Other Side of the World

“What?” Nathan said, nearly spitting out his water. Liam, Liam, which one of them was Liam? Wait, was he the person that kissed Haley at that party? He rested his back against the headboard, his phone pressed against his ear, held by his shoulder while he placed the cap on his mineral bottle.

“I tried calling her as you suggested, but she won’t answer my calls too,” Michael Dumont replied. “I couldn’t. So I called her aunt asking her if she was alright,” he continued. “She told me that her friend died. She and her other friend discovered his body or something of that sorts.”

“That isn’t possible,” Nathan said curtly.

“Well, nothing is impossible, Nathan.”

The both of them were silent for a moment as Nathan pondered if the statement was aimed at his situation too, and not just Haley’s. “Have you tried talking to her?” He demanded afterwards.

“No, she won’t go out of her room for the time being or answer any calls. I figured I’d just let her cool off for now. I’m sorry I can’t stay long, I have to be in the OR in 5 minutes.”

“That’s okay. Thanks, by the way.”

“Oh and Nathan, I’ve heard the news from a colleague of mine in that hospital. Congratulations.”

The line was cut off, forcing Nathan to sit in silence for half an hour pondering about many, many confusing things. ‘Congratulations’. Was his luck changing for the better? Not really, he didn’t really think the situation called for a celebration of some sort. And what about Haley? He couldn’t do anything. Not now, anyway. A nurse came in, eyed his phone and asked him not to use it within the hospital area. He ignored her voice.

He rubbed his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn’t know how to approach this. Ever since he was little, he spent his days in hospitals, getting pitying looks from his parents’ friends whenever he told them about his condition. And ever since little, he was used to it. He was used to all the negativity that he decide to wrap himself in. Even if he died right there and then, it wouldn’t be too surprising for him. He was expecting the worst every time. So the blow of a bad news wouldn’t affect him much.

Haley, on the other hand, grew up in a loving environment. She was taught to search for the positives in every outcome, her health was top notch, she was surrounded with many friends. But on one day, the tables turned and her luck changed. Everything was slipping away from her. He didn’t know how someone like her would react if he didn’t let her cool off completely.

And even if he did, how long must he wait for her cheery self to be back again?

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Haley sat on the floor for hours now, staring into space. Even though she enrolled in an Australian school now, she decided to still take her SATs. She most probably wanted to be back in US. Back home. Wherever the hell that was. But even so – she realized as she took a look at her reference book, bulky with sticky notes now – she didn’t know what she wanted anymore.

She closed her eyes, wondering if this was healthy – if not knowing anything anymore was normal. She wondered if she should just quit school and open up a business somewhere. Some of the wealthiest people in the world were entrepreneurs, after all. She was just too exhausted, going back and forth, being indecisive of where she wanted to be. She just didn’t know anymore. And that fact frustrated her for nights now.

She wondered if she should call her friends.

Her brand new cellphone was on the table top in front of her. It wasn’t functioning though. The little card was resting on top of the screen. That little card that used to be in Liam’s cold fingers.

Haley’s dad closed the door behind him and tossed his keys aside. It was the first time she had seen him in a while. She just arrived at his new home a day ago. And the first thing she asked was, “is that woman here?”

“I broke up with her,” her dad said, giving her a little tired smile. “I think, this whole new lifestyle that your mom and I are leading…it’s unfair to you. And between someone whom I was seeing for several months and my daughter, I’d choose my daughter.”

She cried.

“Hello,” her dad said, jolting her out of her trance. She nodded as a reply. “Want to take a wild guess who’s worried about you?”

Auntie? she thought initially.

“Nathan called today,” her dad continued. “Are you sure you don’t want to let him know you’re here? He’s…concerned, you know,” he said, rubbing the nape of his neck.

“No. Not yet.”

The last thing she wanted to do was visit a hospitalized boyfriend looking and acting like a zombie. Because that was what she was – a walking zombie. She sighed heavily. Maybe she would go that night, she thought. She just hope that he wouldn’t be too surprised to see her looking like a cloud of pessimistic, negative mess.