Eli's POV-1 week later

"Are you feeling okay? Anything I can do?"

"I'm fine, Eli, really. You don't have to worry so much." Blake reassured me for the millionth time.

Yeah, I've been like an overprotective mother hen for the past week, ever since I knew he'd be okay. He's growing rather tired of it. I'm relieved that he's just alive.

His father is gonna be tried for attempted murder-or was it aggravated assault?-soon, they just needed to give Blake enough time to recover so he can testify against his dad. His mother is an accomplice I think, I dunno, it's really confusing. Lawyer-talk always is.

Whatever.

"Sorry it's just that you're still in the ICU, and they could still get infected. There's so much that could go wrong."

He put his hand on mine, chilled and pale as usual.

"But it's not your job to worry about my injuries. It's the doctor's job. I have to not move around too much, and your job is to just keep visiting me, so I know you still love me." He chuckled, amused at himself. The pompous jerk.

"I do, obviously!"

"I know, I know. Eli…have you slept at all recently?"

I looked down guiltily. I hadn't since we were waiting for him to get out of surgery…a week ago.

"Yes."

"When?" He raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

"A week ago."

"Eli?! A week?!" He propped himself on his shoulders, angry and upset. The heart monitor attached started to beep a little faster.

"Blake, calm down! Don't have a heart attack!" I rose out of my chair.

He lay back down, eyes averted from me, eyebrows knitted together.

"Blake, I'm sorry. I've just been so worried. I was so scared you'd die. I can't eat either because I'm so anxious. Yell at me or whatever, it doesn't matter. I just can't do anything without having anxiety attacks. I try, honestly, I do. I'm just scared."

I lay my head on his bed, feeling all the ugliness in my heart well up inside.

"I know, I'm scared, too. It's not fun being in here all alone at night. Waiting for you to come and visit me every day. I worry, too. I worry about what I'm gonna do after I get out. My parents. I wonder what I'm missing out on."

"Nothing much. The dance was the big event of the year."

"Ha ha. I don't mean that, silly. What's going on with you, and whether or not I'll be able to catch up in school? If these injuries are going to be so bad they'll cause me to die. I'm just as scared you are, if not more. This is happening to me, and yet, you're more worried than me."

"Well, if you die, then I'll be alone forever. I won't want to live. But that's okay. I just don't want it to come to that."

"Eli…"

"I'm sorry I'm being so morbid. Ignore all that."

"Okay, just eat. And sleep. Do that for me."

"Jeez, you're being more and more selfish every day, aren't you?"

"Well, I'm an invalid."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hello, cute boys!" That same, familiar voice called from the doorway. Kimi. And Jake, too, knowing him.

"Kimi, what'd you do to your hair?" I cried, looking at the bleached blond Kimi instead of the Kimi with multi-colored hair.

"I figured it was time for a change. Like it, Blakey?"

"Yeah, it looks…nice on you."

"You don't think I'm preppy looking, do you?" Kimi was very dramatic on this subject. She considered herself emo or scene or punk, not prep. So it was like blasphemy if she looked like one.

"No, of course not."

"Good! I made some changes to Jake, too!"

"Willingly?" I scoffed.

"Well…sort of. I kind of seduced him into it. Come on in, Jakey!" She called, and the door slid open in an automatic "whoosh".

"Oh my god." Jake's normal reddish-brown hair was now dark brown and blond streaks **like the new picture of him** and he was wearing a tight purple "Rawr" shirt, and tight zebra-design skinny jeans. His normal Vans were Converse now, the all-black kind. She's made him wear those studded bracelets, a brass knuckles necklace and…

"Jake, are you wearing earrings?"

"Yeah. Three on each ear. Kimi made me." He said with his head hung low, bangs covering his eyes.

"And snakebites?!"

"Yeah, so? I actually wanted those."

"Show 'em your eyeliner!"
Blake and I choked. Eyeliner?! Jake?

He lifted his head and shook the hair out of his eyes. They were ringed with black, far more than he's EVER put on himself.

Blake and I tried so hard to keep in the laughter that was bubbling up. Unfortunately, it didn't last long before we burst out laughing.

"Happy now, Kimi? I look like a freak show."

"So? You're cute."

"Cute isn't gonna work this time, emo chick."

They continued this loveable bickering back and forth, me and Blake audience to this strange pair.

"So are you keeping the look?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Maybe. If I like it." Jake said, brushing a hand through his new hair.

"You're gonna like it says I, Kimi!"

"Should I send them out?" I asked Blake, who was trying to hold in laughter.

"No. They're good for my recovery. Just as you are. Except…you're more important to me."

"Kiss, kiss, kiss!" Kimi shrieked, jumping up and down. Jake smirked, eyeing her…behind.

"Only if you do!" I shouted back.

"'Kay!"

So that's concluded the first week of recovery for my boyfriend. Laughter, worry, confessions, visits, and plenty of kissing from me.

The next few weeks were going to be a rollarcoaster ride, I'm sure.

Knowing us, it will be.

And I'll enjoy it.

Because of my friends…

And because of the love of my life…

Blake…