The Story Left Untold

From the time I blacked out completely and escaped reality, I dreamt that I was in some kind of bubble. It was just this confined spaced that held me inside safely. It made me think that nothing could ever reach me since I was in the clouds just floating. Little did I know that the bubble would soon pop and a throbbing pain would strike me on my right knee. My eyes shot open as I screamed in pain.

Seconds later, I remember everything that happened the night before. I got into a fight with some bitches and kicked both their lanky asses to the ground. But apparently, I didn’t come out scar-less and the worst thing is that my knees have been fragile ever since they got stuck in between car seats.

About a few years ago, when I was in 7th grade, I got into a car accident. We were headed back home from school and my mom was intoxicated for some reason. She kept slurring her words and telling me that my father was some criminal who took away our money and spent it on long vacations in islands with girls or whatever. I really didn’t listen to anything she said because she and my father fought like that all the time but they always ended up on good terms after their argument so I was never really worried. But when I got in the car that day, it all seemed different. She seemed overly tired and her movements were totally sloppy. That’s a really big negative on my part since the car wasn’t an automatic one. It had a shift stick and she wasn’t moving it as much.

At that point, when I analyzed everything, my adrenaline rushed through me. I was scared shitless and I wanted to walk all the way home. But part of me was scared for my mother as well. Who knows what’ll happen if I told her what I had in mind, she’d probably blow up like the most active volcano in the world. So all I did was stare at the windshield, praying to God that nothing bad would happen to us. Sadly, my prayers weren’t answered and my mother fell asleep on the wheel and her foot stepped on the pedal leading us straight through a red light where we experienced a head-on collision with an SUV. I was in the back and when we crashed into the car, only the right side -- the side where I was -- got totally destroyed. Everything scrunched up and I didn’t know what happened next. I thought I died already and was on my way to heaven but when I woke up, I was in a bright room and pain shot through all the parts of my body. They burst like fireworks here and there and it was endless. Morphine only numbed me for a considerable amount of time but after that, everything felt like hell. I wanted it all to end but my mother kept telling me to hold on. She even promised never to drink again and so far, she hasn’t bought a single bottle of alcohol. Or at least I didn’t see any in the house.

I thought I got paralyzed after a while since I was placed on a wheel chair but after a few rehabilitation sessions -- or actually like 4 months of weird exercises -- I got to place my feet back on the ground. From then on, I started to get all paranoid about my knees hurting, my ankles aching and my tendons contracting. The pain that I felt back then wasn’t like the one I felt now though. This one was more like a small sprain. It was still a big pain in the ass though.

I blinked rapidly as I felt something cold land on my leg. I got up and saw that there was an ice pack wrapped around it. The cold didn’t hurt. I was actually pretty used to it but I needed to alternate the pack with a hot one ten minutes from now.

I tried to slip my feet outside my bunk but once I shifted in my bed and the wood underneath creaked, I heard footsteps rushing from the back heading to where I was currently situated.

The curtains opened wide and revealed a worried Alex Gaskarth. He looked kind of sick. His lips were paler than usual and his nose was bright red. I smiled sheepishly at him as I tried to move out of the bunk. I really needed to go the bathroom to use the toilet and asking him for help seems really...weird.

“Hey, don’t strain yourself,” he advised. His voice sounded hoarse which got me scared for him. I mean he was the singer of the band and to have him sick was bad news not only for the members but to their whole fan base.

“You shouldn’t either,” I said with a smile as I slid out of the bunk.

I tried to get up and stand on my sprained knee but it buckled up beneath me and sent me falling to the ground. Luckily, Alex was there to catch me. Our faces grew closer. We were only inches apart before he regained composure and helped me stand.

"Thanks," I said feeling sort of awkward from the little slip up. "One question though: How am I going to survive in the comfort room?"

"Do you really have to go?" He looked sorta scared and that was kinda cute. I mean he seemed so innocent but I sorta knew better than that.

"Um, yea. But I think I can handle things," I said, trying to pry his hands off me so I could get a head start for the door. It took me quite a while to realize that he was the only one on the bus and that it was still evening.

"Well, I guess it's kinda sensible since you've been asleep like the whole day," he said, staring at me with those watchful eyes. "Tell you what, why don't I go fix up a buffet for you while you go do your business. Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

His concern made me smile. I was trying to hold back a laugh but it was coming out either way. He started to blush in embarrassment which made me sorta guilty.

"If you need me for anything -- anything at all -- please scream or shout because I don't want you hurting yourself anymore. It's too much already," he told me staring at my knee.

I nodded at him as he helped me towards the bathroom door. Once I was inside, I locked the door and limped my way over to the toilet bowl. This situation could've had some brightness to it but my left leg was in pain as well. So both legs weren't as useful as I thought they'd be. I mean maybe the left one had some strength but it just wasn't enough. I just hope that this will all be a short phase and it'll all end soon.

Once I washed my hands, I eagerly made my way out of the bathroom and hopped on one leg to the living room which was beside the kitchen. It wasn't easy but I managed to do it. I couldn't reach the island in the kitchen since I knew my knees couldn't handle it. Alex wasn't happy about it though. I knew he saw the pain written all over my face but he didn't say anything about it. He was just considerate like that.

"Where are the others anyway?" I asked him, watching as he prepared a sandwich with peanut butter on it.

"They went out clubbing. I had to stay in because I'm getting sorta sick," he mentioned as he brought the plate in front of me.

"Is this safe to eat?" I asked, staring intently at that emotion on his face. I knew he'd be insulted but I knew we'd laugh it off.

"If you're not eating it, then I am," he said, sitting next to me on the couch.

He turned the TV on and we sat there just staring at the motion pictures onscreen. I munched on my sandwich, missing the times where my mother used to pack a sandwich like this for me.

As we watched this chic-flick, I felt him staring at me instead of the scenes in front of us. I felt kind of awkward but all I wanted to do was look to my left and connect our lips. I don't know why I even thought of that but that's what I really wanted to do and I didn't doubt that decision at all. It seemed sort of straightforward but don't you think this was sorta meant to be? Wasn't he giving me the signs? I mean that thing in the coffee shop and the gestures he's showing right now all seems too friendly -- even for him. But then again, maybe I am reading into this too much.

There was only one way to find out though. If I turned to the left and our lips would meet, it means that we were really meant to be together, but if I turn to the left and things start to get awkward then that's how I know that we're really not meant for each other and that my heart belongs to someone else.

I made a three-second headcount and slowly began to twist my neck to the left. His eyes were on me the whole time. They were slowly melting into mine and I couldn't believe that I was actually here and that this was actually happening. It all seemed too cliche but as soon as our lips came closer to each other -- just a few centimeters before it meets -- the bus door slammed and the moment turned into dust.