Leah Archer was just 12 years old when she hit her head on a rock and fell into a coma, one that doctors weren't sure she'd ever come back from. But when she wakes up four years later, she faces the struggle of recovery and fights to regain any hint...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
SCHOOL SEEMED TO fall into a routine after that first week. It became a little less of a struggle to wake up early, get to school on time, and go through the motions of each class. Football practice became more and more intense as our first game approached even quicker.
Maybe it was because it was our last year, or maybe it was something else, but this school year felt somehow right. I didn't dread my alarm going off at 6:30 every morning, and I actually looked forward to each day. Sure, doing the classwork wasn't exactly enjoyable, but seeing all my friends made up for it.
It wasn't until Wednesday when Caleb approached me with a panicked look that my peaceful reverie was broken.
"Hey, what's up?" I ask, making my way to the locker room after school. I had dropped my equipment off before school, not wanting to try to maneuver the heavy bag around all the students trying to escape the parking lot.
"Okay, I've kind of gotten myself into a jam and I need you to help me out." Caleb doesn't make eye contact with me, and I have not clue how serious this is. Sometimes Caleb worries too much, blowing things out of proportion, but I don't know if this is one of those times.
"Shoot. You know I'll always help you out."
He attempts a smile but it fails. "Okay, my mom asked me to do something a few weeks ago but I kind of forgot about it until now and I'm in a time crunch and it's really important and–"
I chuckle, cutting him off. "Dude, just spit it out. If you keep rambling, it'll be too late."
He sighs. "I'm supposed to plan a surprise birthday party for Leah, her birthday is Sunday and I don't have anything planned."
I look at him, amused. It's not that big of a task, but I know he's probably worked himself up over it because he doesn't want to let his sister down. "That's easily manageable. I'll talk to Bree later today and ask what we should do and we can meet up tonight to plan it. It's gonna be fine." Caleb nods, but I know he doesn't believe me. I grab his arm, bringing the two of us to a stop. "Hey, I know that no matter what you do, Leah's going to appreciate it."
He finally grins, looking up at me. "Thanks, man. It's just, it's her first real birthday in four years and I don't want to fuck it up. I mean, her last birthday was pretty shitty."
I laugh, feeling relieved at the joke. A few months ago, Caleb never would have been able to talk so calmly about the accident. He's felt so guilty for years that it's nice that he's finally able to get that weight off his shoulders. "Yeah, it definitely won't be hard to top that one."
I'm excited at the idea of helping with Leah's party. I want to make this birthday a special one for her. The two of us have been texting more and more recently, and she's such a genuinely good person that I wish nothing but the best for her. I just hope we can give that to her.
