Sorry it took so long to update guys, but thanks heaps if your still with it :) hope you enjoy this chapter, i enjoyed writing it so much!
-Chapter 5-
For the next week I got so stuck into school stuff and catching up on the work I'd missed, I hardly saw anyone—especially Andy, Bradie and Shaun.
In music we'd been informed that the performance night had been pushed forward to the last Monday before school broke up due to year eleven half yearly exams. Year twelves' were the second last week of term. Talk about a work overload. Catching up so that I had some chance of passing my exams was stressful enough—throw in a practical performance for music and the performance the Monday after exams finished and my brain was working harder than it ever had before.
I'd never been a student type. I used to make some effort in my junior years, but after I hit year eleven and we'd already moved twice, I sort of gave up—I didn't pay attention in class, if I ever went, I never studied, and I never got along with any of my teachers. But for some reason, this time I was trying really hard. I wanted to stay here—I wanted everything to work out.
I managed to get the boys to come in and help out my music class a couple of times, which ended up being really great.
The first time, Shaun, Andy and Bradie came in we didn't get much done for the Planets performance. Everyone wanted help with their individual assessment with the half-yearlies coming up.
Bradie spent the whole lesson mucking around with the drummer and keyboard player, mixing up some drum notes tied in with the keyboard, and by the end of the lesson I think they managed to come up with a brilliant drum solo.
Shaun chilled out with me and the guitar guys and together we wrote a rough song. Shaun encouraged the boys to keep working on it, especially since the two of them are in a band together.
Andy spent most of his time with Ryan, which I was worried about at first, but they really seemed to hit it off. Andy gave him some awesome tricks for playing and Ryan couldn't help but be in awe the whole time.
Everyone was in awe really. I suppose if you were getting lessons from your idols, it's normal to be a bit star struck.
The second and third lesson they joined us for was much more productive as far as our performance went. I was clearly the one who needed the most help, but I could get it anytime, so I let the others practice. At one point during the third visit, I distinctly saw Andy and Ryan just having a chat and they kept looking over to where I was seated, which made me blush incredibly hard. By the end of it all though, we sounded much better as a group.
I babysat for the Webb's twice that week. One night during the week, Andy and Bradie had a late meeting but Emily and Richard had plans to go to a dinner party for an old friend's birthday. The other time they went to lunch on Saturday with another couple they were friends with, but Andy and Bradie were in the city having a light band prac.
The dinner was easy. I fed Chris at about seven-thirty and not long after that he fell asleep next to me on the lounge watching TV. I put him to bed and got some more of my school work done. The Saturday was more challenging but more fun being able to play with him and try to keep him entertained.
While I was buckled down studying and practicing, Short Stack was having a million meetings a week, and when they weren't in a meeting, they were having band prac.
It wasn't until Saturday night when Emily invited Matt and me over for dinner after I finished babysitting that I realised how long it had been since I had really had a chance to hang out with them.
We came over a half hour before dinner was done and Andy was still getting ready when I popped my head in his bedroom door to say hi. I knock before I thought about just charging in, I didn't want to walk in to find him naked or something.
"Yeah?" he says.
"Just me," I answer him. "You decent?"
"Oh, hey. Yeah it's safe to come in," he tells me through the door.
I enter slowly just in case he's lying, and find he's only got a pair of jeans on. "Liar," I inform him.
"You asked if I was decent. If you care about me not having a shirt on you should have asked if I was dressed."
"You probably still would have said yes."
He laughs and replies, "True."
I'm standing in the doorway still but quickly take the few steps over to him to embrace him in a hug. He hugs me back tightly and whispers in my ear, "I missed you. I feel like we've hardly seen each other this week."
"Same," I say, letting go of the hug. "How have you been?" I ask, wondering around his room looking around.
"Good," he tells me, looking through his cupboard. "Busy, but good. Everything's been a bit hectic with the Cambodia trip next week and the Good Charlotte tour and the warm up shows in April. Boys Like Girls pulled out of the tour so we've been talking with Good Charlotte pretty much every day about who they want to replace them."
"Oh, that doesn't sound good," I say. "Have you found someone yet?"
"Yeah, we've got New Empire playing with us."
"Oh, yeah, I've heard them, they're really good."
"Yeah, they are. The best part is we've been bumped up to main support, which is going to be incredible," he says as he digs around his wardrobe looking for a t-shirt to wear.
