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Chapter 8: Face Your Fears
Erin's POV:
I gotta admit, I am pissed off at Jack right now. What the heck was he thinking kissing me like that? I know we are supposedly "dating" but that gives him no right to do that, regardless of whether we have people watching us.
I wipe my tears away furiously and walk into the auditorium. I'm secretly glad it's empty, I really don't need to be around anyone right now.
I turn on my IPod and put my headphones in to tune put the world and just dance. It feels wonderful, freeing even, and I savor every moment of it.
That's when I felt it, my knee buckled, and the most excruciating pain filled my body. I fell to the floor holding my knee with one hand and with the other I desperately cover my mouth, so I don't scream, or worse cry.
Unfortunately, a sob slipped out, and right as Kim was walking by. She walked in, and when she spotted me on the ground she screamed, "Erin!" and ran over to me.
I waved her away. "I'm-" I hissed in pain. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not," she said forcefully. "Hang on, I'll get help."
She ran out before I could tell her to stop, and I had a horrifying idea of exactly who she would be getting help from.
Jack's POV:
I could kick myself for making Erin cry, ugh, I'm such an idiot!
I leaned my back against the wall and just as I did, I saw Kim running around the corner.
"Jack!" She screamed as she ran over to me.
"Kim? What's wrong?" I ask as grab onto her shoulders to steady her.
"It's Erin." She managed to get out as she struggled to catch her breath.
"I know, she's mad at me right now. We got into an argument and-"
"No! She's hurt Jack!" Kim hastily cut me off and my eyes widen.
"What? Where is she?" I ask her as calmly as I could, but truth be known I was freaking out.
"The auditorium, she-" Kim started but I cut her off as soon as I heard where Erin was. I had to hurry, she needed me.
My heart stopped when I saw her lying in the floor.
"Erin!" I ran to her, but she just glared at me.
"Stay away from me," she growled.
I picked her up, igniting her protests. "I'm taking you to the hospital, end of discussion."
"Put me down! I'm fine!" She screamed as she pounded on my chest.
It was then that I looked at her and see the tears in her eyes and I could she was in so much pain.
"I'm fine." She whimpered as she continued to pound on my chest.
"No, you're not, and I'm taking you to the hospital whether you like it or not." I say, trying to keep calm even though I'm worried sick about Erin.
"I. Said. I'm. Fine." Erin said, stressing every word as she glared at me.
"Stop fighting me on this! I know you Erin and you're in pain and too stubborn to admit so just stop fighting me!" I exclaim out of desperation for Erin to cooperate with me.
"Stop." I say, my breathing ragged. "Please."
She gave up. "Fine, but after that leave me alone."
"As you wish Princess. Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
She made a hissing sound.
"Did you just hiss at me?"
She said through her teeth, "I do that when I reach my limit of being asked stupid questions."
"On a scale from one to ten, how badly do you want to kill me right now?" I asked conversationally, trying to keep her mind off the pain she was in.
"I'm hovering somewhere in the high thirties."
I chuckled under my breath, but Erin heard me.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"You're so cute when you're irritated." I say, and Erin glared at me.
"I'm going to slit your throat." Erin said but her threat wasn't too scary due to her wincing in pain, so I continue to tease her to get her mind off the pain.
"Is that so?" I ask.
"Yes, I am." Erin snaps.
"Drop the attitude Er, I'm trying to help." I say as I slowly walk towards the door, trying my best not to jar Erin and cause her anymore pain than she's already in.
"I don't have an attitude problem. You have a problem with my attitude and that's not my problem."
Erin's POV:
Jack just looked at me after I said that, and I lowered my gaze to avoid meeting his eyes.
He always had a way of seeing through me. He probably knows that I'm an excruciating amount of pain right now.
"What?" I ask as I let out a slight whimper. I hate feeling weak and having to rely on someone. Jack knows that more than anyone, other than my parents of course.
"Why are pretending that you're ok?" He asked.
"How do you know I'm not ok?" I ask, genuinely curious what his answer was going to be.
"You have the worst poker face in existence, Er." He said.
Ugh he was right, I hate it when he's right. I also hate it when he uses that nickname I've had since I was a baby. When Jack uses it, it's usually followed by a prank or teasing, but not this time. He was genuinely being kind and gentle. I can't believe in getting a new side of Jack Brewer.
I don't know if it was because I was in pain or the fact that I really needed someone to be there for me now, but I laid my head on Jack's chest as he carried me.
Call me crazy, but I could have sworn I saw a hint of a smile on Jack's face when I did that, I would have teased him about it until I remembered I might not want to know what he's thinking since that tends to get me in trouble.
"Come on," Jack said, "let's get you to the hospital."
"Hospital?" I whined.
"Oh, relax you big baby," he teased, and just like that, things seemed back to normal.
