You're Back - Chapters 29 and 30

Chapter 29

It was only when we finally reached my mother's room that I realized I hadn't let go of Andrew's hand. And the whole way he never let go either.
He ushered me to the door and let me go first. Our hands finally unlocked as Andrew stayed behind.
"I'll see you later." He said when I glanced back at him.
"What? You can stay." I said.
"I think you two need some time. I'll talk to you later." He said again and slowly slid the door shut before he walked away.
"You two?" I mumbled turning around. "Who is he talk-" My word caught in my throat when I saw someone else in the room. They disintegrated when I registered that someone as Riley.

I hesitantly went to stand across from him at the bed. Riley watching me intensely the whole way.
"Hey." He said finally.
I stared. Words couldn't seem to come to me.
"How bad is it?" He asked.
"Quite." I stated eventually getting enough grip to respond. "Broken wrist, tibia, ribs. Collapsed lung." I cited.
"Wow." He muttered. "What happened?"
"You don't know."
"Know what?"
"She crashed her car because she was driving drunk." I explained.
"Oh." He fixed his gaze on her again, looking her over slowly.

"She has to go to DUI school and her license has been revoked." I told him what the officer that stopped by told me. I think she even has to go to some AA classes."
"That's going to be rough." He commented.
I didn't say anything back, though I definitely wanted to ask where he'd been when this occurred, how he found out about it - the doctors couldn't find any other working family number, but mine.
Riley looked around uncomfortably. His eyes shifted around nervously.
"So, um-" He started, eyes fixed on his shoes.
"What are you doing here?" I barged in.
Riley lifted his gaze from his shoes to me. "What do you-? I came to see mom, what do you think I'm here for?"
"Find out about mom, I meant. The hospital said they couldn't get a hold of any family members, but me."

"Oh." He scratched his head and glanced down at mom. "That guy, your boyfriend or whatever, saw me walking-"
"My boyfriend?" I asked.
"Yeah. Miller. The kid looks completely different. Almost didn't recognize him."
"He's not my boyfriend, Riley." I told him, my cheeks flushed.
Riley shrugged. "Whatever. Anyway, he saw me walking and picked me up. Told me what happened and brought me here."
Andrew had brought him here?
"Why were you walking?" I said the only thing I could think of to say.
Again he shrugged. "I left it somewhere apparently when I was hi-" He stopped short, suddenly catching what he said.
My blood got warmer when I realized what he was going to say.

"Riley, you've got to stop doing that stuff!" I cried. "I mean, you left you car somewhere and you're in a hospital. Shouldn't that make you think a little about what you're doing?"
"Oh please!" He waved me off with an eye roll. "Don't give me some lecture on taking care of myself and my health and all that crap. I'm fine. Nothing has happened to me!"
"That's probably what mom told herself." My voice rose to an almost-yell. "Now look where she is. In a hospital with a broken body."
Riley rolled his eyes again. "Please, I know what I'm doing, Melody. I can take care of myself."

I scoffed. "Well, obviously. You left your car at some random place. Do you even know where it is?" I questioned.
Riley threw his head back with a groan. "Does it matter? I'll find it eventually. And if you haven't noticed I'm not the one that's hurt here."
A soft grunting noise came to my ears.
"Riley! Can't you see it could be at some point?" My voice was definitely at screeching level.
A small part of me knew this was getting out of hand, but I couldn't seem to stop myself.
Yet again, a soft grunt came to my ears. I glanced down at my mom. Her eyes struggled to open as another grumble escaped her throat.

"Mom?" I whispered. Riley stood quiet across from me.
Her one eye finally made it open and found its way to me. A wheezing sound came past her lips. A sound that vaguely sounded like, "please".
"What mom?" I leaned forward to hear better.
She took a slow, loud breath. "Stop." She wheezed.
I glanced over at Riley. He lifted his shoulders.
"Fighting." She pushed out. Bother her eyes had opened and slowly got clear and clearer. She looked back and forth between me and Riley.
"Sorry mom." I apologized. "How are you doing? Do you need the nurse to give you stuff for the pain?"