"Oh, wow, congratulations! I'm so happy for you guys."
"Thanks."
"Wait, did you say the Cambodia trip?" I ask.
"Oh, yeah, we're going to Cambodia next Thursday to shoot our next video clip," he informs me.
"And whose brilliant idea was that?"
"Shaun said something about going to another country and it kind of went from there," he grins at me.
"Sounds incredible, when do you get back?"
"Sunday."
"Four days. Wow, you're going to have an amazing time, I just know it."
"Yeah it's going to be amazing, and it's so original. We're all really excited about it." He finally finds a nice button down shirt to wear. He puts the shirt on and then looks at me and asks, "How's things between you and that Ryan kid?"
I turn away and start fiddling with a little batman figurine on his shelf. "Good," I say. "We're taking things really slow at the moment—the odd kiss, holding hands. I've never really done slow before, but it's nice."
"Sounds great," Andy says, but I can tell there's more in his voice.
"Are you jealous? I thought you liked him, what with you helping him in music, and him playing bass." I'm being cheeky, and he can see it.
"He gets a few points for that. But he seems like a bit of a douche."
"Well he's not," I say, turning on Andy, infuriated. "He's actually really nice, and he cares about me."
"And you think he's the only one in the world that does?"
We're nose to nose and furious at each other when Bradie appears at the doorway to let us know that dinner is almost ready.
I step away from Andy. "Ah, thanks Bradie." I follow him out of the room, leaving Andy behind.
Bradie and I help Emily serve dinner and Andy doesn't leave his room until it is all on the table and everyone is seated and ready to eat.
We're sitting across from each other like last time, but neither of us is saying much—Andy isn't even helping Emily feed Chris. We're both furious and I think it's obvious to everyone at the table.
After everyone is finished eating, we are all sitting around talking, but I keep playing with my hands in my lap. Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my jeans pocket. I pull it out discretely and read it. It's from Ryan, and he's invited me to a party at his.
I look up at Matt. "Where is it and how are you getting there?"
"It's at Ryan's and I was wandering if I could take the car? I promise I won't drive home if I'm tired."
"Or drinking," he adds.
I look down at my hands again. "You know I won't drink."
"Yeah, I know, sorry," he replies remorsefully before continuing. "Yeah, I guess that's fine with me. Just be careful."
"Always," I tell him as I begin to stand. "Thank you so much for dinner Emily, it was brilliant."
"You're more than welcome, dear. Have a good time," she tells me with a smile.
"Thank you." I give her a genuine smile. "See you guys," I say to everyone else.
A chorus of goodbyes come from everyone at the table—everyone except Andy. Even Chris manages a bye.
I leave the house and go back home. I text Ryan while I walk to let him know I will be on my way soon. He writes me one back in less than a minute.
Bring some warm clothes, we've got a bon fire going out the back x
So I reply, No problem, you'll just have to give me an extra minute to get changed then. See you shortly x
I put on some thermals under my jeans and get out of my nice top. I chuck on a long sleeve undershirt and a band shirt over that, with a light jacket and my big thick hoodie over that. I touch up my make-up and go to the toilet before I finally head out the door, car keys in my hand.
"Ally," Andy says to me as I lock the door. I jump and spin around to face him.
"I don't have time to talk Andy, I have to go," I tell him.
"I know, but I just wanted to say something," he says. He's not holding back anymore, he's confident and strong and it makes me wonder where this is going.
"Well, I really don't have time, Ryan's waiting for me," I say, unlocking my car.
"Always him, why him?" he says, frustrated.
"I already told you that." I was just about to get in the car, but turn around to look at him again. "Because he's safe."
"Safe?" Andy has raised his voice and is coming closer to me. When we're nose to nose, he looks at me intently, he anger and frustration showing through his eyes. There's a silence and I swear I see a curtain being disturbed across the road. Sneakers.
Suddenly Andy's eyes aren't angry anymore, they're . . . almost sad. He steps back and his whole body language has changed drastically. "What?" I ask him.
"Who was it, Ally?" he asks. I turn away quickly and he grabs my wrist. "Who hurt you so bad they made you feel like you could never have a real relationship again?"
I'm shocked by his statement. "You don't get to know me." I wretch my wrist from his hand and get in the car. I start it and reverse out of the driveway as Andy just stands there and watches me go.
I've been to Ryan's a couple of afternoons after school this past week—something Bradie and Shaun just loved rubbing in—so I know my way to his house pretty well.
