Taking Chances

May apologised profusely, blaming herself (but mostly Jaden) for my fractured arm. I was so glad she had forgiven me, but she was still adamant that Jaden was Satan's spawn. I decided to keep quiet this time, though. I wasn't going to get through to her, and I didn't want to botch my chances with her. I wanted to tell her that Jaden didn't mean to hurt Micah- it was plain obvious. He was a red-eyed bawling mess when I visited, and his reaction to Micah being comatose was enough to make a blind man convinced that he cared for Micah with every tiny cell in his battered body.

"Oh, I am so glad you're okay. I thought you had died! Damn Jaden! First he hurt Micah, and now he hurt you!" May whisper-yelled, as I wiped the tears from her eyes, which had started up again from the mention of Micah. Another little insignificant fact that I didn't utter to her was the fact that Jaden was in Micah's room alone. I think it would be best if she didn't know- who knows what crazy things she'd do.

"Micah... God, I am so scared," May murmured, as I pulled her to my chest, rubbing her arched back in soothing circles. "Last time... Last time he almost died, Declan. This time he's in a fucking coma! I don't know what to do any more!"

"Shh, May. It's okay. You've done everything you can," I said softly, pulling her head out of my chest and wiping her tears away from her eyes with my thumbs. I smiled gently, and she hiccuped. "Micah will be fine. He's strong, remember? And plus, he'll wake up when he's ready. It's all up to him, now."

"Yeah, I know," she said, sniffing. "But I still think I could have done something, anything to have prevented this."

"We all feel like that," I replied honestly, and she frowned.

"Not Jaden. He's probably laughing on his fucking sick-bed," she hissed, and I bit back a defensive comment. She was being too judging, and much, much to harsh. I loved her- too much to hurt her- but Jaden was also my friend. It was so fucking hard. Here was the girl I was deeply in love with, but she hates me best friend, who has honestly done nothing wrong. She's blaming everything on him, blaming for things he didn't do. I hated it. I hated the way the world was making me choose between the two of them. To choose May would mean to abandon Micah and Jaden's chances of reconciling, but to defend Jaden and the truth would blow up every chance I have with Maybelle.

I loved her, but I also loved Jaden, Micah as well.

Fuckity, fuck, I groaned mentally, and May suddenly brightened.

"Hey, it's your birthday in two weeks, right?" she asked, and I nodded, surprised. The whole Micah-comatose and Jaden issue completely popped out of my head as I grinned. May clapped her tiny hands together, bouncing up and down on the plastic hospital seats that had been propped up against the white corridor's wall.

"Yeah, what about it?" I asked, curious, but she only winked, giving me a sly smile.

"Now that is a secret. You'll have to wait and see!" she giggled, and I rolled my eyes, pouting. "Aw, not that look!"

"Pwease?" I begged, making my eyes tear up a little. I knew she could never resist the puppy face. She had a damn good one too, but nobody rivalled mine. "Pwease, May-May? I hate surprises."

"No," she said stubbornly, but there was conflict in her gorgeous eyes as she bit her lip.

"Oh, come on, May-May! I wanna know!" I said, making my voice waver a little, as she mentally slapped herself. I saw her resolve starting to crumble. One, tiny, little, microscopic push...

A thought then popped into my head, and my eyes flicked to her lips, caught in-between her teeth. I swallowed, my adams apple bobbing, and she seemed to notice, her lip popping form her teeth, pink and soft.

"Declan..." she said nervously, as my hand linked with her, my eyes forcing them from her mouth and to her eyes, that held eager anticipation and surprise. Her head moved closer to mine, and when I felt her lips press mine I felt a wave of bliss that travelled all the way down to my Converse clad toes.

All thoughts of interrogating her were swept away, but that was okay.

I'd get her to tell me later.

Micah

Everything was black, completely and utterly dark, as if someone had tied a blind fold over my eyes and shut me in a basement six feet under. I blinked, looking around, and saw a pinprick of light, so small that it looked like something my brain had conjured up. The dot of light grew, morphing into the shape of a person, a handsome, gorgeous person with silky hair and a cocky yet relaxed smile.

Jaden.

"Why are you here?" I whispered, backing away a little. His face fell and he reached forward, fingers stretched toward me. "G-Get away from me!"

"I am so sorry," he choked, and I tore my eyes off him, but too late to ignore the tears that fell from his god-like face. My fingers tingled and felt wet, but I ignored it, forcing my legs to walk, to walk away from him and into the invisible black space in front of me.

"Micah," he said again, his voice panicking. I quickly saw the empty blackness in front of me had morphed into a large bridge that hovered over a swirling black sea, fog and mist swirling above the crashing waves. My legs were willed by some force, my body climbing up onto the side railing, ready and poised to jump.

I wanted to jump. I wanted to jump and forget everything, to forget Jaden, to forget how he hurt me. Just to move on from the boy who has had my heart since the beginning.

"Micah, please wake up," Jaden said again, his voice cracking. The black sea seemed so inviting, and I felt myself moving to step over the edge. One tiny step and I could be free...

"Micah, I love you," Jaden whispered, his words resonating through me like a tornado.

And like that, the sea disappeared, as if someone had unplugged the bath, the bridge, Jaden, and my escape disappearing before me.

Why couldn't I leave yet? Why didn't anyone give me the one relief that could cure me?

Why couldn't I get over him?