These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me

I seriously love my brother and friends. Frank brought me my Batman movies (I have all of them), Ali brought me books, and Haley convinced her grandma (who loves me for some strange reason) to let her stay longer since I was in the hospital.

Anyways, I was watching The Dark Knight. Tom was going to stop by later to see me. He and Meckie have been seeing me everyday since I’ve been in here and Max decided to be a dick. He hasn’t been by. Makes me sad, but then I remember that he accused me of cheating on him.

It was the part of the movie with the pencil trick when aforementioned person walked to my room. He knocked on my door frame and asked, “Can I come in?”

I rolled my eyes. “Warum? So könnst du mich beschuldigen, Ihnen wieder untreu zu sein?” I asked.

“You know, it would be great if you spoke English. I can’t understand German,” Max said just as Tom walked up to my room.

“Maybe I can help?” Tom asked Max.

Max looked to see Tom. “Sure. I don’t think she’s going to speak English around me anytime soon,” he said.

“She asked, “Why? So you can accuse me of be unfaithful to you again?” I take it you really pissed her off,” Tom said.

“I wasn’t going to do that,” Max told me.

I glared at Max. “Dann warum ist du hier? Ich dachte, dass du mit mir nicht sprichst wollten? Arschloch,” I said.

“She wants to know why you’re here then since you told her you didn’t want to talk to her. And she called you an asshole as well,” Tom said.

“I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have assumed what I did. I should have let you explain what that bastard did to you. Not go off on you like I did,” Max replied.

“Wer erzählst du?!” I asked.

“She basically asked who told you?” Tom said.

“No one. I was talking with Ali and she said nothing. She made me figure it out on my own. Chelsea, I’m an idiot,” Max said.

“Du hast über etwas recht,” I said.

“You’re right about something,” Tom translated.

Max sighed. “I fucked up. Really bad. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. Please forgive me,” he said.

“Ich kann nicht, Max,” I said before looking away.

I heard someone walk over to me and sit on the bed. I sneaked a peek to see that it was Max. “Was wollst du, Max?” I asked, my anger with him slowly thinning.

“I know you’re pissed at me. I would be as well if I were you. And I accept that I screwed up big time. I was just hoping we could go back to being friends. Unless I screwed up bad enough to where you want nothing to do with me,” he said.

I sat up and said, “Max, you did fuck up. But I can’t see myself not hanging out with you. We can still be friends. And you have the right to kick Ronnie’s ass. Along with Frank, Ali, Tom, and Haley.”

He smiled and I looked at him closely. His eyes looked slightly puffy and red. Not high red like Ronnie, but like he’d been crying. I ran my thumb under his eyes and said, “There. Much better.”

He rolled his eyes and said, “Well, I’m going to go get some Mickey D’s. Do you want me to get you anything?”

I nodded. “Cheeseburger and fries please?” I asked.

He nodded and looked over at Tom. “You want anything Dreads?” he asked.

Tom shook his head. “No thanks, Max. I already ate,” he said.

Max nodded and kissed me on the forehead in a brotherly way before leaving the room. Tom walked over and sat exactly where Max sat. “Hey Tom,” I said.

“Hallo. How do you feel?” he asked.

“Better. Bored. Hungry. Bored some more,” I replied, “Oooh! Joker!”

I saw The Joker on TV and Tom laughed. “Wow Chelsea. You never cease to amaze me,” he said.

“Good,” I said as I watched my lover (aka: The Joker) on TV, “He’s my lover, you know.”

“Who?” Tom asked.

“The Joker. Sorry hun, but you have no chance against him,” I said.

He rolled his eyes. “Sure. Whatever you say Liebling,” he said.

“I know, because I’m right,” I said as Ali walked into the room with Leila.

“Chessy!” Leila said.

“Why hello Leila,” I said, “Hey Ali.”

“Hey Chelzers. Leila wanted to see you and I wanted to see how you were doing,” Ali said.

“Well, let the munchkin come over and see me,” I said, “And I’m doing okay. Max and I are talking. We’re staying friends and I’m staying single for a while.”

Ali set Leila on the ground and Leila little-kid ran over to my bed. Tom hoisted her up onto the bed and not on my bad leg. It still hurts, but not as bad anymore. Actually, it’s the only thing that does hurt now. Leila hugged me as Ali walked over to us. “Well, I guess this isn’t the time to mention my idea?” Ali asked.

“What idea?” I asked.

Ali looked from me to Tom and back to me. “Ali,” I said, “Now isn’t the time.”

“Okay. Just making sure. Where’s Bill at?” Ali asked.

I looked at Tom. “Tomi, where’s Meckie?” I asked.

“How many times do I have to tell you to not call me Meckie?” Meckie asked from the doorway.

I looked to see that his hair wasn’t in its usual spiked up look. “I like calling you Meckie. Deal with it,” I said.

Meckie rolled his unmade-up eyes and walked into the room. He saw Leila and said, “Hey Leila.”

“Hi Billa,” she said.

I smiled when I heard my phone ring.

I’m holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground. And I hear what you say, but I just can’t make a sound…

I grabbed my phone and answered it. “Ello,” I said.

“Hey Chelsea. How are you feeling?” Frank asked.

“Good. Tired. Hungry. Max’s bringing me some food,” I replied.

“Ah. Cool. I take it you two made up?”

“Yeah bro. I’m staying single for a while though.”

“Good girl,” he said when he asked, “Hey sis?”

“Yeah bro?” I asked.

“Do you know if Haley’s taken?”

"Yeah Frank. She’s single. Why?”

“Well, I, um, was thinking about asking her out.”

“Aw! You should. I think she likes you,” I said.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yeah. Go for it.”

“I think I will. I’m gonna go. Later sis.”

“Later Frankie. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I hung up and Ali asked, “What did Frank want?”

“Nothing,” I replied as Max walked in with food, “Food!”

Max laughed and handed me the bag. Mmmm. Fast food. Yummy. “Thank you Maxi,” I said.

“No problem. You were probably getting sick of hospital food,” he said.

“You have no idea. I want out!” I said pouting.

“Mommy, when can Chessy be out?” Leila asked.

“When she’s all better,” Ali replied.

“I am better!” I said, “The only thing that hurts is my leg. But it’s broken, so it obviously hurts.”

Ali nodded and left the room, coming back later with my doc JD. “Hey doc. Can I leave? The only thing that really hurts is my broken leg,” I said.

“Sure. You just have to sign some release papers and you’re free to go. Do you want crutches or a wheelchair?” JD asked.

“Wheelchair!” Ali and I replied at the same time.

JD laughed. “Actually, it would probably be better to have crutches. My room is on the second floor,” I said.

JD nodded and said, “Well, I’ll get your papers ready to sign. You just get as dressed as you can and I’ll be back.”

He left the room and I asked, “How in the hell can I get pants on with the giant cast on my leg?”

“Oh! Ali has idea!” Ali said before digging through the duffel bag she brought for me a couple days ago. She looked through it before exclaiming, “Ah-ha!”

She faced me holding up my sleeveless sun dress that the colors remind me of the hippy skirts they sell at Nirvana. I sighed. “Fine. I’m going into the bathroom to change,” I said standing up. JD walked back in as soon as I was out of my bed and handed me crutches. I sighed the papers real fast and grabbed the dress from Ali. I started towards the bathroom and said, “No peeping!”

Laugher and a “Verdammt es,” from a joking Tom as I walked the best I could into the bathroom.