But, I never make it Ryan's.
I hear a beeping noise and get thoroughly annoyed. I think about waking up but decide I want to sleep longer, but that damned incessant beeping.
I feel a rough, callused hand holding mine. I give it a squeeze, but nothing happens. Bloody hell, I think. I give another squeeze but my hand does nothing.
Now I can hear voices. Why won't you just let me sleep? I want to yell. But again, nothing. What the hell is going on?
"What's the story?" comes Matt's familiar voice.
The hand holding mine lets go before I hear Andy say, "What's gonna happen to her?"
"Will she wake up?" I hear Bradie say.
"Just calm down, she's going to be just fine," says a voice I don't recognise. "She's in a coma right now but we have every hope that she will wake up and make a full recovery. There's no longer any internal bleeding and she doesn't appear to have any major head injuries so there's no reason she won't wake up in a day or two."
Wait, are they talking about me? I do remember swerving off the road. It had been raining earlier in the day, but it wasn't that wet. I had full control of the car, I was being perfectly safe. I know I was.
"I'll leave you four here then," the voice who I now safely assume is a doctor's says. I hear footsteps slowly fade and then a hand is back in mine. Maybe it's Bradie holding my hand.
"I need a coffee," Matt says. "Anyone else?"
"Yes please, I'll come with you," says Brooke somewhere on my right, the same side of me as the person who is holding my hand. I wonder who it is—it can't be Brooke, her hands would be much smoother. Maybe it's Matt, I think. "Want anything babe? Okay," she says to someone else who doesn't verbally answer her. It must be Shaun she's talking to.
Nobody else says anything. When I hear Matt and Brooke leave I learn it's not Matt holding my hand. After a few minutes, someone speaks. "C'mon, Ally, wake up, you have to be okay," it's Andy on my right. "This is all my fault."
"Hey, mate, no it isn't," says Shaun, his voice on my right side. Maybe it's him holding my hand.
"Yeah, Andy, Shaun's right," Bradie says on my left. Nope, not him. "You heard the police before, it was a complete accident."
"Don't beat yourself up," Shaun says. After a moment, someone sighs. "I might go get coffee actually," Shaun tells the others and then I hear more footsteps. Not him either.
Which leaves Andy. Of course. The rough hands of a guitar player, how did I not notice that? Knowing it's him, I want to squeeze it extra hard, but I can't do anything, only listen.
"I think I might head home, let Mum know what's going on," Bradie says. Andy doesn't verbally respond. "She's gonna be fine, you heard the doctor." Again, there's no verbal response from Andy and I hear Bradie leave.
This is torture. I want to tell him I'm fine, I will be fine. I've had this happen before—I know I'll make it through. I want to yell at him not to worry, but I can't.
"Ally, you have to wake up, there's so much I want to tell you. About the first time we met, about what I've been through the last few months. I don't care if it doesn't make a difference, I'm going to tell you the truth, I promise."
He sounded like a crazy person, or he would have to anyone else. But I knew there was something he'd been trying to tell me since we met, but he never got the chance. I want to hear it so badly. I give everything I have, using every bit of energy my body has and it finally pays off—I give his hand the faintest squeeze. It's so faint I worry he might not have felt it, but I have no energy left to do it again.
My body is so drained that all I can hear is the call of my name before I'm overcome with darkness.
"C'mon Andy," is the next thing I hear Bradie say. I don't know how long I was out, but it's definitely not Saturday. "We're leaving for Cambodia in two days. You need a good sleep, a good meal, and a good shower," he adds and it sounds like he's grossed out.
"I can't leave until I know she's okay, at least until she's awake," Andy tells him. He sounds weary, like he hasn't been taking care of himself at all.
"I'm okay!" I want to yell. "Andy, I'm right here! Go to Cambodia and stop worrying about me! I'll be fine!" Nothing escapes my lips and then I am pulled into nothingness.
At first it's really quiet, and I wonder if I'm back, or still in my own prison. Then I hear that aggravating beeping. A bright florescent light hits my closed eyelids and I squint at it. Wait, I think. I squint again. Yup, I am definitely moving. I slowly open my eyes and stare into the white hospital light.
