Sequel: For Better or Worse
Status: Complete. Thank you for reading. :)

For the Best

Never Want to Leave Your Side

I was taken to the hospital down the road, where the doctor popped my shoulder back into place, and stitched my arm up before putting it in a sling. I had lost a lot of blood, and nearly lost consciousness a few times because of that. Matt wouldn’t let me go under, because I would almost surely sink into a coma, and he was worried as hell. Even after I had gotten two pints of blood, and was back to myself, he and Benji were still shaken up. I had been given tons of pain relievers, but I hardly felt anything with Matt by my side. He refused to leave me and go back to the hospital with me in the condition I was in. Which, really, in my eyes, wasn’t really that much of a condition. But I wasn’t complaining, Matt seemed to make all of my pain fade away.

“Are you feeling better?” Matt asked as I leaned into his side, the warmth of his body and the pain medication running through my system was nearly putting me to sleep. I was still in the ER thanks to a few complications at the front desk. We had already been here nearly six hours. It was getting late.

“I’m fine, just a little sleepy.” I mumbled, and he rubbed my arm.

“Go on to sleep, I can assure you we’ll be here for another couple of hours if Benj keeps arguing with the doctors about calling your parents.” Matt said and I sighed. Benji had been arguing with the nurses and doctors up front while I had been here about calling my parents. I told him to not let them, so he was fighting for me. I didn’t want my parents to come and see what had happened. The last time I was hurt by Shannon badly like this, my mom and dad told me that if it happened one more time they wouldn’t let me go back. Though, at this time, I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to go back. This had happened one too many times now. Each time it seemed I barely got away with my life, and this time, with all of the blood loss, that was true. I was actually sad to say I was becoming scared of her. Paranoid about her. She had escaped that hospital once when she really lost it, and the first place she went was my house. That was strike one with my parents because she nearly sliced my throat open, and she couldn’t stop herself. It was all my parents could do was try and hold her off while the cops sped down the road. She had nearly escaped many times, but they had upped security on her hallway. She could get lose again. And this time she could do much worse than just try and kill me. She could succeed. “Matt, help me get out of here.” I said and he looked down at me.

“Now? They’re going to let you go soon.” He said and I shook my head.

“No, I can’t wait until Benji loses and my parents get here. I need to get out of here now.” I said, and he took a deep breathe, and eyed me once more before nodding.

“Alright, do you have a plan?” He asked and I nodded, and jumped down off of the stretcher, but wobbled slightly, nearly falling, but Matt kept me upright. “You okay?” He asked, standing up as well, and I sighed.

“I’m fine.” I walked over to the door and opened it up, sticking my head out and looking down the hall at the double doors at the end. Past those doors, I could hear Benji yelling like a madman, begging them not to call my parents from the other side of the waiting room. “Okay,” I turned back to Matt. “They’re tied up with Benji, so we should be able to just sneak out.” I said and Matt nodded. “Once we get outside we’ll call Benji and tell him we’re out, and he can meet us at the car.” I said and Matt nodded. I opened the door and Matt walked out, looking both ways before motioning for me to come out. We walked at a normal pace down the hallway, and since I really didn’t have the strength to push open the large wooden double doors, Matt opened them, and didn’t even glance at the waiting room before we walked out of the ER and into the cold chilly air. I searched my jean pockets until I found Benji’s number, and I dialed it as Matt and I walked towards his pickup truck.

“Hello?” He asked unsurely.

“Benji, Matt and I are outside at the truck, don’t say another word to them, just get out here.” I said as we got to his Ford.

“O-okay.” He still sounded unsure. “I’ll be right there.”

“Thanks. Bye.” I said, and he said a quick goodbye and we both hung up. I leaned back against the truck next to Matt, and he wrapped his arm around me.

“Tired?” He questioned and I nodded with a yawn I couldn’t hold back any longer. The air was cool, which only made me sink into his side even more, searching for warmth. My phone rang, and I dug it out of my pocket. Benji’s name was on the screen.

“Benji?” I asked, still not leaving Matt’s side.

“Uh, they’ve called your parents. Have Matt drive you back home, I’ll stay here and wait for them.” I sighed at his words, feeling that my world was about to crash down.

“Alright. Thanks for trying.” I mumbled.

“No problem, kiddo. Now hurry up and get out of here, they should be pulling up any minute. I’ll see you when I get home. Bye.”

“Bye.” I hung up, and looked up at Matt. “My parents are on their way, and Benji’s going to stay here and talk to them, can you drive me home?”

“Sure.” He smiled lightly, and I followed him around Benji’s pick up to where Matt’s car was parked on the other side. I got in the passenger’s side and he got in the driver’s side, and we pulled out and were on the highway without another word.

“You know, I hate telling you this, but you’re going to have to face your parents sooner or later.” Matt said finally, looking over at me and I nodded.

“I know just…they’re not going to let me see you, or Shannon anymore.” I admitted and he nodded.

“I know, and I hate that, and trust me, I wish you could just never speak to them again, but…” He shrugged. “They’re your parents.” I knew what he was saying. I couldn’t continue to shy away from them.

“I was going to see them and talk to them today…” I trailed off, looking down at my arm in the sling.

“Today was a shitty day.” Matt said and I nodded, silently agreeing with him. We drove in complete silence for a few minutes before my eyes began getting heavy. I couldn’t stay awake any longer, and soon I fell asleep.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
I was slightly brought back into consciousness when I was laid down on my bed, and covered up. I opened my eyes slightly to see Matt walking away.

“Hey,” I stated, not finding the energy to sit up. He turned around.

“Need anything before I leave?” He asked, taking a few steps back over to me.