Her head tilted to side in an attempt to shake her head, but she winced and stopped.
"Yes." She choked out.
I quickly reached over and pressed the 'help' button next to the bed.
Mom's gaze lolled over to Riley. "Hi." She whispered, a faint smile hidden in her chapped lips.
"Hi, mom." Riley replied.
I looked over at him sharply. His eyes were watery, on the verge of tears. That was the first time in a long while that he hadn't called her Charlotte.
The room door slid open and a dark-skinned, dark-haired nurse stepped in. "Did you need something?" She asked with a sweet smile.

I nodded. "Yes, my mom said she's in a lot of pain. Is there something you can give her?" I asked, my voice warbling.
"Oh, yes. It's time for her medication anyway." She said when she glanced at the clock. She stepped out of the room for a moment and came back with a bag of clear fluid and a syringe. With a calm carefulness she switched out the IV bags and administered whatever was in the syringe into the tube that went into my mom's arm.

"The morphine will knock her out, so you can go for a little while if you like." The nurse told us. Mom's eyes already started to flutter, wanting to close.
I shook my head. "That's okay. We'll be here for her when she wakes up."
The nurse nodded again with a sweet smile and grabbed the clipboard at the end of the bed, writing down something.
I watched my mom's eye struggle to stay open, but the medication had already started kicking in.
"I love you, mom." I told her, not bothering to look and see how Riley reacted.
Her eyes were barely open.
"Love you." I heard her whisper as her eyes finally closed and stayed shut.
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One chapter left. I truly am sorry it has taken me so long to finish posting this. My life is crazy busy.
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Chapter 30

I tossed yet another bottle into the ever-growing trash bag on the floor.
The DUI and AA classes had started a change in my mom. Part of the process to 'Living an alcohol free life' was getting rid of any and all temptation. She was afraid she might change her mind if she did it herself, so she asked me if I would help her by getting rid of her stash while she was getting her checkup.

It had proved to be a difficult task. Some were hidden absurd places- a couple were hidden under her bathroom sink behind a box of tampons, a few folded neatly in between some clothes in the closet, another behind the bed headrest. It was as if she was trying to hide her most obvious problem.

Right as I opened the last cupboard and grabbed the half empty bottle of whiskey, my cell phone rang. I set the bottle on the counter and snatched up my phone. I stepped over the trash bag and answered the phone on my way out of the house. Even though it was overcast and cold outside, I needed some air.
"Hello?" I answered, closing the front door behind me.
"Hi, Melody? This is Principal Edenbright from Jackson Prep." The familiar voice said over the line.
Right. Jackson Prep.
"Oh hi, Mr. Edenbright." I greeted, feeling slightly panicky. Was this about my scholarship? Were they revoking it?
"Is something wrong?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, I'm calling actually calling about your scholarship." He began. "Your attendance lately has been..."
I zoned out, partially anyway, as Mr. Edenbright told me about my absence from school lately and relayed the Scholarship's high expectations. I only tuned back in when he explained what would need to happen if I wanted to continue at Jackson.
"Melody, are you still there?" The principal's voice asked me.
I snapped my head up. "Yes, I am."
"I have to go now but, Melody, you really are one of out best students. I honestly wish I didn't have to do this."
I placed a hand to my forehead. "It's fine. I understand." I watched a white truck pull up to the curb in front of my house.

Andrew climbed out and started up towards me as the Principal spoke again. "I really hope you'll try and finish your time here at Jackson."
My hand slid to my cheek and I nodded. Andrew walked up the steps as I did. He smiled at me in greeting. My eyes traveled over his shirt and paused at a crease over his chest, while Edenbright continued on.
After telling me he hoped I'd be there next week for the meeting to discuss my options, we said goodbye and hung up.
My gaze was still on the crease of Andrew's shirt, when he spoke up. "You planning a weekend bender, or something?" He joked, motioning to the bag I'd brought out earlier with bottles and trash in it.

I looked down at the phone in my hand. I shook my head, tapping the phone against my palm.
"What's wrong?" Andrew asked, the joking tone gone from his voice.
I hesitated, not wanting to say the words aloud.
"I think I just lost my scholarship to Jackson." I told him, my eye slowly crawled up to meet his.
Andrew's brows furrowed. "What? Why?"
With a sigh I told him everything Principal Edenbright had told me. The Jackson Scholarship was a very demanding scholarship. Students had to have virtually zero absences and a high A in every class just to maintain eligibility.
With my mother hospitalized it was two weeks before I even stepped back into school. And only for a few days before I stopped again to help my mother get out of the hospital and around the house (her arms and leg in casts, her chest still hurting terribly, she could hardly do anything).

