache, but I pasted on a smile, ready to act like I wasn't worried about my friend and attempt to enjoy a family meal.

I walked down the stairs and admired the smell of the delicious cornflake chicken. It was a relatively simple meal, but it was also one of my true favorites. Grabbing a whiteboard that we kept at the bar, I wrote a simple message.

'This looks delicious Victoria! Thank you for the meal!'

She grinned at me, replying in her always cheery tone, "I am glad you like it Avianna!"

I still can't understand how she manages to be so cheerful after her ex-husband chewed her up and spit her out like she was nothing, but I admired her resilience.

We sat down at the table and finished the meal relatively quickly, but I got distracted when my phone vibrated with a notification from Kaylee.

'Sorry, I need to respond to this, it is probably important' I quickly rose from the table, running to the front room where I would have a little more privacy.

After I had opened the text, I read the update on Libby.

Kaylee: Hey, so Libby is coming 2 school 2morrow so we should have a good chance 2 talk to her. Will you help me corner her?

My response was almost immediate:

Of course.

After more family activities I went to bed, eager for the next school day. It was going to be important, especially since Libby had skipped Monday through Wednesday.

**********

I set my own alarm and got out of bed earlier than usual, zipping through my morning rituals and sliding into some jeans and a Queen t-shirt. After racing down the stairs I was ready to get to school, a place that the doctor didn't want me to attend.

Normally I would be absolutely thrilled to have an excuse, but right now I was needed as moral support, and no concussion would stop me from helping one of my first friends in a long time. That probably isn't very healthy.

I gobbled down breakfast in record time, barely saying goodbye to Victoria before flying out the door to Kaylee's sedan which had just barely rolled to a stop in front of our house.

Slinging my bag into the backseat, I took out my phone so she could continue driving, entering my speech into google translate, and having it repeat my words.

"Where do you think she will be?"

"I am thinking by the gym, but maybe the library since David would never go there. Maybe we should split up and text the other when we find her? I could ask Logan to help us look," she seemed to be deep in thought, and I raised an eyebrow at her casual mention of a guy who definitely fancied her.