My Mistake, So Predictable

“Jack, cooperate.” I grunt, bending under his weight as we stumble clumsily towards my car. It’s amazing how freaking heavy he is, you wouldn’t expect it from his stick thin body but he is; especially when he purposely makes himself a dead weight by dragging his damn feet.

“I don’t wanna go to the dentist.” He pouts, stopping to point out a particularly fluffy looking cloud. I push him gently in the ribs and he continues on like he had never stopped, “They poke my teeth and it hurts and they don’t give me a lollipop after.” Jack rambles excitedly on about the time he stole a sticker from the dentist’s office and I refrain from punching him on the side of his head. Under any other circumstance I probably would, but knowing that he is already damaged I hold myself back; but just barely.

“Jack!” I hiss, my eyes widening when I feel a sharp tug at the base of my neck. Jack giggles and pulls my hair again, tangling it through his long fingers. “I like your hair.” He says dreamily, patting it gently back into place.

“Thank you.” I answer slowly as if speaking to a child. Finally we make it to the car and I pull the door open, leaning his body against the side. “Now, how would you like to sit in the front seat?”

He gasps, his dark eyes going wide when he remembers where he thinks we are headed, “Noooo. I don’t want to go to the dentist.” Jack points an accusing finger at my chest and stomps his foot adamantly, “I told you that!”

I roll my eyes and push him as gently as I can into the seat, strapping his seat belt across his chest just as he tries to bolt out of the car. “We’re not going to the dentist.” I reassure him slowly, double checking that he is strapped in tight enough. The last thing I need is to explain to his best friend why I let his clinically injured friend escape from my car. “We’re uh going to a water park.” I bluffed.

“Water Park?” He guesses with an excited shriek, bouncing in his seat and causing me to freak out and push him back down by his shoulders. “Jack you can’t do that! You’re injured!”

He crosses his arms and stares out the window, pouting, “Are we still going to the park?”

I roll my eyes at him before crossing quickly behind the car and sliding into the driver’s seat. “Course we are, sweetie.”

Jack grins with childish delight and shifts in his seat, causing the shirt pressed against his head to move, “DAMNIT!” He yells, breathing hard and sitting as still as he can. “That hurts! What did you do to me?”

I stare wide-eyed at him and choose not to answer. My eyes return to the road and I back out of the parking space nearly taking out a bunch of stubborn teenagers as I speed away. I drive as quickly as I can, every now and then checking to make sure he hadn’t closed his eyes. I know little about concussions but you’re not supposed to go to sleep are you? Or is that for the flu? Damnit, I’m not good with sickness!

“Weee!” Jack shrieks beside me, dragging me out of my haze. I glance quickly at him and then back at the road. “What are you doing?” I ask bewildered, my fingers starting up a nervous tapping on the steering wheel.

“You just ran a red light!” He whoops, tossing his hands in the air then gleefully reaching over and ruffling my hair with the hand that wasn’t holding the shirt to his still bleeding head.

I swat his hand away, “You mean it turned red when I went through it, right?” I ask hopefully, glancing back before I switch lanes. The cranky lady behind me lays on her horn, but I flip her off through the rear view mirror.

“Nope.” He pops the p and chuckles loudly, “It was redder then a red flamingo.”

I roll my eyes, “Jack, they don’t exist.”

Black hair flops everywhere as he adamantly shakes his head, “No, they’re real. Me and Alex watch the animal planet.”

I giggle and turn into the hospital, luckily snagging a parking spot relatively close to the front. I slam on the breaks, throw the car in park, and rush out my door to the other side where Jack is hanging out the window, his torso down the side of the car and singing loudly to that annoying day of the week song from that Rebecca girl. Friday?

Suddenly Jack breaks into the chorus and a few people walking by stop and stare at the boy hanging casually out of my car, his hair matted from blood, and shrieking a catchy pop tune at the top of his lungs.

“What you've never done this before?" The few people watching shake their heads and I point in the other direction. "Move along then kind sirs.” I shush the wide eyed bystanders away and as carefully as I can, push Jack back into the car so I can help him out. Luckily he steps out himself before putting all of his body weight on me.

“This isn’t the water park.” He says puzzled glancing around the large building, but he lets me lead him through the glass doors anyway. “We’re just making a stop.” I tell him, waving down a nurse. She hurries over and takes one look at him before rushing away for a wheel chair. Seconds pass and she returns with a male nurse at her side, who gets Jack into the seat and pushes him away.

I collapse into a seat in the waiting room; my head buries itself in my hands and I take a deep breath. ‘He’s going to be okay.’ I tell myself and scan the room for Alex. He should have been here by now. It’s making me nervous but as if he knew I was thinking about him, he appears breathless in the doorway. Alex takes one look at me and bounds over, taking me into his arms.

“Is he okay?” He asks softly, rubbing my back as I try hard not to cry. All of the sudden, emotions wash over me and I fight to not break down in front of him.

“I honestly don’t know.” I tell him roughly rubbing my eyes, “He was really crazy.”

Alex chuckles and pulls back from me, “Did he seem unnaturally insane when he went to see you?” I pause and let myself think back over the last hour; his crazy eyes, extra enthusiasm, loud laughter. I nod in reply.

“He had seven energy drinks.” Alex explains laughing loudly at my confusion. “Oh and a bag of pixie sticks.” He pauses for a second and his forehead scrunches up in thought “And I’m pretty sure he hasn’t slept in 72 hours.”

“So this is perfectly normal?” I wonder, eyes wide at the ruffled haired boy sitting perfectly relaxed in next of me. He was acting like we were watching a movie rather than at the hospital waiting to see if his best friend was going to be mentally damaged.

“Did he say something about bunnies?” I think back to when we were still in the guitar store and then nod, “Then yes, completely normal. The head hitting must have sent his sugar rush and lack of sleep into overdrive.” He chuckles and runs his hand through his hair, “he’s gonna be fine.”

I lean back against the chair with a soft sigh. Thank goodness. That skinny, long haired boy had scared the daylights out of me. I had just met the kids but I felt drawn to them. They’re interesting and funny, plus they know how to have a good time. I don’t know what I would have done if Jack had been seriously hurt.

As if Alex can read the thoughts torturing my brain, he shifts closer and runs his hand down my back, beginning to rub small shapes in my skin. “It’s okay.” He whispers, gently pulling me until I’m curled up into his side.

“I feel horrible,” I mumble into his chest, fisting his hoodie, “I-I should have caught him or something.” Alex pulls back from me suddenly and I fall forward, catching myself just before I crash into his chest.

“Don’t think that, Hailey.” He says sternly, placing his warm hands on my shoulders and staring hard into my eyes. “I love Jack but he’s fucking crazy. It was most definitely not your fault.”Alex chuckles quietly and leans back into me, wrapping his arms firmly around me. His lips ghost the top of my head for a moment and then he pulls away again. “I don’t want you to be upset; he’ll be out of here in no time.”

I make a non committed noise and curl up tighter into him, letting his steady breathing calm me until I can feel my heart return to a normal beat pattern. I’m not good with people being hurt and my past is to blame for that.