The Great Awakening

Mia watched Kevin as he slept, all the while doodling in her notebook. Most of the pages consisted of day-to-day logs on her best friend’s improvement, while the rest of the pages were full of ballpoint pen masterpieces. At an earlier point in time, Mia had dreams of going to art school and doing more than sitting behind a camera lens. Ever since she was young, her parents encouraged her to be creative. Her older sister, Lis, bought Mia her first sketchpad when she was only seven. Within a few days it was covered in drawings and quickly became a passion.

Photography had never crossed her mind until one day during the offseason when Kevin mentioned he needed new promotional photos taken. He’d been complaining that he hadn’t been able to find anyone he liked or that knew the right angles. If they weren’t familiar with the world of snowboarding, they wouldn’t be able to get the perfect picture. Mia decided then that she’d take up photography as a hobby, but at the age of eighteen and no clear direction and life plan, she decided to attend the Hallmark Institute of Photography. It seemed simple and easy enough: she’d been done school and graduated in a year’s time and Massachusetts wasn’t that far from her hometown of Norwich, Vermont.

After she graduated, she rejoined Kevin’s side and watched in awe as he made his impression on the world of professional snowboarding. It didn’t necessarily surprise her; she, along with everyone else, had always known Kevin was meant to board. He had the talent and the ambition. All that was missing was the means. He’d picked up a ton of minor sponsorships by the time Mia left for school but when she returned, she was shocked to see Burton’s infamous logo plastered over all of his clothes and equipment.

However, as she sat patiently in Kevin’s hospital room, she couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he never stepped on a snowboard. Certainly he wouldn’t be laying in that bed; he was half-dead in the sense that his spirit had been damaged. Kevin, before the accident, was so full of life and energy. It was rare to catch him without a smile on his face and he was always up for anything, be it a spontaneous road trip across the country or a last-minute flight to a different continent, you could always count Kevin in. That’s what people loved about him, and the accident had all but taken it away.

With a groggy moan, Kevin’s eyes fluttered open and he yawned loudly. Mia dropped her pen in the crease of her notebook and rested her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward in the plastic chair. It was incredibly uncomfortable but she’d grown used to it after sitting in it for so long. Kevin turned to face her and smiled - the first real smile he’d let slip by since he arrived at the hospital back in December.

“Morning,” he croaked.

“It’s a little after two,” Mia replied with a light laugh.

“Is it? Time flies when you’re stuck in the hospital.” A grin broke out on Mia’s face. Kevin may have been down but he was certainly never out. “Did the nurse come by yet?”

“She was here about an hour ago. Do you need anything?” Mia got out of her chair and began tidying her things behind her. She was prepared to beckon to Kevin’s every wish as soon as he gave the word.

“No, Mia. I’m fine. Sit back down.”

“I’ve been sitting in that chair all day,” she admitted and rubbed her ass for added effect. “I can’t feel anything.” Kevin laughed and shook his head. “Are you sure you don’t want anything? A cup of water or something?”

“Mia, for God’s sake! I’m fine!”

Although she didn’t want to, Mia dropped the subject. She didn’t want to annoy Kevin. It would be pointless to spend her days in a hospital with someone who thought of you as nothing short of annoying and she didn’t want to make that impression on him. It was ridiculous to think such a thing because they’d been so close for so long but she still had moments when she was nervous around him.

Kevin’s phone vibrated against the table next to his bed. Mia got up to fetch it and struggled against smiling when she read the caller ID.

“Who is it?” Kevin asked, reaching for the phone that Mia was unknowingly holding on to quite tightly.

“What? Oh. It’s Mason.”

Kevin gave her a skeptical look. “So why are you smiling?”

“I’m not allowed to smile?”

Kevin shook his head and answered the phone. Mia didn’t listen to what he was saying just in case he let the secret of Mia’s spontaneous smile slip. She’d never gotten involved with any of Kevin’s friends. In fact, she’d never gotten involved with anyone at all. She’d dated around during high school and went on a few dates while she was in college but it never went beyond a second or third date. Out of habit she found herself comparing every guy she met to Kevin - what their similarities were, what their differences were, what Kevin did that this guy didn’t, what this guy did that Kevin didn’t, etc. She never thought of Kevin in that way but he was the epitome of the perfect guy.

Kevin seemed to have no flaws. He had manners, he was incredibly down to earth, he was polite and honest, charming, kindhearted, loyal - all of the qualities and characteristics that graced the “Perfect Guy” lists drawn up by millions of lonely twenty-somethings. Mia knew she was lucky to have such a great best friend and she didn’t want to settle for anything less than someone like Kevin without actually settling for Kevin.

Mia’s brother, Soren, had been convinced since Mia’s sixteenth birthday that she and Kevin were destined to grow up and get married. He’d be the proud uncle of tons of little Fulton-Pearce children and they’d live happily ever after. For a short while, Mia believed the same thing, until she realized that, to Kevin, she was his best friend. She knew he loved her more than anyone but it just wasn’t in the romantic type of way. Aside from that, she just wouldn’t feel comfortable being in a relationship with him. They were too close for that sort of relationship.

When Kevin hung up the phone, he turned to Mia with a stern look on his face. “So, I just talked to Mason.”

“And? What does that have to do with me?”

“He wants to take you out.”

Mia’s jaw dropped which, in turn, surprised Kevin. “Me? Why?”

“He says you need to get out of this hospital and, since he’s going to be in the city for the next few days, offered to be your chauffeur.”

“What did you tell him?” At this point, a small smile played upon Mia’s lips. She never thought someone like Mason would want to hang out with her and actually make the first move. Even further, have the nerve to ask Kevin’s permission.

Kevin sighed. “I told him it was a good idea. You’ve been stuck here forever.”

“You’re not happy about this are you?”

“You know how I feel about my friends getting involved with you.”

Mia took a seat on Kevin’s bed and intertwined their fingers. “I’m sure he’s just being nice, Kev. It’s not like he wants to date me, you know?”

“It’s not that,” he explained, “because I trust Mason. It’s just that... I don’t know. I’m a little jealous, I guess.”

Mia frowned. “You think I’d replace you?”

“No, no-”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Pearce,” a nurse interrupted with an annoyingly cheery voice. Kevin groaned quietly, earning a small laugh from Mia, and greeted her in return. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Do you think I could talk to her alone for a minute? It’s kind of important.” The nurse nodded and left the room without another word. “I don’t think you’d replace me, I’m just used to having you to myself.”

“That’s because I’ve never had any other friends,” Mia laughed quietly.

“If you want to hang out with Mase, it’s fine with me. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable if it went any further.”

“I know, Kev. That’d require him actually liking me though. Which would be weird considering I’ve only talked to him a handful of times.”

“It wouldn’t be weird, Mia. Any guy would be lucky to have you.”

Mia blushed. “And any girl would be lucky to have you.”

“You better get ready. Mase said he was on his way here and that was ten minutes ago.”

Mia smiled once more and left to lock herself in the small bathroom attached to Kevin’s room. As she began fussing with her hair, she realized it was the first time she was actually worrying about the way she looked before a date. It was no secret that Mia was very attractive; she didn’t need to try to make herself look nice, it just came naturally. However, with Mason, everything felt different.

A good different.