Falling Hard || The Music Freaks || Lander

Chapter Six: Waking Up

"You know, I'm honestly still surprised you're still alive."

"Don't worry, I'm still trying to convince myself I'm still here," smirked Zander. The two step-siblings were leaning against the kitchen island, drinking cups of orange juice. The White Rose was still in Zander's hand, petals brushing his fingertips.

His step-father was now cleaning up the scattered mess of dead spiders in the garage. He could still remember them, lying on their backs with their stomachs facing the ceiling, legs splayed out.

Zander had burst into the garage, looking for that spray Hailey had used. He still remembered the panic and fear that had flooded him as he wreaked chaos across the room, searching for it.
The spiders had chased him all the way from the tree, and they were just about to crawl up Zander's leg when he had found it - a small, half empty bottle that was uncapped. He had whipped around, and the repellent had done the rest.

Zander shuddered. He didn't even want to think about them. Describing the eight, angry eyes as they had chased him wasn't fun. Especially when he had just narrowly escaped what seemed like hundreds of them.

"And the fact that you managed to keep running until you reached the garage is impressive," Hailey mused. "Or how you managed to find that bug repellent with that daft brain of yours."

"So it's not you we're talking about?" scoffed Zander. The two looked sideways at each other and laughed.

"But really, in all seriousness," said Hailey. "I can't believe you got the rose! It only seemed like a legend at first... And they're so rare as well!" 

"I can't believe it either," he looked down at the rose. It felt light in his hand, like it wasn't there at all. But when he touched it, it felt soft and smooth. It seemed to radiate a sort of aura like how a sun radiates heat. A sort of comforting glow, like everything would be alright.

"Ki-ids!" he heard his mother's sing-song voice. "Are you ready? We're going to the hospital now!"

His mother, like his father, had jumped to her feet in excitement when she heard Zander had gotten the rose. It seemed like his whole family knew about the legend except him. Sarah had insisted they go to the hospital at once, after giving Zander a break.

"The first White Rose in our family!" she had said. "And to save Luke - oh, how noble of you, Zander!"

"The car's leaving in a minute!" Sarah yelled.

"Coming!" Hailey called. Zander followed her out the door, and into the black, shiny car. It was evening, the bright summer sky darkening little by little. Clouds blocked out the sunlight, tree branches swaying in the late afternoon breeze.

The car ride seemed to take centuries. Zander could only think of Luke's eyes opening, full of life. It had barely been a week since he had fallen off the tree, but yet every day without him was like a year.

Hailey couldn't sit still either. Zander could tell: the way she was fiddling with her watch, pulling at the frayed ends of her sweater, and constantly reaching up to touch her star earring even though it was in perfect condition.

One song passed. Then another. The playlist his mother always played in the car felt too familiar. Always the same few songs... Over and over again. Zander tapped his fingers on his knee like it was a piano. His musical self could pick up the exact pitches from the music, and even recognize the fingering.

"You came into my life

just like another season.

Not for long just a time