Metus

I sat, elbows on my knees and forehead in my hands. Tom fidgetted next to me, I knew he was anxious to see Lor. I sighed, folding my arms across my lap.

"Why don't you go see her, Tom?"

He didn't answer; I knew he was jst as worried about me. He shouldn't have, Lor was the one who had to be taken to the hospital, I was just the messanger. Just the carrier, nothing more. Still, I couldn't bring myself to go in and check on her. I knew everything was fine, and the damage was mostly superficial, but even the sight of her fine repulsed me. I was even more discusted at myself, actually, because I couldn't suck it up and go see the person I thought I.... perhaps.... loved.

I growled, a low, quiet sound from the back of my throat. Tom looked down to me and I could see the pained expression he wore from the corner of my eye.

"Just go Tom. Go tell her I'm sorry for not coming in."

Tom bit his lip, almost stood, but decided against it at the last minute and sat diwn, bouncing his leg slitghly. I sighed angrily and looked up to him, motioning for him to go inside. He heasitated befor leaving. He looked back at me to make sure I was OK before heading into the room.

I tried to take deep breaths, sitting upright and leanig my head against the wall. The chill of it felt good against my bare neck. My eyelids slowly closed. I felt someone sit down next to me and my brow furrowed angrily. I didn't open my eye to see if they noticed.

"She asked for you, you know." I recognised the voice as Angie's. "You should go see her."

I shrugged, still not opening my eyes.

You know," she started. "If you don't let it out--"

"It leads to emotional constipation, I know. I've been told before."

'You clearly haven't listened to it."

I shrugged again. Since Angie didn't say anything else (she still didn't leave though. >.<) I let my mind wander. I remembered sending an e-mail, notifying Lor that we'd be coming down for a day or two, and not being able to stand it and trying to call her. I remember her not answering. I remembered when we pulled up at her house (with the aid of MapQuest) and we saw her door open. I called her name, and she looked to me, but so did the other person. The other person slammed the door and I could see the hopelessness of Lor's expression before the nob clicked and the door was fully closed. I remembered my mind shutting off, my only task to get Lor out of the house.

My thoughts were interrupted by someone in front of me clearing her throat. I opened my eyes to see a teary-eyed mother of Lor.

"We want you all to stay with us for tonight. Lor's being kept overnight for..." she hickupped. "Suicide watch."

I shot up, towering over the 5'2 and 1/2" height of Lor's mom. "Why is she on suicide watch?"

The woman blinked at me for a moment before answering. "The doctor said it's just a precaution. She said that Lor might be a little impulsive after the incident."

I nodded, but I wanted to go smack the doctor. How could someone even think that? Lor wouldn't do that, not now, not ever. There wasn't the slightest chance.

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We were all (except for Lor's dad. He stayed to keep her company) gathered in Lor's front room, sitting on the couches. Lor's mom was tring to fit us in her house. Lexi would sleep in her mom's room, Angie and Ashley would take the bunk bed in Lor and Lexi's room Lor's brother Mike was sleeping in his own room, and the rest of us were free to choose either the front room or the game room (both of which had two couches since Mike had game nights here) to sleep in. The thing was, Tom and I were too tall to fit on the couches, but we didn't want to tell Lor's mom.

"Hey Georg, come over here." Lexi said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I'm nervous, therefore I need to do something with my hands and Tom had dreadlocks, Bill's hair is full of hairspray, and Gustav's is too short to mess with."

Georg looked confused but walked over to the distraught thirteen year old. Lexi immediately started playing with Georg's hair, separating it into tiny sections and braiding it, barking order at him to sit up straighter or turn his head left and whatnot. This produced a gigle from every one, Georg included, and I couldn't help smiling.