Because of my absences, my scholarship was jeopardized. The only way I could continue at Jackson was to pay the high fee like every other student. Unless they decided differently at the meeting.
"I'll help." Andrew said immediately after I finished explaining.
My head jerked back in surprise. "What?"
"If you need some help to pay for Jackson, I'll help." He repeated calmly.
I wrapped my arms around myself tightly, the cold starting to get to me. "No way." I shook my head fiercely.
"Why not?"
"Jackson Prep's tuition is pretty high, Andrew. I'm not going to ask you to do that." I said firmly.
"Who said 'ask'?" He lifted his hands questioningly. "I'm offering. Besides, what am I going to spend my money on? Another boat I'll only use four months out of a year?" He paused. "And I say that in the humblest way possible."

"Andrew, I can't." I sighed.
He took a small step towards me. "Melody, we're friends. Friends help each other. So, I want to help."
I looked away, down at the trash bag that fluttered with the chilly breeze. I really didn't want this from him. I could find a way to take care of it on my own. But, Jackson really was a good school that I enjoyed going to. And what if I couldn't produce the money for it...
"Are you sure?" I asked tentatively.
"I'm sure." He replied with a confidant smile.
I felt myself smiling back widely. The thought of me weeks ago ran through my mind. I'd felt so scared and angry at him that I almost didn't come out of that bathroom and talk to him. Where would I have been if I had stayed in there?

Definitely not on my porch having this conversation.
Before I know what I was really doing, or could stop myself, I leaned up and placed a small kiss on his lips. And before Andrew could fully register what I just did, I was back down. The original couple feet of space between us.
I forced myself not to blush as I watched Andrew's surprised face.
Had I really just done that? I thought desperately. A grin tugged playfully at that corners of his mouth as he surveyed me curiously.
I was seconds from turning and chucking myself back inside with embarrassment when he finally broke the silence.

"What was that for?" He asked, his tone light.
"I just thought we were having one of those moments."
"Why would you think that?" He asked, his brow arched.
I bit back the grin that threatened to come out and shrugged. I was about to open my mouth and attempt to say something witty, but my cell phone rang. I answered carefully thinking maybe it was the Principal calling again. But I was relieved to hear the familiar voice of my mother asking me to pick her up from the hospital.
"The school?" Andrew inquired when I hung up.
I shook my head. "My mom. She needs me to pick her up from the hospital."
"I'll take you if you want." He offered.
"Okay." I opened the front door and stepped in. "Can you grab that bag in the kitchen and the one out here and load them up. I want to trash them somewhere else. And I just need to grab my coat."

Andrew went into the kitchen while I bolted upstairs to grab my coat.
I held the door open for him as he went through with the heavy trash bag, grabbing the other on his way down the stairs.
I locked the door and zipped up my jacket, heading to the truck.
"Hey look." Andrew said as he placed the bags in the back of his truck. He stepped back and pointed around. "It's snowing."
I too looked. He was right. Large white flakes lazily drifted to the ground.
"What is the day?" I asked, smiling into the snow.
Andrew fished out his phone and checked it closely. "Thursday." He announced. "A week, or so, exactly."
I couldn't contain my grin as I looked at him. "Told you so." I joked and climbed in the truck.

As I watched the snow fall and fly past while we drove, I realized something.
Even though my mother was in a car accident for drinking and driving and was hurt badly, my future at Jackson was uncertain, and Riley was still Riley. Things were looking promising.

My mom was now headed down the path to a sober life. Riley and I had managed to spend a whole night in a room without fighting (he ended up staying with me till the next morning, but left because he had to find his car - which he eventually did find in a cow pasture on the opposite side of town). And I had a couple of amazing friends who would be there for me, to support and help me. I felt at ease, excited, and for the first time in the longest time... Happy.
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Thanks for reading. Hope you've enjoyed reading this, though it has taken a while to get to this point. Again, thanks for reading. :)