Well, I thought, it was nice while it lasted, but I should've known Jack Brewer would never be truly nice.
"I'll go if you leave me alone," I allowed.
"Sure sweetheart." He grinned, that crap-eating grin that meant he was going to do the exact opposite of what I asked. I sighed.
"I'm fine, I don't need to go to the hospital." I say. "Just take me to the nurse's office."
"No way, you need to get that checked out, and besides, the nurse will just tell you to go to the hospital anyways." Jack said, and I groaned.
"Fine." I say while rolling my eyes before glaring at him. "I really don't like you right now."
"Oh, come on Er, you can't seriously tell me you're scared of hospitals."
"No one likes hospitals," I said quietly.
"You are," he said, realizing. "Why?"
"None of your business. Just put me down and I'll hobble to the nurse."
"I told you- "
"And I don't care. No hospitals."
"Fine, how about a compromise? You let me take you to urgent care, that way you don't have to go to the hospital unless they tell you to." Jack said and furiously shake my head no.
"Er, you have to do something, your knee is swollen up to the size of a softball, please, let me help." Jack whispered.
"Absolutely not." I say. "Just take me home, I'll just elevate and ice my knee."
"But your parents aren't home, you can't stay home alone with an injured knee Erin." He said, with what seemed to be a hint of concern in his eyes.
"I can, and I will." I say as I glare at Jack. "Take. Me. Home. Now." I say, hoping he doesn't hear how my voice cracked slightly.
"Why are you being so difficult?" He demanded. "What's so bad about hospitals?"
I look down. "Nothing. Forget it."
"Er?" He lifts my chin. "Come on, you can tell me anything." My breath caught. He was being so sincere... But it had to be an act, right?
My lip trembled slightly, he said I can tell him anything, but how can I know for sure that's true.
"I can't." I whispered as a few tears rolled down my cheek.
There's no way Jack Brewer is actually being sincere. I kept thinking it was an act, but then I remembered there's no one else in the room we had to put on an act for... It is possible he actually cares?
"Please?" He said. "I want to know."
I sighed again and wiped my eyes. "My sister."
"Sister?" He looked confused. "You don't have a sister."
"Anymore." I trembled all over.
"Oh."
We were silent for a minute. I could see he was trying to get up the courage to ask me what happened, afraid of how I might react.
After a while, I took a deep breath and spoke.
"When I was 6 years old, my mom was pregnant" I said, and Jack opened his mouth as if he was about to say something.
"You guys were in England staying with your grandmother at the time." I said.
Jack nodded, obviously confused by where this story is going.
"When she was about 5 months along she started having pains one night, so we went to the hospital and it turns out the pain was contractions." I said as the tears started to fall again, Jack grabbed my hand and gently squeezed it.
"She gave birth to a baby girl, my sister, 4 months early. My sister was put in the NICU, she was very weak, and the doctors didn't think she'd pull through... She... She fought for her life for 2 weeks with several complications until she couldn't fight anymore..." I said as my body shook from crying.
"Er..." Jack held me close. "I'm so so sorry. I had no idea."
"We don't like to talk about it. And ever since, I've hated hospitals." The tears were flowing steadily now, but he wiped them away.
"I know baby. But I'll be with you the whole time. You'll be alright."
I looked at him, wondering why he's being so nice to me.
"Just promise me you won't leave." I said as my lip trembled. "Please."
"I promise." Jack said as he kissed my forehead gently.
*I looked at him again and when his brown eyes met my gaze, my breath caught.
Jack held my gaze for quite a while until he eventually looked away and cleared his throat.
"Come on, let's get you to the hospital." He said softly.
Jack's POV:
When we arrived at the hospital a male nurse came and took Erin out of my arms.
"Are you family?" He asked. "Only family is allowed back with her."
Erin looked up at me with wide, scared eyes.
"I'm her, uh, cousin," I lied.
'My cousin?' Erin mouthed before giving me a weird look.
I'll admit, out of all the things I could have said, I decided to say cousin.
But honestly, I panicked because I didn't want Erin to be alone.
The guy looked dubious. "You don't sound certain."
I quickly came up with a brilliant and highly believable story. "Yes sir. Our moms are sisters. But my parents are away on business so I live with her. She's in pain and there's no time to get her parents-my aunt and uncle-here from work, so I should be back there with her. I can even fill out her paperwork."
"Whatever kid. On your head be it."
I breathed a sigh of relief and winked at Erin. She rolled her eyes.
Even though she rolled her eyes at me Erin smiled slightly, relieved she didn't have to be alone.
As I filled out Erin's paperwork, I noticed she kept wincing in pain every so often, so I offered her my free hand out of instinct.
She looked at me with that look she always gives me when she thinks I'm being ridiculous, but she took my hand anyways.
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