I do not own this story, its written by S.E Hinton. I only own the character Max Bryant. This is a revised version of I Walk Alone, so please enjoy!
I do not own this story, its written by S.E Hinton. I only own the character Max Bryant. This is a revised version of I Walk Alone, so please enjoy!
My heart was racing as my feet ached while running on the treadmill. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest each step. Running 8 miles an hour for 20 minutes, was my new best. Ignoring the pain in my calves, I pushed through it. I glanced at the clock and noticed it was 5pm; time to head home to make dinner for grandma.
Lately she's been getting so weak. I hate leaving her alone, but she insists I go to the gym and do something productive since I dropped out of school to take care of her a year ago after grandpa died.
Grabbing a towel, I wiped the sticky sweat of my forehead trying to look like a little less of a mess. I threw the towel in the 'dirty towel' bin at the gym and rushed out the door.
Walking home quickly, I dodged a couple socs I used to go to school with. I once was friends with socs until my grandpa died and we got less money. Grandma refused to move out of the house, so we had to be much better with money and only use it for necessary things. So now, we were as broke as greasers. I never had anything against greasers, but my old friends did.
When I got home, I opened the door to not see my grandma reading on the couch like she always is at this time. Her glasses were sitting on her poetry book on the table next to the couch where they were before I left. I didn't smell the sweet aroma of my grandma's lilac perfume she puts on every afternoon. Something wasn't right.
Continuing through the house, I walked into the kitchen and didn't see the plate she leaves out on the table everyday after she eats her cookies. Now I was getting very nervous. Scared someone was in the house, I grabbed the bat that was sitting in the front closet and started walking down the hallway.
There was a very faint breathing I could hear and I held the bat so tight my knuckles started turning white. Listening for the sound, I walked into my grandparents room to see my grandma lying on the ground in the spot my grandpa had a seizure, with her eyes wide open, breathing heavily and clutching her chest.
I dropped the bat and ran down to her side. Feeling her very light pulse, my heart started thumping so loud I could hear it in my ears.
"Grandma? Grandma answer me!" I screamed shaking her getting scared I would lose her too. Frozen, she still didn't look at me.
Even though I was afraid to leave her alone, I had to call an ambulance. Sprinting into the living room ignoring the pain all over my body and my racing heart, I picked up the phone and slammed 911 into the phone.
"911. What's your emergency?" The operator on the end said.
"I need an ambulance to 7810 Courtney road now! My grandma is having a heartattack!" I rushed out trying to calm my shaking nerves.
The lady responded "We're on our way." Dropping the phone down, I ran back to my grandma and knelt down beside her limp body.
"I'm gonna get an aspirin while waiting for the ambulance okay?" I said choking back tears. I had to be strong for her. She barely nodded. Running into the bathroom, I tore the medicine cabinet apart finally finding the aspirin.
When I got back to my grandma I already had a pill in my hand and told her to swallow it as I put it in her mouth. After a little while she finally managed to get the pill to go down.
I could hear the ambulance coming so I lifted my grandma up and took long strides trying to get to the door fast. As I was a few feet away, the door was busted down by two men in uniform. I handed them my grandma's body, not wasting a second.
"I'm coming with," I announced to the men as they put my grandma on a gurnee.
A tall man with gel'd back hair answered me. "I'm sorry miss, but you'll have to meet us at the hospital. We need multiple people in the back to keep her heart going. She's reacting like it's been at least 20 minutes," He said making a pang go through my body. He could see the tears brimming in my eyes. "I'm so sorry," He said as he hopped in the back and closed the doors looking at me one last time.
Looking down the street, I saw two boys heading towards a car. It looked small, but it'll do. Running down the road I started screaming to the two boys to stop before they drove off. They both stopped in their tracks getting their attention.
"Please, I know you saw what just happened and I know you don't know me, but can you please drive me to the hospital. I'm begging you," I pleaded with the two young looking boys.
"Oh' course," One replied. He was heart-strikingly beautiful. His sparkling green eyes made his defined cheekbones stand out, giving him a look like I've never seen. His dark brown, greased back locks, indicated that he was a greaser, but my, was he gorgeous. He was wearing a DX station shirt with the name 'Sodapop' sewed onto it in cursive letters.
The boy next to him looked very familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint where from. He was extremely tall and had a dirty look on his face, but he was also rather attractive. His dark brown hair was also greased back, but unlike this other boys, there was no flyaway hairs. His dark brown eyes glared at me like I was going to hell or something. He was also wearing a DX station shirt with the name 'Steve sewed onto it with cursive letters.
That's when it hit me.
Oh shit. He was the guy from the other night. Oh fuck. Oh jesus lord christ. I nearly fucked this kid, and after, someone told me he has a girlfriend. By the glare he was giving me I knew he remembered me. I bet he never thought he would see me again. Oh god. Well I'm screwed.
"On second thought-," I started, but was interrupted by Steve.
"Just get in the fucking car," He snarled.
"Hey buddy, that's no way to talk to a lady," The boy speaking smiled over at me. "I'm Sodapop Curtis, but you can call me Soda. And this rascal here is my bud Steve Randle. Are you okay?" He asked with concern in his voice. Looking into his eyes, the hard façade I was trying to put on, was just stripped right off.
"Max Bryant. And I'll be better once I just get to my grandma. Can we please go?" I pleaded.
"Yeah," He said looking at his car. Although it was pretty beat up, I kinda liked it. It was a blue mustang; my favorite car. Peering inside, I noticed there were only two seats, but there were three of us.
"Umm Soda?" I asked.
"Hmm?" He answered.
