On The Outside Looking In {DISCONTINUED}

1

I opened my eyes, panting slightly. All I could see was white. Bright, bright white. It seemed to be endless and burnt my eyes. I felt as though I hadn't opened them in quite some time. Everything was blurred, though slowly clearing. I regained a sense of feeling in my body and realised that someone was holding my hand. I slowly turned my head to face whoever it was. Gods, just doing that hurts. It was a boy. His tanned hand was gripping my pale one tightly. It was beginning to hurt. He had it pressed against his brow, his dishevelled brown hair covering both. A small part of me, some part I didn't recognise, was relieved. The rest of me was completely freaking out. I had no idea who this guy was. Still, I could not stop that one part of me – the one I didn't recognise – from squeezing his hand gently. It was as though that part of me knew who this was. I was clueless.

He froze before looking up. His hazel eyes caught my eyes and he gaped, seeming to go through shock and disbelief in a heartbeat. "She's awake," he whispered, as though unsure of what to do. "She's awake," he repeated a little louder. His eyes cleared, remembering something, and he jumped up, running to the door. I hadn't noticed it, nor the windows which were allowing me to see into another area of wherever I was. It, too, was painted a creamy white. There were people walking past. A group of three were sitting on chairs in the corridor just outside of the door. "She's awake!" the boy exclaimed.

The group of three entered the room moments after the boy was seated beside me again. They all had the same reaction he did: shock, disbelief, relief. In the group were an older man and woman – presumably his parents going by appearance – and a girl. She most certainly was not related. She had sun-kissed skin, chocolate-brown monolid eyes, and long, straight onyx hair which was currently tied back into a high ponytail, though some strands danced across her face. Again, that one part of me felt relieved to see these people. They were all watching, waiting for me to say something. "Where am I?" I asked, my voice hoarse. "Who are you people?"

Their faces fell, the boy recovering fast. Is that a normal thing for him? "C'mon, Eb," he said softly. "Stop screwing around. You know who I am." He squeezed my hand.

I tore it from his grip. "Who are you people?" I demanded. "What do you want from me?" I tried to sit up but fell back down, my head spinning and black spots dancing in my vision. My other arm and ankles barked in protest as I tried to sit up again. They were strapped to the bed. I kept pulling against them, ignoring the pain as I tried to pull myself free. I was badly panicking, trying and failing to undo the straps with my other hand.

The boy stood, pushing on my shoulders to keep me down. "Calm down, Eb." I didn't. He swore, turning to face the girl. "Don't fucking stand there, Tiye. Get a doctor before she hurts herself again," he snapped.

The girl came out of her daze and bolted out of the room. She returned seconds later with a man in a white coat. He took one look at me and went to my side. I don't know how, but my body relaxed a minute later, like I had been sedated. The boy released me when he was sure I wouldn't move. I closed my eyes, feeling tears form. I was tired, aching, and terrified. I had no idea what was happening. A hand gently brushed my unbound hair off my face. I opened my eyes again, seeing it was the boy. Deciding I was calm enough, the man – doctor – began asking me questions:

What is your name?

I don't know.

Do you know your date of birth?

No.

Do you know where you are?

No.

He pulled out a packet of cards, each with a different image on it, and asked me to name the images. I did. He frowned, signalling for the four to follow him to the doorway.

While they talked, I shook my body out of its trance. I looked around the room. It was small, but not claustrophobic. I was in the single bed with a blanket over me. There was an open window blowing in a cool breeze. Three chairs and a small table were in front of it. On the other side of the bed, the side where the door was, was another chair and table. On the table was a vase filled with lotuses. There were white and pink ones mixed in. It calmed my mind a little. I smiled to myself. That's sweet. Taking a deep breath, I lifted the blanket with my free hand and my heart stopped. I looked like a living skeleton. My thin arms had several tubes coming out of them and going into the machines at my side, one of which was giving off a steady beep. A heart monitor?

I didn't realise the group had come back until the curtains were closed. My eyes immediately relaxed. I sighed in content. The boy sat in the single chair. He made no move to touch me. "You're in a hospital," he started gently, as though not wanting to frighten me again. "You've been here for about a year. We didn't think you would wake up."

The girl – Tiye, I think it was – sat beside me on the bed. I couldn't move away, though my body wanted to. "You were in a very bad accident, Eb. Lots of blood, broken bones, and internal bleeding. Even your spine was busted. You also had a nasty cut on your head to go with the one on your stomach." She brushed a finger from my hairline to just above my left eye, no doubt where a scar was. "Doctors said you had a low chance of recovery."

"What happened to me?" I asked her.

"Does it matter?" We stared at the boy who had interrupted Tiye's answer. I saw her flinch when he yelled. Is she scared of him?

She seemed to shake it off. "Chill, Isaac. If she wants to know then we tell her." At his glare she gave me a quick hug and went up to the other two, telling them something. They all left the room. That left me alone with the boy. Isaac, was it? Clearly I was not the best with names.

"Sorry." I turned back to him. He had waited until everyone was gone before speaking again. He gestured to me. "Hate seeing you hurt like this." I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Here I was, clearly a friend of this guy, and I had no idea who he was. "Don't worry about it," he said, reading my mind. "We'll figure something out." He tilted his head to the side slightly. "You remember nothing at all?"

"Zip," I confirmed.

He sighed. "Your name is Ebony Nightshade. Like me and Tiye, you're sixteen. Last year you were in a car accident, hit by some drunk kid, and were badly injured in your head. Put you in a coma for the last year. Its probably why you can't remember anything." He looked at his watch and swore. "I'll be late." He looked me over with a frown before pulling back the blanket and undoing all the straps holding me down. He gave me a firm look once he was done. "If anyone asks, you took them off yourself."

"Gotcha." I rolled my wrists and ankles, stretching until the tension was gone. It felt good to move.

He gave me a soft smile. One, for some reason, I doubted most people saw. "I'm just glad to have you back, ba –" He cut himself off. "Ebony." He ruffled my hair and left the room.

I felt like I should get up, perhaps try walking. I was told I had a spinal injury but that was a year ago. I could move my legs just fine. The only thing was, I still felt very weak. All I could do was fall back into a deep sleep.