Rainbows and Cupcakes vs. Gunshots and Pills

Peter's POV+

I was walking with Patrick and Ellie home... with Ellie's hand in mine. Patrick almost gave it away that I kinda liked Ellie myself. I will admit though, I've hated her for a good nine years, She always seemed like a brat who knew too much or didn't think at all. After her dad and mom were divorced in 8th grade, she seemed to sober up a bit. I think that's when it hit me she wasn't so bad. I just never let her understand that I thought differently... til today I guess. I played "the asshole friend" since I could be closer to her that way. Plus get away with tackling her and tickling her to death. I used to throw snowballs at her during the winter to get her attention.

"Peter."

I think I even let Marley get loose once just so he'd go lick her face. I tried to get her attention in the smallest of ways.

"Peter..."

To think I thought she was an asshole and a brat when she was this amazing girl with a vivid and thoughtful mind...

"PETER I NEED MY HAND SO I NEED YOU TO LET GO OF IT AND BESIDES YOUR SQUEEZING IT TOO HARD!!!! LET GO AND STOP THINKING SO HARD!" Ellie screamed at me.

I absent-mindedly let go of her hand as she was struggling for me to let go. She went right into the street. Good thing it wasn't busy. Though I saw a car coming right at her. I ran out and pushed her from the middle and just barely was thrown into the air myself. The car caught my arm though and I heard a snap and I cried out in pain. The driver stopped and got out of the car, apologizing her heart out. Patrick called the paramedics and tried not to swear perfusively in the process. I scrambled over to where Ellie was. Her head looked a little bruised. I must've pushed her too hard since she was unconcious. I bent closer to her and checked to see if she was still breathing. When I heard her exhale and I did so too with relief.

The paramedics rushed Ellie and I to the emergency room. Patrick stayed behind with the woman who almost killed us, to give statements to the police. So there we were. Ellie was in one bed and I was sitting on the one to her right. A doctor was fixing and wrapping my arm as another checked up on Ells head. Our mothers ran into the hospital freaking out.

"Peter!" my mother cried out, "Thank the lord you're alive! I almost had a heart attack."

"You would've been right next to me then Mom." I smiled.

"Watch it," she glared with her all knowing motherly stare.

After my arm was casted, Mom walked off to find out when I had to come back in to get it checked out again. I sat down next to El's mom and waited for Ellie to wake up.

"The doctor said El would be fine soon," she whispered.

"This is my fault," I sighed.

"What?" she laughed, "If you didn't push her out of the way then she'd be dead Pete."

"But it was my fault she was there in the first place. I let go of her hand and she stumbled into the street. Neither of us would be here if I wasn't spacing out in my own thoughts."

I just spilled my guts to her mom and now I feel like I shouldn't have. She only smiled at me. It was one of those small smiles that say it all: I know you love my daughter.

"Don't tell her." I said wide-eyed.

"I'll warn you first Peter," she started, "You both have been friends ever since you were toddlers. It'll take her time to realize and also get used to the idea of not thinking of you as the Pete whose been her childhood friend. It will take a while."

"Right... I know," I sulked.

Mom came up to us and patted my shoulder, "We need to go back home Pete."

"I'll call when Ellie wakes up and you can come over to check up on her," El's mom said warmly.

"Thank you and we'll stop by right away Andrea," my mom hugged her.

We walked out of the hospital and towards the car parked in the lot. I slummed my busted arm over my chest and leaned my head on the window. I moaned from the afternoon's hassle. To make it better, everyone knows my feelings about Ellie except for Ellie herself. How was I going to make it obvious without losing her and my dignity?