The Problem Child.

Chapter 5

"Ma'am, are you okay?" The paramedic asked, checking my pulse.

"I guess.." I said, looking around the ambulance. I spotted Joseph immediately, and he smiled at me shyly.

"What happened?" He asked, looking at my forehead and monitoring my blood pressure.

"Running incident." I said, looking Joseph in this eyes. He shuddered, and looked out the window.

"Well you sure did get banged up." He said, chuckling."Now I'm gonna give you this shot, it should help with the pain."

"Pain?" I asked, trying to feel some. I wasn't in any pain?

"Yeah. You're probably still having an adrenalin rush. When it wears off, you'll start feeling it.

"Is it really that bad?" I asked, trying to find my wound.

"Don't touch it! It'll get infected!" He said, frantically grabbing my wrist.

"Hey! Don't handle me that way!" I smirked, flashing my teeth.

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When they finally admitted me to a room, Joseph pushed my wheel chair.

"Remind me why the heck I'm in this chair?" I asked, rather annoyed with him.

"You've lost a lot of blood, Hannah. The doctor said he wanted you to stay siting or laying down." He said, pushing me faster.

"Kay." I said, opening the door to my room. When I finally got situated on the bed, Joseph called my parents and explained the situation.

"I'm sorry this happened.. I didn't mean for it." Joseph said, sitting by my bed.

"Yeah, well maybe if you wouldn't have been such a jerk it wouldn't have happened." I said, remembering his warm stroke to my cheek.

"I wasn't trying to be a jerk, Hannah.. I'm sorry. I just meant it as a simple touch. Not to make you mad.." He said, his hands beginning to shake.

"I forgive you." I said, locking his hand with mine. Surprising myself, I looked wide eyed at our hands.

"I..." Joseph started, but tore his glance from me and combed his hair with his fingers.

"Does it look bad?" I asked him, removing my hand. I've really got to stop.

"Well.. Kinda.." He said, reaching out to touch my sore. The gash was a very long, deep cut covering half of my face.

"Will it need stitches?" I asked him, searching his face for answers.

"I think so.." He said, running his fingers down the cut.

"BABY!" Mom and Dad yelled, running into my room. Oh brother.

"ARE YOU OKAY?" They panicked, Mom attempting to kiss my head and Dad pacing the room.

"WE WERE SO SCARED WHEN JOSEPH CALLED!" She said, letting tears pour down her face.

"Stop with the charade." I said, looking at Joseph for support.

"Charade? Honey we LOVE you!" She said, sobbing louder and harder, causing Dad to hug her. Pathetic.

I ended up leaving the hospital with thirty two stitches across the cut, in a florescent purple thread. Sure, I was still having ill feelings toward Joseph, but he was just too darn attractive to stay mad at. My feelings were mega screwed up, but that wasn't gonna stop me from having fun.

"Hey Ez!" I said into the phone,smiling when she proposed plans to meet up.

I hurried to get ready, and snuck out at approximately three am. School had been canceled tomorrow, so I had all day Thursday to hang out with Ezra.

When I got to the skate park, she greeted me with a hug, and Sky gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Where ya been?" He asked, wrapping an arm around Ez.

"You know, the hospital." I joked, showing off my new stitches.

"That's totally hot!" Ezra said, laughing as she examined my cut.

"So I heard you kicked some butt?" I asked Sky, and listened to his retelling of the fight I had missed.

Everything was good until six am came around. Ezra offered to drive me home, so he jumped in her car.

"So you and Sky?" I asked, replaying the image of them kissing in my head.

"Yeah. We're gonna try it." She said, lighting up like Christmas lights.

"Good!" I said, thinking about Joseph. Wait.. Why am I thinking about him?

"Pass me the booze." I said, reaching for the liquor in her dash. I wasn't going to keep thinking about his guy.

"So you've got a boyfriend  I hear.." She said, giggling.

"Nah."

"That's not what everyone says. They say you're dating some punk kid." She said, giving me a straight face.

"Nah." I said, taking another swig.

"Who is he?" She asked, looking through my facade.

"Joseph, okay? And he's not a punk. He isn't even my boyfriend." I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Is he cute?" She asked, grabbing my phone and looking for his picture. When she came across his picture, she gasped.

"Wow. Score one for Hannah!" She said, winking in approval.

"So what? He's cute, okay." I said, a little embarrassed.

"Cute? He's HOT!" She said, patting me on the back.

"He isn't my boyfriend.."

"YET!" She said, throwing her head back laughing.

"He won't be!" I said, giving her a stern look.

"Mhmm. Well if you don't make him yours, I'll make him mine." She said, grinning ear to ear.

"Back off." I said, without realising what I said.

"SEE! YOU LIKE HIM!" She said, pulling up to my house.

"Later." I said, throwing the bottle in the back and slamming her passenger door. After successfully sneaking back into my room, I checked my phone and saw that I had a message from Joseph.

From: Joseph

Hannah, I'm sorry about tonight. I didn't mean to make you get hurt. I hope your parents don't hate me now. Feeling better? If you need me, I don't think I'm gonna be sleeping tonight. If not, goodnight beautiful. Smile, and I'll see you Friday :)

And with something as simple as a goodnight text, I was under his spell again. He didn't realise it, but at this very moment, he made me the happiest girl in the world. I found myself looking forward to seeing him Friday. My best friend, my closest guy, my Joseph.

AUTHORS NOTE. On the side is Joseph,and also the picure Ezra saw.