Status: Active
The Whole Sky Fell
Waiting
Kennedy felt anxious as the bus drove down the highway. They were only twenty minutes from Tempe, but he was eager to get back to his apartment. And, admittedly, Abby. All the guys were gathering the last of their belongings from the bunks that had been makeshift homes for the past month and a half when Garrett's phone rang.
"Hey, mom!" He said cheerfully, "We're almost to Te-"
He was cut off and a look of concern passed over his face. Kennedy pushed a final shirt into his duffel bag and zipped it up, not taking his eyes from Garrett.
"Is she okay, though? What happened?" Garrett tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.
"I'll be over there as soon as we're back," He promised, "I love you, too."
Garrett hung up his phone and looked at Kennedy, concern still shading his features, "It's Abby. I guess something happened to her after work. Something about some guy hurting her or something. I don't know, my mom was half hysterical."
Kennedy's heart sped up, "But she's okay?"
Garrett nodded, seeming somewhat shocked, "She's at the ER now. Don't think she's really physically hurt."
"Can I head over there with you?" Kennedy asked before he could stop himself.
"Yeah, of course," Garrett told him before turning back to his bunk and quickly shoving more into his bag.
***
Garrett's Honda gained speed as they pulled away from the company lot they'd rented the bus from. The two young men sat silently as the car weaved through traffic, making their way closer to the exit for the hospital. Kennedy nervously drummed his hand on his thigh and he could see Garrett chewing on his lip.
"I'm sure she's fine," Garrett mumbled, seemingly more to himself than to Kennedy.
The boy in the passenger seat didn't answer, instead staring out the window at the landscape blurring by. They reached the hospital before either of them could form another sentence to break the thick silence. The two of them followed the signs to the urgent care section of the hospital after Garrett parked the car.
"Oh, Garrett!" Abby and Garrett's mom gushed as they walked into the waiting room.
She was in tears as she grabbed Garrett into a hug, holding tightly.
"What happened?" Garrett asked, doing his best to pull away.
His mother finally let go and looked over at Kennedy, "Something after work. She was leaving the restaurant and someone named Shane something or other came up to her and just attacked her."
"Attacked?" Garrett's eyes grew wide and he looked at Kennedy, whose face was mirroring his own.
"Well, not attacked," She waved away the word, "She's not really hurt. Just bruises and a cut on her lip. But he threatened her and hit her. No idea why he did it. The police are in there with her now. Oh, Kennedy, do you know who he is? She's been staying at your apartment, after all."
Kennedy shook his head, unable to form a sentence. But he did know who Shane was: Hayley's boyfriend. Someone half a foot and twice as wide as Abby. Someone who'd hurt her in ways he couldn't indulge her mother with just yet.
Abby's father emerged from the emergency room, looking surprised but relieved to see Garrett and Kennedy, "She'll be glad you two are here."
His wife scuttled up to him, "Oh, honey, how is she? What are they saying?"
He shrugged, "They're just asking her questions. They wanted to talk to her privately. She was being a little bit difficult."
"I've told that girl her stubborn attitude doesn't help anyone," She sighed, shaking her head.
"They'll come get us when they're done," He said, making his way to a chair and settling in, picking up a magazine.
Garrett's mom rolled her eyes, but sat down in the chair next to her husband, talking into his ear.
"You can go home if you want, man," Garrett turned to Kennedy.
"It's alright," Kennedy looked up at him, "I'd rather wait and see how she is."
"Your call," Garrett shrugged and sat down in a chair across from his parents, pulling out his cell phone.
Kennedy took a breath and looked at the doors that Abby's father had emerged from. He wanted nothing more than to go back to be with Abby. Instead, he sat down next to Garrett and looked down at his hands. He could do nothing but wait.
"Hey, mom!" He said cheerfully, "We're almost to Te-"
He was cut off and a look of concern passed over his face. Kennedy pushed a final shirt into his duffel bag and zipped it up, not taking his eyes from Garrett.
"Is she okay, though? What happened?" Garrett tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.
"I'll be over there as soon as we're back," He promised, "I love you, too."
Garrett hung up his phone and looked at Kennedy, concern still shading his features, "It's Abby. I guess something happened to her after work. Something about some guy hurting her or something. I don't know, my mom was half hysterical."
Kennedy's heart sped up, "But she's okay?"
Garrett nodded, seeming somewhat shocked, "She's at the ER now. Don't think she's really physically hurt."
"Can I head over there with you?" Kennedy asked before he could stop himself.
"Yeah, of course," Garrett told him before turning back to his bunk and quickly shoving more into his bag.
***
Garrett's Honda gained speed as they pulled away from the company lot they'd rented the bus from. The two young men sat silently as the car weaved through traffic, making their way closer to the exit for the hospital. Kennedy nervously drummed his hand on his thigh and he could see Garrett chewing on his lip.
"I'm sure she's fine," Garrett mumbled, seemingly more to himself than to Kennedy.
The boy in the passenger seat didn't answer, instead staring out the window at the landscape blurring by. They reached the hospital before either of them could form another sentence to break the thick silence. The two of them followed the signs to the urgent care section of the hospital after Garrett parked the car.
"Oh, Garrett!" Abby and Garrett's mom gushed as they walked into the waiting room.
She was in tears as she grabbed Garrett into a hug, holding tightly.
"What happened?" Garrett asked, doing his best to pull away.
His mother finally let go and looked over at Kennedy, "Something after work. She was leaving the restaurant and someone named Shane something or other came up to her and just attacked her."
"Attacked?" Garrett's eyes grew wide and he looked at Kennedy, whose face was mirroring his own.
"Well, not attacked," She waved away the word, "She's not really hurt. Just bruises and a cut on her lip. But he threatened her and hit her. No idea why he did it. The police are in there with her now. Oh, Kennedy, do you know who he is? She's been staying at your apartment, after all."
Kennedy shook his head, unable to form a sentence. But he did know who Shane was: Hayley's boyfriend. Someone half a foot and twice as wide as Abby. Someone who'd hurt her in ways he couldn't indulge her mother with just yet.
Abby's father emerged from the emergency room, looking surprised but relieved to see Garrett and Kennedy, "She'll be glad you two are here."
His wife scuttled up to him, "Oh, honey, how is she? What are they saying?"
He shrugged, "They're just asking her questions. They wanted to talk to her privately. She was being a little bit difficult."
"I've told that girl her stubborn attitude doesn't help anyone," She sighed, shaking her head.
"They'll come get us when they're done," He said, making his way to a chair and settling in, picking up a magazine.
Garrett's mom rolled her eyes, but sat down in the chair next to her husband, talking into his ear.
"You can go home if you want, man," Garrett turned to Kennedy.
"It's alright," Kennedy looked up at him, "I'd rather wait and see how she is."
"Your call," Garrett shrugged and sat down in a chair across from his parents, pulling out his cell phone.
Kennedy took a breath and looked at the doors that Abby's father had emerged from. He wanted nothing more than to go back to be with Abby. Instead, he sat down next to Garrett and looked down at his hands. He could do nothing but wait.
♠ ♠ ♠
yep.