Saving Grace

I bit my lip nervously as the argument between Ross and John started escalating. Their volume level was enough to wake Shane up and he stared at his older brothers in confusion.

A nurse glared at both of them but the two were oblivious.

"Marissa!? Really John? Why would you even look at her when you have a beautiful, much more intelligent girlfriend right here!?" Ross cried, no longer in his wheelchair. He looked to me and I felt blood rushing into my cheeks.

"It's not like that!" John cried in his defense. "Why does everyone think that I'm going to go running back to Marissa!?"

"Because she's a seductive, lying bitch that happens to have a good grip on persuading people! Everyone knows it!"

"Don't talk about her like that!"

Ross gave him a serious look. "This is fucking unbelievable! Marissa doesn't deserve you and you obviously don't deserve Amelia."

"And why's that?"

"You're still in love with that skank; everyone can see it and it seems to me that you're leading Amelia on. You're pretty fucking stupid if you let Amelia get away from you."

A nurse was approaching us with a serious and angered expression. I stepped between the two boys, putting my hand on their chests and pushing them away from one another, hoping to end this fight before they got us all removed from the grounds. "Guys! T-That's enough! Your mother is seriously ill and you're standing here a-arguing!? Do you want to get kicked out!? I'm sure your father would be s-so approving of you two if that happens!" I hissed. "Grow up a little!" I said, glancing at their identically colored eyes before shaking my head and walking away.

I found myself outside, watching the rain fall from the rare, charcoal-colored sky. I sat on the sidewalk and rested my folded arms on my lap.

I was silently fuming at their immaturity and in all honesty, a cigarette sounded pleasant at the moment.

Of all places to start arguing, it had to be in a hospital? And way to drag my name into it on Ross's part- even if it did feel good being defended. The boy had complimented me in their argument; I had to admit his words made me smile on the inside.

I pushed aside those thoughts, allowing my anger to be free despite the soothing sound of rain splashing against the pavement and already formed puddles.

Where they really that self-consumed to fight when Bree was in failing health?

I ran my fingers through my hair as the rain spilled over my toes.

I saw a figure sit beside me out of my peripheral vision and, thinking it was John, ignored the presence. It wasn't until he said, "Bad day, huh?" that I looked to him.

A guy around my age was sitting beside me, his arms looped around his legs as he studied me curiously. I had to admit that he was mildly attractive with blond hair and hazel eyes. I smiled feebly at him. "You could say so."

He nodded. "I'm Oliver," he said, holding out his hand.

I placed mine within his and shook his hand. "Amelia-"

"She's pregnant dick-head," John's voice said soberly, his eyes exposing just how furious he was. I frowned and felt my hands clench.

"We were just talking," Oliver replied, his eyes defensive as he stood.

John rolled his green orbs. I could have popped him a good one in the mouth as Oliver scoffed at him and stalked away. "We were just talking!" I cried when it was just John and I outside.

"He was going to start hitting on you-"

"And you know that, h-how?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I'm a guy; I know when another guy is 'flirting'."

I scoffed at him as he plopped down beside me. In anger, I moved a short distance away from him and scowled at the traffic in a child-like way.

"Amelia-"

"Shut up, John. Don't talk to me right now. It's obviously going to be a while until we get to see Bree... I think I'll call Linnely to come take Shane, Ross and I back to your house." I knew that he had no intention of leaving until he found something out.

In my peripheral vision, I saw him nod. His jaw was squared in anger as he held his cell phone out to me.

I took it and called Linnely, who easily agreed to come get us without asking questions.

"Tell your brothers to come out here so we can leave," I said as I gave his phone back.

-----

Pat glanced nervously from the passenger seat as I squeezed between Ross and Shane, the three of us in a tense silence. "Did you guys get bad news?"

"No," Ross and I said, bitterness in our curt answer.

Linnely glanced worriedly in the rear-view mirror to us. "Would you care to tell us what happened?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Apparently Marissa showed up and Ross got into a fight with John about her," Shane said. "I was asleep during most of it so I'm not completely sure about that. Anyway, Amelia had to intervene and told the both of them to grow up. I'm assuming that she and John argued after that outside."

For being so spastic upon waking usually, he sure was observant this time.

I glared at the floor not wanting to talk about John and his PMS-ing at the moment.

Tears spilled down my cheeks for really no reason and I found them unable to be controlled. I swiped at them in frustration before Ross glanced at me. "Are you crying?" he asked, almost unbelieving.

"N-No," I said weakly, though everyone's eyes turned to me and it was a wasted effort to lie. "I'm n-not cr-rying!" I stuttered through my sobs.

Linnely shot me a look filled with sympathy from behind the steering wheel.

It was those damn hormones again, I swear! I didn't know why I was even crying so they had to be the reason for my tears.

Pat leaned from the passenger's seat and hesitantly rested his hand on my shoulder in a comforting matter though it did nothing in regard to my flowing tears.

As soon as Linnely pulled her car into the O'Callaghan's driveway, we piled out and I felt a light arm rest over my shoulders. "Guys, I'll take Amelia upstairs. I'll be back in a second," Linnely said before guiding me to John's room.

She studied the make-shift bed beside his as I flopped down on his bed. "Have you and John been arguing a lot lately?" she asked, glancing at his pillow and blankets on the floor.

I shook my head 'no' and almost immediately regretted it. She gave me a questioning look and I had to think of a lie fast. "We decided to wait for... that until marriage," I said between my sniffles.

She shot me a skeptical look before narrowing those aquamarine eyes at me. "You're lying to me, Amelia. I can sense it. You are most certainly not a virgin and John isn't either, I'm sure of that. What the hell is going on here?"

"Nothing, just d-drop it, Linnely. Please?"

"No way! What is going on between you and John?"

I sighed and looked to my hands before glancing back to her. "You have to swear on Pat's life not to say a word if I tell you..."

She walked toward the door and glanced down the hall before shutting us inside of John's room and turning back to me. "Okay."

"Swear it on Patrick's life!"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, okay! I swear not to tell anyone on Patrick's life! Now tell me!"

I pinched my eyes shut before telling her the scheme that Nick and John had concocted and I agreed to participate in.