"Where am I supposed to sit?" I asked awkwardly. I watched his reaction as if he didn't realize til now that his car was only fit for two. He looked at Steve with a pleading look in his eye. I looked at Steve's hard face as he shook his head.
"No no no! That's not happenin'," I said getting the hint that I would be sitting on Steve's lap. I looked at Soda and he was giving me an almost puppy dog looking face, making me sigh and finally agree.
"Just get in," I snapped at Steve.
With a victory smile, Sodapop got in and so did Steve. Sighing, I sat down on Steve as he glared at me. He slammed the door shut and Soda pulled away and put on the radio. It was in the middle of playing my grandma's favorite song. Let It Be by The Beatles. I couldn't hold the tears in anymore.
I felt a hand on my back as I put my head on Steve's shoulder and cried not caring that it was him. Tears dripped down my face and neck every once and a while landing on Steve.
When the lyrics "For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see", I hid my face deeper in Steve's neck, not giving two shits. Soda got the hint and turned the radio off.
If she doesn't make it, I don't know what I'll do. What will happen to me? I'll have no one now, except my cousin who used to be like my big brother, but god knows where he is.
Steve wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly as I put my arms around his neck, crying even harder. Calming down a bit, I readjusted myself. My lips were resting on Steve's cheek near his ear and I closed my eyes. Breathing hot breaths on Steve's neck trying to stop crying completely, I could feel his heart beating faster.
"We're here," Soda's voice broke through the silence. "Do you want us to go with ya?" He asked with concern.
"Would you really?" I asked while looking up at him and wiping away my tears. I was surprised he would ask me something like that, I mean he just met me.
Nodding his head, we all climbed out of mustang and headed into the hospital. We approached the desk where a lady was sitting who looked like she was in her mid-thirties.
"Umm my grandma was just brought in here a little while ago. Where is she?" I asked nervously.
"Oh yes," She said looking at her computer and typing in a couple things then finally answering. "She's in the ER," She responded very monotone.
I felt like my heart dropped to my stomach and that I was gonna vomit. This can't be happening. This isn't real.
I turned around and ran out the door and into the ER building that was just to my right. I could hear the two boys yelling at me, but I just ignored them. When I got to the building, I burst through the doors and sprinted to the desk, hearing Sodapop and Steve right behind me.
"My grandma was just brought here. How long til I can see her?" I asked completely out of breath.
The man also typed on the computer for a moment until he looked at me with sadness in his eyes. Oh please don't be dead. She's strong, she can't die.
"She went into cardiac arrest so they have to restart her heart. It could be a couple hours. You can wait in the waiting room if you'd like," He said. He actually had some sympathy in his voice rather than the other woman.
Turning around, I saw in the corner of the room about six or seven chairs set up against the wall with a table covered in magazines. I walked over to a chair and sat down, beginning to bawl my eyes out. I could feel someone sit next to me and soon a large hand was on my back, rubbing it. I eventually ended up in Soda's arms as he comforted me, while Steve sat there reading a magazine. What a sweetie.
"Umm are you Ms. Bryant?" I heard a voice say after about an hour of waiting. Springing up, I saw a doctor in front of me. Hoping and praying for good news, I nodded my head confirming his question. "You're grandmother's heart is stable, but we have her on some medications, so she'll be asleep for possibly a couple days," He explained.
A questionable look appeared on my face. "Why'd you drug her?" I asked confused.
"Just standard procedure," He answered.
"Is she gonna make it?" My sniffles could be heard by everyone in the room. And my heart was pounding so loud, I thought it was going to fall out of my chest.
"Well with her age and very frail body, it's quite possibly her life is coming to an end. In elders, its common to get a heart attack around the time they go," He said as if it were just information, not that it was an actual person's life at stake. "She's in room 176," He said walking away.
The doctors here really need to learn what sympathy is. Maybe they would be acting a little more empathetic if it was their family in that room fighting for their life.
The second he walked away, I went searching for her room. When I finally found it, I stared into the window seeing my grandma's limp body attached to multiple machines with tubes coming out of her nose connected to another machine. I felt an aching in my body as I started backing up, not believing my eyes.
Feeling my body hit something, I turned around frightened, but quickly cooled down to see it was only Sodapop. Tears once again began flooding my vision and pouring down my face as I wrapped my arms around his neck. In response, he put his arms around my waist and hugged me against his body, tightly. It was the most comfort anyone has ever given me.
"Everythin's goin' be all right," He reassured me as he soothingly spoke into my ear.
Nodding my head, I unraveled myself from him and walked over to the door leading into her room. Very slowly, I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open slightly.
I could feel my body freezing in time. I couldn't move; I was paralyzed. I couldn't bring myself to take a foot towards the old woman who has been with me through everything. She's the only thing I live for now, the only person I love. She holds my deepest and darkest secrets that I've never told another soul. And now I'm being told she might not live much longer.
Shock ran through my body and I could feel myself losing all color in my face. Feeling a little bump, I turned around to see Steve was the one who shoved me towards her, encouraging me to go in. I glared at him a bit, but behind it was a thanks.
Turning towards my grandma's body, I took a step forward and soon was sitting in a chair pulled up beside her bed. Slowly inching my hand over her bed sheets, it met hers and I held it tightly, as if it was the only thing between life and death.
Looking back towards the door, I could see the two boys looking in at me through the window, just watching. A small smile appeared on my lips as a thanks. Sodapop gave me a small smile back while Steve just nodded his head.
Gazing back at my grandma, all I could do now was hope and pray she pulls through this.
So? Watcha think?! You like the little twist that wasn't there before?! Give me feedback y'all!