I shut my eyes quickly and turn my head away. I open them again and look down at a sleeping Andy. His hand is still in mine as his head rests on the bed beside my hip. He looks peaceful and relaxed—much different from the idea of him I had gathered from listening to him. I give his hand a light squeeze and he doesn't move. I start rubbing my thumb lightly across his fingers. Despite myself I smile.
I carefully reach over with my other hand—which I notice is in a half-cast—and brush his light hair out of his eyes. He's just gorgeous. I put my hand down across my midsection and have to hold back my wince. I beat myself up pretty bad.
It's almost hour before Andy wakes up. I can only sit and watch him. A nurse comes in twenty-five minutes after I wake to check my vitals and is shocked to see me just sitting there, like everything was perfectly normal. I put my finger to my lips and shake my head to stop her from making a fuss and look back at Andy quickly to make sure he's still asleep.
She nods with a smile and checks my charts and takes my heart rate and blood pressure. Andy doesn't stir one bit, like he has become accustomed to the presence of a nurse. Before leaving she put her own finger to her lips to tell me she won't say anything to the doctors just yet. I beam at her gratefully.
She leaves and I continue to watch Andy for what doesn't feel like long enough before his eyelids start to flicker. I don't stop gliding my thumb across his fingers and this seems to alert him. He opens his eyes and looks at his hand. When he looks up at me, the smile on his face makes the one on mine wider.
He turns around and rises out of his seat like his going to call out to someone but I panic and squeeze his hand tight to stop him. He turns and looks at me. Neither of us has said a word yet. He brings his face closer to mine and I put my free hand on his cheek. I can tell he hasn't saved in days. It makes me wonder just how long I've been here.
"Oh, you're awake," a different nurse to the one from earlier says in the doorway. Andy and I pull apart quickly. This one seemed much colder and probably wouldn't have kept her mouth shut even if I had asked her. "I'll get the doctor."
Andy sits back down in the chair but keeps hold of my hand. "How do you feel?" he asks.
It takes me a few moments to form the word, "Fine."
"That's good," he says.
After a few seconds a doctor comes in and looks over me. "Good to see you finally awake and with us," he says cheerfully. He then proceeds to ask me a bunch of question and I answer them all as best I can, mostly with one word. "Alright, well, I'm more than impressed with your results here and you should be right to get up and about if you feel ready. We're gonna keep you here a bit longer but if everything goes well, we'll probably get you home the day after tomorrow." I nod in thanks and the doctor leaves the room.
I turn on Andy. "How long have I been in here?" It's the longest sentence I've managed and I have some difficulty getting it out. Andy makes a face. "Andy?"
"Today's Wednesday."
"What?" I say croakily. "Where's Matt?"
"Um, interstate. He didn't want to go at first, but Mum and I convinced him to, said we'd take care of you and let him know when you woke up. Even he agreed you probably wouldn't mind if you woke up and he wasn't here." I nod my agreement. "Do you remember anything?"
"I remember leaving, I was on my way to Matt's and thought I saw something run across the road in front of me. I did everything to keep control of the car, but I guess the wet road made it more difficult. I didn't think it was that bad."
"Emily, you ran into a road fence. You cracked a rib, fractured your wrist, did some damage to both your knees, you had a few internal injuries and there were bruises all over your body. Ally, it was pretty bad."
That's when Ryan walks in. "Hey," he says to me with a smile, "you're awake."
"I noticed," I say. He comes over and gives me a quick kiss.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go on a plane?" he asks Andy.
I look at Andy. "Yeah, aren't you leaving at like four-thirty in the morning?"
"Maybe," he mumbles. "But the plane leaves at nine."
I look at the clock on the wall, it's eleven-thirty in the morning. "Have you been home at all?" He shakes his head. "Will you please go home? For me. If you've been here for almost five days, I want you to go home and get some rest. Please?"
"Yeah, you're right, I'll come back later today with the others to say goodbye," he says. He's definitely not as happy as he was five minutes ago. He gets up, picks up his back-pack from the floor beside him and leans over to give me a gentle kiss on the forehead. "See you later." He puts his arm out across me and shakes Ryan's hand. "Bye mate."
"Bye," Ryan says.
After Andy walks out Ryan takes his seat and begins to tell me everything I've missed out on. I'm only half listening as he rambles on. I make the appropriate comments, head shakes and nods where necessary, but all I can think about is Andy. He was here with me for five days.
I get changed out of my horrible hospital gown before I call Matt to let him know I am okay and he says he wouldn't be home until the weekend. I tell him that would be fine.
