Epic Kisses
By: Liv-x-Lex4Ever
Chapter 7: Shell Shock
Amara sighed, waiting outside school for her mom. She'd called saying a family member had taken seriously ill and had said she had to come with her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mom pull up. She walked over, getting in the passenger seat. "What's so important?" she asked, shrugging off her backpack to the floor and buckling her seatbelt. "Who died?"
She bit her lip. "I think Michelle is in serious trouble. She called a few minutes ago. Her mother punched her and the line went dead while she was talking to me."
Her mouth dropped in shock. "Hit her? What on earth could've—? Oh, no! No, no, no!"
Her mother sighed. "That's my theory, too. I have her address. Let's go."
"Let's just hope we're not too late, Hey, did her mom ever used to be, you know, violent?"
Her mother shrugged. "Not generally, but she's pretty…oh what's the term?"
"Homophobic?"
"Basically."
Amara ran a hand through her short sandy-blonde locks. "But she—we didn't even consider it that! We-we don't even know what that was!" she sighed. "She was probably defending me."
Her mother sighed. "Well, apparently, her mother does."
"I just hope she's okay when we get there."
Michelle groaned, noticing her head hurt very badly. The air smelled sterile and she realized, unfortunately, that she was in a hospital bed. She wanted to open her eyes, but was afraid her mom was there.
She squinted, looking over surprised by who was there. "Ms. Tenoh?"
She set the newspaper beside her. "Well hi," she said, running a hand through her hair, "glad to see you're awake."
"Where's my mom?" she asked fearfully.
She sighed. "She's in jail, sweetie, but don't worry. Everything's settled and you'll live with us, okay?"
Michelle smiled, but then sighed. "She must've cracked my skull open. It really hurts!"
"She did give you a pretty good concussion, but the doctor says you'll be fine, minus the major headache for a few days."
She nodded. "Good. Where's Amara?"
The woman's expression darkened a bit. "She needed something constructive to keep her occupied, so she's packing up the things she thinks you'll need. She was very worried about you. Wouldn't stop pacing and checking the monitors."
"She's a great friend. So, I'll be going to school with her too I'm guessing?"
She nodded. "Yes, but the paperwork needs to come from your other school first. It should take about a week, I'm thinking, so you're head should be feeling quite a bit better by then."
"Good."
"Hey," Amara said from the doorway before walking in. "How are you feeling?"
She thought a minute. "Better than I was. How did you get here?"
Smiling, the racer set her helmet on the bed below her friend's feet. "Wanna take a wild guess?"
Michelle laughed. "Nah."
Amara pulled a chair up beside the bed. "I saw some of your paintings. You're very talented."
Michelle blushed a bit. "Thank you, but they're not finished yet. Besides, I'm really more talented at playing the piano and violin."
"Really?" Ms. Tenoh asked. "You'll have to play something for us when you feel up to it."
"Yeah, I'd love to hear it," Amara agreed.
She smiled. "Okay!"
"When can she leave with us, Mom?" Amara asked, anxious to get as far away from there as possible. She'd never been fond of hospitals.
"I'm not sure, but I'll go let the doctor know she's awake." She left the room.
"How are you?" Michelle asked.
She shrugged. "I'm…okay I guess."
"Worried about little me?"
"A bit," she admitted. "Okay, a lot, but part of me doesn't understand why. It's just…it/s weird."
Michelle laid her hand on hers. "That happens between friends, doesn't it? You worry if something happens?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
Two days later, Michelle was released from the hospital. During the two days she was there though, when Amara wasn't visiting her, she and her mother were getting the spare room squared away. The walls were painted the color of Michelle's eyes and hair—deep aqua and the curtains were of neat white lace. They would have the ugly brown carpet replaced with a rich red—which Michelle insisted needn't be done, but went along with—when more time was available.
Amara liked her room exactly the way it was, white walls covered in racing posters and ugly brown carpet and all. Besides, since her floor was already the color, she, generally, didn't need to worry too much about dirt or mud. It was nothing that wouldn't come up with some cleaner anyway.
Michelle was now lying on her bed, waiting for Amara to return with a cold pack. Her whole life was going to be different now. Her bitchy mother was out of the picture, hopefully for good. Her head still pounded. She heard footsteps and looked over to see Amara walk in, lying beside her after placing the cold pack on her pillow so she could lay on it. She sighed, then buried her face in her friend's shoulder, sobs overtaking her.
Amara wrapped her arm around her, not used to this much emotion, but still not wanting to see he cry. "Hey, it's gonna be okay now. I promise," she said, rubbing her back.
She nodded, snuggling closer. "Sorry, but I-I just…"
She shrugged. "Normally, I don't like it when people cling to me-"
"-oh, okay," she turned the other way.
"You didn't let me finish," she said as she took her hand. "But with you I don't mind."
She smiled, turning onto her back. "Really?"
Amara nodded. "How's your head?"
"Okay, I guess." She stood up, going over to the corner of the room and folding the sheet to the back of the easel and pulling her paints out from under the stand. She looked back. "I don't suppose I could get a cup of water?"
Amara walked over. "You shouldn't push yourself."
She shook her head. "I've always done this when I'm upset. It relaxes me."
Amara rested a hand on her shoulder. "We could watch a movie."
She shrugged her off, walking back over and sitting on the bed. "Can I...just be alone for a bit?"
"Well, yeah, of course. I'm heading out in two hours. I'll come in and tell you, okay?"
Michelle nodded moving up and climbing under the covers as she walked out. It wasn't that she didn't want here there. Everything was happening all at once.
Her mother had given her a concussion and had been put away and...now she had to adjust to a whole new life away from her. Not that she wasn't grateful to get away, but still.
She sighed walking from the room and down to the garage steps where Amara was lying on her back under her bike.
"...Hi," she said after a few minutes of watching her.
Amara, surprised, dropped the wrench with a clang as well as an, "Ouch!" she got herself out but laid still, rubbing the mark on her head before sitting up, covered with dust. She brushed it off and went to sit by her. "Thought you wanted a little time?"
"I do, but it's just...it's all happening at once, you know? First Mom and my head, now she's gone and I'm here away from mostly all I've ever known. I just…"
"Here," Amara offered her water. "You know, I never thought of it that way. I suppose it would be...scary—"
"—Terrifying."
"Right, but, you know, if you wanted me to take you to your old neighborhood..."
She sighed. "I don't know."
Amara put an arm around her. "Well, if you do," she kissed her cheek, "let me know."
Author's Note: What do you think? What will happen?
Review thanks to: T2Kaze, emily, petiyaka & KittyAttack
Sooooo sorry I haven't updated this in a while you guys!
Please read & review!
Liv-x-Lex4Ever