“Stay with me tonight?” I asked, not exactly wanting to stay in this creepy ass house alone. “Until Benji gets back? Please?” Matt hesitated a second before he sighed. He walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down, kicking his shoes off before he got under the covers with me. He wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me lightly on the lips and smiled.

“Night Say.” He said, his voice quiet.

“Night.” I muttered, resting my head against his chest, and before I knew it, the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat put lulled me to sleep.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
^*Benji’s POV*^
I sighed as I finally got up the stairs of the porch and to the front door. It was pitch black out because the light on the power pole blew a few nights ago. I found the door knob and opened the door, stepping into the dark house. Saylee’s parents had been a nightmare. Screaming, yelling, threatening to call the police on me. They were wonderful parents, but much too protective. Truthfully, they were both out of their goddamn minds, if you ask me. I slipped my shoes off at the door and tossed my jacket onto the couch before turning and staggering up the stairs. I reached the top of the staircase, and before going to my room at the end, I peeked into Saylee’s room to check on her and make sure she had made it back. She had made it back. And apparently so had Matt. They were lying together, his arms wrapped securely around her waist and his face in the crook of her neck, quiet smiles on each of their faces. I must’ve missed his car in the pitch blackness outside. Thank god they both still had their clothes on or I’d be in there with that spatula faster than he could get out of bed. In a way, I still wanted to do that, but in another sense, I was glad she had him. He was a very nice young man, and despite all of the…flaws…he was better than some idiotic punk with fifty million piercings, and tattoos scrawled along his face with pink hair. As long as he doesn’t get something drawn on his face, or starts piercing other places that I shouldn’t know about, then he’s a suitable guy in my book. Truly though, as long as he treated my Saylee right, he could look like Mike Tyson for all I care. Luckily, he doesn’t. I gently walked over and grabbed the quilt that had fallen down to the end of the bed, and brought it back over them. I leaned down and kissed Say’s cheek before standing back up straight and looking at Matt.

“You get one fucking tattoo on your face and I’ll burn it off with an iron.”

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
^*Saylee’s POV*^
“Mornin’.” Matt muttered as I rolled over in his arms.

“You stayed.” I said with a light smile.

“I fell asleep.”

“That explains a lot.” I said, and snuggled back into his arms, not wanting to be awake just yet.

“Saylee, get down here, I made breakfast!” I snapped fully awake at Benji’s voice as it boomed from downstairs, and so did Matt.

“Oh god, if he knows you spent the night here he’ll flip out.” I said, sitting up, and Matt took a deep breath as he sat up as well.

“You go down and get him distracted, and I’ll sneak out the front door.” He said and I nodded.

“Give me two minutes.” I said, and got out of bed. I walked out the door and down the steps, through the living room and into the kitchen.

“Well well well, look who decided to crawl out of bed!” Benji greeted with a smile. I sat down at the table across from him and sighed, looking down at yet another unintelligible breakfast.

“So, what do I get to throw up this morning?” I asked him, and he began on his rant about each food. He cooks fish every meal, and cornbread. I nodded and grimaced, trying not to run to the toilet as I could have sworn the fish sticks were staring back at me. At few minutes had passed, when suddenly-

“Good morning Matthew.” Benji said suddenly in the middle of his description of the food, and I squeezed my eyes closed, knowing Matt was caught.

“Morning-” Matt stopped his greeting quickly as he realized who had said it. “Shit.” I heard him mutter under his breath.

“Don’t worry, I already know. I came to check in on Saylee last night and found you.” Benji said, picking around at his food. “Come sit down.” He said, and Matt slowly made his way over to the table, sitting down beside me.

“Benji, it was my idea. You know how this house scares the hell out of me. He was going to l-”

“It’s okay.” The smile returned to Benji’s face as he cut me off. “It’s okay, as long as you’re happy, and you,” He pointed at Matt. “Don’t lay a single finger on her unless she allows it.” He said sternly and Matt nodded.

“I would never.” He said and Benji returned to his food.

“Get a fucking tattoo on your face and I’ll burn it off with an iron.” Benji muttered something under his breath, but neither of us caught it very clearly.

“What?” Matt asked, not quite catching that.

“What?” Benji asked back, dumbfounded.

“You said something.” I said and Benji shook his head.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s nearly seven. I better get to work.” Matt stood up, and kissed me on the cheek. “I may not get here right after work, because I was thinking about going to the tattoo shop across town and getting like a tribal tattoo of some kind down the side of my face-”

“WHAT?” Benji suddenly exploded and I was lost as Matt restrained his smile. “GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY NIECE AND OUT OF MY HOUSE!”

“I was kidding!” Matt stood back from Benji as Benji stood up, fists clenched. “Sorry! I was kidding!” Matt held his hands up, not being able to keep the smile from his face. Benji calmed down a little, taking a deep breath.

“Boy I swear, you get one fucking tattoo on your face and I’ll burn it off, I’m tellin’ ya.” He growled, and Matt nodded.

“I won’t.” Matt smiled, then turned to me. “I’ll see you later.” He smiled and pecked me gently on the lips. Before he turned and walked away, he stopped and turned back to me. “Are you going to see Shannon today?” He asked and I shrugged.

“I don’t know.” I admitted, my voice growing quiet.

“Are you going to talk to your parents today?” He asked and I nodded hesitantly. I didn’t want to, but I had to.

“Yea, but I want you to come with me.” I said and he nodded and kissed me once more.

“I’ll be here right after I get off work.” I nodded at his words, and he stood up straight and walked away.

“Bye!” I called back to him, and the door shut a few seconds later. I looked at Benji like he had lost it. “What is wrong with you?” I asked him, and he sighed.

“Idiots.”
♠ ♠ ♠
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