Shaun and Bradie came to say goodbye at five-thirty that afternoon, but Andy isn't with them. I try to ignore how much this annoys me and then Bradie says, "He'd be here if he could." I can only nod in response.
Ryan stayed with me all night but I didn't sleep much. I dozed off for a little while around two-thirty in the morning, but was awake again a bit before six.
Ryan woke up at about six-thirty while I was there reading a book. Ryan had brought me Extras, the final book in the Uglies series, when I asked him to go back to my place and get me a few things. I was almost finished it a beginning to wander what I would do if I finished it before Ryan woke up.
"Morning," he says to me groggily.
"Good morning," I reply. His hand is on the bed and I take it in mine and smile at him. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"I did, and I think you're amazing too," he says. After a moment he groans in an annoyed manner. "Ally, what are you doing with me?" I can only stare at him in bewilderment. "I think you're beautiful and amazing and kind, but I can see I'm not meant to have you to be mine."
I still don't know what to say, or exactly what he is talking about. "I see how happy he makes you and I see how happy you make him. We were talking about you in class last week, and the smile he had on his face, the way he kept looking at you . . . He's been in here with you this whole time. When I was here the other day he was a right mess with worry about you. And I see how easily your feeling match his. So what are you doing with me?"
"I . . . I love you," I manage to say.
"And I love you," he says. "But I will never love you as much as he already does."
"Ryan," I begin apologetically, but he cuts me off with a wave of his hand.
"I'm doing this because I want to see you happy, now what are you still doing here? You should be back at his place telling him how much you love him."
"I—I can't." I look down at my hands. "I'm scared."
"And you're gonna let that stop you."
I look up at Ryan and smile. "How am I going to get anywhere? I can't drive anywhere and I woke up from a coma yesterday, there's no way they're letting me out of here."
"Leave the driving part to me. The discharge is all you though."
I think for a moment. "I have an idea."
He helps me out of bed and into a wheelchair before we charge to the nurse's station. "I need to be discharged right now," I say to the nurse behind the desk.
"You're only just on your feet, I don't think so."
"I don't care—I have to get out of here now."
"Are you eighteen?" she asks me.
"No," I say through gritted teeth.
"Do you have a legal guardian who can discharge you?"
"I'm her legal guardian," Ryan pipes in.
The nurse is thoroughly suspicious. "Are you eighteen, sir?" she asks him.
"Yup," he says, popping the 'p'.
She shrugs her shoulders, clearly not wanting to deal with me and Ryan right now. He signs the papers and then pushes me out to his parked car. As I climb inside and get comfortable—not without difficulty—he takes the wheelchair back.
We drive as fast as we can to Andy's place. I leap out of the car and knock on the door. Emily answers. "Ally, what on earth are you doing here?" she asks.
I ignore her question—I'm too frantic to think about anything but finding Andy. "Is Andy home? I have to talk to him. I have to tell him . . . I have to tell him the truth."
She seems to know what I'm talking about and her look is loving. "They left for the airport a while ago. If you leave right now and traffic's good, you might make it. Here are the flight details." She walks away for a second and comes back with a blue sticky note. She gives me a hug before I leave. "Good luck, I hope you find him in time."
"Me too," I say with a smile. I race back to the car and tell Ryan that he's on his way to the airport.
"Well, then we better hurry up."
The drive seems to take much longer than normal, which makes me nervous. I felt a massive wave of relief when Ryan finally pulls into the airport stopping bay. I undo my seatbelt but just before I leave the car, I turn around and kiss his cheek.
"Thank you," I say softly. "Words can't express how grateful I am."
"Just go get your man," he says.
I smile at him. "I'll get a cab or a bus or something home. But thanks again for driving me."
"I'd do anything for you. Now hurry before he leaves."
I race out and into the airport. For a moment I panic. There is still twenty minutes until the boys' flight leaves, but I don't know where there gate is or how long it will take me to find. I go through the security gates as quickly as I can, and ask a guard where Andy, Shaun and Bradie's gate is.
He point to the southern end of the airport and tells me just keep going that way and I'll find it eventually. I thank him gratefully and run in the direction he said.
I just hope I haven't missed him.
So incase you guys didnt know, which you probably didn't, reader WishIWasRose has offered to post this story on tumblr to hopefully get more readers... yay! find it here: candyland-bydiscohoney(dot)tumblr(dot)com