Before It Rains

My mind came back around before my body did. I tried to open my eyes, but the light was so bright, I quickly snapped them shut again.

“Back up, boys, she’ll come around soon.”

“Oh, I’m sooo sorry, man.”

“You’ve said that at least twenty times. And she’s fine.”

“Ya think?”

At the sound of Austin’s voice, I forced my eyes open and sat up. Unfortunetly for me, I sat up too fast, leaving me dizzy. Three guys came hurrying over to me. The first two I recognized as my brother and Austin, but the other was unfamiliar to me. I cocked my head at them.

“Um, hi? So, what the hell am I doing in here?”

Austin laughed. “Are you okay?”

“Sure, but why am I here?”

“This jerk kicked a soccer ball your way and you passed out,” Austin explained, punching the other guy in the stomach. “So we carried you over here.”

“Oh,” I said, vaguely remembering someone warning me of the ball flying towards me. I looked back to the guys. “And who are you again?”

Austin looked at me, wide-eyed, but Ruben just cracked up. I smiled and “Austin”.

Ruben was still laughing. “She got you, man!” Austin frowned in return.

“That was sooo not...” At that moment, a woman who I assumed to be the nurse came shuffling over, shooing the boys back.

“Are you okay, dear? How’s your head?”

“Fine, I think...” Right then there was a sharp pain by my temples, and I winced. Maybe I spoke too soon. The nurse went over to the big cabinet near the head of the cot I was sitting on and pulled out a bottle of Advil. She handed me two of the little pills and filled a cup with water at the sink.

“Take these now, and go back to your dorm and rest for the rest of tonight. And come back if you’re not feeling better in the morning.” She looked uncertainly at me. “Or you could stay here and I could...”

“I’m fine, really.” I tried to make a heroic effort to hop of the cot, but my legs were still wobbly and I stumbled as I got up. Ruben grabbed one of my arms and the nurse grabbed the other.

“If you’re going back, maybe one of these young men should carry you there. I don’t want you walking over.” Before I could protest, Austin scooped me up bride-groom style and started heading towards the door.

“Put me down!” I commanded. Not that I really minded Austin carrying me, but I didn’t want to seem weak and needy, although it was already much too apparent that I was.

“No such luck, Sam. Nurse’s orders,” he said as he continued across the lawn, Ruben and the stranger trailing behind him. The students hanging around the campus after classes stared. Trying to ignore them, I turned to the guy I didn’t know. Well, I tried to turn, but it was a little hard considering my awkward position.

“So, you the heck are you?” I asked him. “Considering we haven’t been properly introduced. I do remember one of these two calling you ‘jerk’ before, but somehow I don’t think your parents would have been cruel enough to name you that...” He raised his eyebrows at me.

“I’m Jeremy,” he said.

“He’s the one who kicked you in the head with the ball,” Austin told me. Jeremy looked at me apoligetically.

“Sorry, I wasn’t aiming for you.”

I smiled. “If you were, I’d be pretty pissed. Trying to hit random passers-by with soccer balls generally does not make a good impression.” Austin and Ruben both starting laughing. Austin was now just as used to me and my odd sense of sarcasm as my brother, but Jeremy couldn’t quite figure me out. Apoligizing again and waving good-bye, we let him off on the floor before ours.

When we got off on our floor, Will, Shane, Kai, and Max were all sitting against the wall right in front of the elevator doors. They jumped up the minute we got out.

“Oh. My. God. Sam! Are you okay?” Will asked.

“Who are you again?” I asked him. Hey, I didn’t want Austin to feel singled out. Will’s face got the same exact expression.

Austin started laughing this time. “Not just me, then?” he asked. I shook my head.

Will realized I was faking. “That wasn’t funny, Sam!” he whined.

“Really, ‘cause I thought it was hilarious!” I told him. “And Austin can you at least bring me over to my room? If you insist on carrying me around?”

Ruben went down the hall and unlocked the door for us. Austin lowered me onto my bed. Unsurprisingly, all the guys followed us in.

So much for resting tonight.