Between Love And Hate

Chapter Twenty-one

Raven

I blinked like there was no tomorrow, but I still couldn't adjust to the light. It blinded me. My head hurt so much I could hardly think straight, I kept hearing voices - are you okay? can you hear me? - Too many voices and too many questions.

I couldn't feel my left arm, My back hurt so bad and my shoulder, I could not explain the pain.

It took me a few minutes before I could register everything that had happened, shit "Janelle... W... here's Jan... elle? Is sh... e safe?"

I was out of breathe, I felt pain from every corner, especially my left shoulder.

He'd shot me there and the bullet must have gotten deep. I tried to sit up even though all I could see was a blur.

"Honey, Janelle is fine. She'll be here. But until then you have to stay in bed. Janelle would be mad if she hears you tried to get out of bed."

I tried to squeeze my face into a smile, I would bet a thousand bucks, she was crying.

"Mum, is that you? I was so scared. Where's dad and Kattie? Are my grandparents here yet? Grandma would be mad I got shot." I was still lying in bed, blinded by the lights temporarily until someone would get me my glasses. And yet I was worried about everyone.

"Plus, I need my glasses. I can't see anything at all. They're all blur." I could hear my mum's teary laughter.

"You're one crazy teenager, you know that? You're the one on a hospital bed with bandages every which way on your body, but you are talking like you don't even know that fact." Mum was smiling. I could tell she had been worried about me.

"And about your glasses, I'm sorry. You broke your favorite pair yesterday. So, your dad brought another one instead." I felt her hands push hair out of my face.

"You had me scared there, I thought I would lose you. I forgot you were one freaking fighter."
She chuckled and even though I knew it would hurt a lot, I said hug me and she did.

The whole family was at the hospital to see me, even little Paris. The small little ball of cuteness had been adopted in Paris, so she was named after the city.

"You'll be fine, right?" I smiled at her, "I will. And then we can play hide and seek or go visit my tree house or do something you would like." She was losing a few teeth, but that didn't make her smile ugly one bit.

Grandma had scolded me with tears, "you don't go getting shot like that. you little annoying child, you scared the living life out of me. Raven Lynn Grey, you will not do this to me again!!"

And grandpa, even though he tried to get grandma to let me off the hook, he really looked like he was going to burst out laughing at anytime. "Your grandma is just worried about you."

And me, I was only bothered with if Janelle was really fine or not. I wanted to see her, to be sure that they were telling the truth.

You know how it feels when you are expecting someone you really want to see, and every time someone opens the door, your heart wants to jump out? That was how I felt every time someone opened the door. And Kattie noticed.

"Stop doing that." I gave her the glare. "Stop doing what?" she rolled her eyes, dropped the magazine she was holding and gave me the -you know what I'm talking about look- but I ignored her.

I rolled my eyes back at her. "How long was I out?" I asked again.

"I don't know." Kattie shrugged, dropped the magazine again and pretending I wasn't there. "A few hours maybe. I didn't count."

I nodded, looking at the arm that had been shot. I'd taken pain killers, but the pain was still there.
"Do you think they'll amputate my arm? It seems lifeless." Kattie stood up from her sit.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you? Why would they want to amputate your arm? It's only broken, nothing else and it's only been shot!" She was angry, so angry the vein on her forehead looked like it would pop.

"Calm down Kat. I was just joking. I knew you were mad at me and I wanted you to let it out somehow. I should have told you about the stalker and stuff, but I didn't want you to get involved. I'm sorry."

Her shoulders fell and she walked towards the bed, "you're just lucky you're already on this bed, I would have whooped your ass and you'd find yourself here."
She gave me a hug. "Morgan's here. You should go with her, I'll be fine." she left seconds later after she had squeezed life out of me.

The next time someone opened my door, I didn't move. I just laid down and stared at the ceiling. "She's awake. You can see her." I still didn't get up to see who had come in until I heard Bri's voice.

"Mum, Dad! She's really awake!" I jerked up, forgetting the pain in my arm and my body in a whole. "You don't need to get up dear." Sandra was smiling the biggest smile I'd ever seen in my life.

"Oh my God. How are you doing now? Does it hurt much? I was completely freaked out when we got called yesterday and I don't know how to thank you for saving Janelle. I really don't know what we'd have done if anything bad had happened to her..."
And she was already in tears.

"It's fine, Sandra. Mr Ontario please tell her I'm fine now. Really." I tried to sound convincing. He gave  Sandra a squeeze on her shoulders. "We're just grateful to you for what you did for us. Not everyone would have done that." He was right, but I wasn't just anyone to them.

My chest grew tight. Janelle hadn't come with them. And out of everyone, she was the only one I wanted to see...