Totally Not Average

The door of my hospital room opened and in walked a bunch of people. Trish and Jack, Rian and Kara, along with Sage and Zach. Jack was holding a bunch of balloons and a big teddy bear in his hands while Kara was holding a bunch of flowers. Each person had a card and some other type of present in their hand.

I smiled wide when I saw them, “Oh God, guys!” I laughed, “You didn’t have to do all this!”

“Oh, but we did.” Kara smiled at me and hugged me, “Are you feeling any better?”

I nodded, “Bunches better now that you guys are here!” I looked at Jack, “And with presents!”

“If it wasn’t for Trish, he would’ve bought the whole store.” Zach muttered.

I laughed, “Are you guys finally together?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“No.” Trish sniffed but winked at me. She had a plan, and I knew it.

Jack just focused on the teddy bear and said nothing. He was being shy, wow. How unlike Jack.

“Where’s Alex?” I asked, looking at their faces eagerly.

Everyone frowned and I could tell this was an unwelcome subject.

“He’ll—“ Kara broke off, clearly not comfortable.

“He’ll be in soon, he said so himself.” Rian told me, smiling.

Rian was always the quiet one, laughing at all the jokes but barely participating. He was cool because he was a true friend, and really nice too.

I nodded and gulped, “Okay.”

“I think—… I think I’m going to go.” Trish and Sage exchanged a look, “Let’s go Jack, Zach.” Trish said, pulling them out of the room.

“I’m starting to get hungry.” Rian rubbed his stomach and left the room with Kara after another goodbye.

I sighed, something was awfully wrong here, I could feel it. Alex wasn’t here, our friends didn’t want to talk about him; I knew that this wasn’t headed somewhere good.

From outside, I could hear some shouting, but I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying. It was two familiar voices though, and it sounded like Jack and Alex. My heart thumped faster at the thought of Alex just outside my door.

I hadn’t seen him in two days—I’ve been in the hospital two days—and it’s felt like an eternity. I never wanted to spend another day without him again. Alex was addictive; he made me feel alright with just a look, a smile, or a hug.

He was always there for me.

The door of my room burst open violently and Alex came through the door, looking as angry as he had ever looked.

“How could you, Mandy?!” He shouted, glaring at me with those dark brown eyes I love so much.

“What?” I asked, my voice small.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you have to keep this one important thing from me?!” He was furious, and I was terrified. “If you had told me, I would have been there for you!”

“I—I’m sorry.” I whispered.

“Sorry won’t fix this!” He yelled, slamming his fist down on my bed, near my feet.

“Look—Alex, what do you want me to say?!” I shouted, getting furious. I wasn’t going to sit here and get yelled at—no chance in hell.

“I wanted you to come to me, I thought you trusted me?” His eyes bored into mine, making it harder to breathe.

“You have your secrets too!” I exclaimed, “What about Matt?”

“You want to know about him?!” Alex came closer to me, “He was my older brother and he killed himself. Do you want to know why?”

I wanted shake my head no and just run away from this whole argument, but I asked for it.

“We had an argument about my stupid girlfriend!” he looked angry, but not just with me, but with himself. “She was the biggest back-stabbing slut ever, and he knew that, but I didn’t! And he killed himself because we fought about her!”

Looking into his eyes, I got a glimpse of the guilt he was holding on his shoulders and I almost flinched. He looked so tortured, so pained, that I wanted to reach out and comfort him. But I bit my lip and held myself together.

Alex took a deep breath and put his head in his hands. I wanted so much to wrap my arms around him and tell him those three words I had been dying to tell him ever since I woke up.

Ignoring all the tubes attached to my arm, I crawled towards Alex and put my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me with those eyes of his; the dark brown eyes that made me go crazy.

“I heard you, that day, you know.” I told him softly.

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me quizzically.

“I love you too.” I whispered and brought my lips slowly to his, wanting this kiss to last a lifetime.