Just Keep Your Head Above

"Oh my baby!" I heard my mother squeal when I turned into the kitchen, eyes still barely open from the fact I had just woken up. I was shocked when she threw her arms around me into a maternal squeeze making me feel like I was five years old again. I smiled awkwardly and pulled down the loose dark grey tank top I had over my yellow and white striped boxer shorts and hoped I looked presentable after I saw both my brothers and John sitting at the counter eating pancakes. "Charlie told us," She smiled before kissing my forehead.

"So I heard you dreamed about me last night," John wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before taking a sip of orange juice not averting eye contact. I rolled my eyes and laughed stealing a piece of bacon from the plate on the island before popping into my mouth. Before I could even come back with anything my brother had already smacked him in the arm playfully, causing John to whine and everyone else laugh. I looked out the kitchen window and saw my dad's car was gone as my mother gave Charlie a lecture.

"What day is it?" I asked looking to my mother, my father only worked weekdays, occasionally having Fridays off. I looked up at her bright brown eyes as she handed me a plate overflowing with breakfast foods. "Thanks," I smiled.

"No worries sweetie, it's Tuesday why?" She asked putting the pans into the kitchen and running water. My jaw dropped. How could she not wonder why I was concerned at the fact it was a weekday and I was still home.

"Don't I have to go to school?" I asked slightly shocked. I wondered why this hadn't come up earlier. I mean obviously as a teenager school wasn't the first thing on my mind and with my injury it wasn't on my parents' either, but since I had been cleared I didn't understand why I wasn't being forced to go to high school.

"Why would you want to go to school?" Chase asked with a disgusted look on his face, cheeks filled with pancakes and most likely other breakfast foods. His eyebrows were furrowed as he looked for reinforcing looks which John gave him.

"Chase," My mom said with a disciplining tone and smirking. "Sweetie, your father and I took into consideration the fact that you probably wouldn't remember a lot of things and you were in a coma for almost a month, we withdrew you from Corona," She said with a tentative voice, not sure whether I would be mad or excited.

"So I don't have to go to school anymore?" I asked tilting my head wondering how I would get my GED or my diploma without it. She nodded and Chase groaned as she started hustling him towards the car. "Where am I gonna get a high school diploma?" I asked as she was grabbing her keys to get Chase on his way to school.

"Prima Vera Online High School," She smiled before kissing my cheek, then running over to kiss Charlie and John on the cheeks too. "I'll explain more when I get home tonight sweetie, I love y'all. Charlie watch out for your sister! Y'all be good!" My mother yelled incredibly rushed before she slammed the front door and got into her car. I smiled over at Charlie.

"I don't have to go to school anymore more," I sang tauntingly.

"Uh, because your brain is fucked up," He retorted sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and put a piece of pancake in my mouth. "Besides Cory, now you have to stay home all day and it'll be torture for you because you have mad ADD," He said spookily in a strange voice as he passed me to put his dishes away.

"I'll stay home with you Cory," John slid over to the chair next to me with a perverse smile on his lips. His eyebrows wiggling wildly and all I could do was laugh and shake my head, Charlie joining me. "What? Why is this funny?" John pretended to be angry.

"Nothing," I laughed before shaking my head condescendingly, "Kids these days." Charlie laughed before seeing John losing interest in the conversation and return to his food and stealing mine. I saw my phone vibrating on the granite counter tops and smiled upon seeing "Gary <3" pop up on my phone screen. I opened the text message and read, Morning beautiful, when do you want to hang out? my lips turned up involuntarily and Charlie and John were quick to notice.

"Oh who you textin' Cory?" John called out in a high-pitched mocking voice. I rolled my eyes and put my phone face down on to the counter again.

"Yeah, Cory who're you texting?!" Charlie joined in, using the same pitch and I laughed. I blushed lightly before taking my phone and simply shaking my head at the lack of maturity shown. I texted back Morning, whenever works for you :) and climbed up the stairs to go get ready. "Oh Garrett, how I love you so!" He yelled out after me dramatically.

"Fuck off Charles!" I yelled back just as loud before a roar of laughs erupted. I closed the door to my room and looked at my closet. All of the sudden it seemed like I didn't have the right thing to wear or anything for that matter. I sat down on my bed before exhaling sharply. I plopped my body down on the bed and took a deep breath before I heard the doorbell ring.

"CORY! GARRETT IS HERE!" Charlie yelled obnoxiously loud, I'm sure that even the neighbors heard. I cursed under my breath and scrambled for something to wear tearing off my pajamas and finally finding a pair of black denim shorts on the floor and a crescent moon oversized shirt folded on my dressed. I slid on my cream colored vans, dirty for being worn for so long and then put an anchor necklace on that had caught my eye. Finally I stood before a mirror and shook my hair out into is long waves and realized it was so much darker than the last time I had seen myself. "CORY!" Charlie yelled again.

"I'm coming!" I screamed back before throwing on some light makeup until I was content and then ran down the stairs. When I walked into the kitchen again I saw three boys next to Garrett, John and Charlie. I tilted my head, visually showing my confusion.

"I told y'all she'd get ready faster if she knew you were here. Come on Squirt we're going to the Kirches," Charlie laughed wrapping an arm around me as the other boys laughed lightly, but cautiously. I stepped on his foot, "Gah! Bitch!" He hissed hopping behind me as more laughter erupted.

"I told y'all that Charlie is a little wuss. Come on Squirt," I mimicked following everyone into a dirty, graffitied van. We all piled in, squishing uncomfortably and before the door slid shut and we took off. I saw Charlie giving me the stink eye and made the shape of a heart with my hands. He simply shook his head and I shrugged.

"Hey," Garrett finally spoke to me over the random conversations being held amongst random people. I turned around and saw him grinning at me. "How's your morning going?" He asked with a light in his eye.

"Hi," I blushed, getting hypnotized by the azure blue of his eyes. I smiled before responding, "It's going alright. I'm not really sure where we're going though," I looked around staring for a clue as to where I was, it all felt familiar but I couldn't place it.

"It's a surprise," He gleamed brightly before leaning forward to kiss my cheek, which turned a bright pink color and a smile creased my lips. I didn't even care that he didn't answer my question, my heart racing was enough for now.