Chapter 4

Megan POV

I decided to text Riker to see if he wanted to give me another guitar lesson today. He replied and said he'd be right over.

"Hey Megan, I brought my guitar," said Riker, standing in the doorway.

"Ok, let's go."

"So have you practiced?" Asked Riker.

"Since last night? No. I was too tired. Uh… Are you ok?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know. You just seem… different… I don't know…"

Riker stopped halfway up the stairs.

"I just… I don't know… Toby just makes me feel uncomfortable sometimes… I mean I like him, but sometimes I just… feel weird…"

"I'm sorry about him. I don't know what his problem is. But he's not here today, so he can't interrupt us or anything."

"Ok, cool."

Later…

Riker POV

"So do you want to take a break and have lunch now?" I asked.

"Yeah, sounds good. Do you want pizza?"

"Yeah, sure."

As we headed downstairs, I could hear the rain pounding on the roof. I sat down across from Megan as we started eating lunch.

"So where's Toby today?" I asked.

"I think he went to a concert somewhere with his friend. It's not even in New York though, so that's why they had to leave really early. He's actually not coming back until tomorrow night. He's staying in a hotel since it would just be really tiring to drive up and back in one day."

"That's cool."

"Yeah…"

"So what are your plans for today?"

"I don't really have any. My parents are actually coming home really late tonight. They're going straight from work to my dad's best friend's birthday dinner. He's turning 50. And it's pretty far away so they'll probably get back around midnight. So yeah… I don't have plans… It's just a pretty quiet day. And the rain just adds to it, making me feel lazy."

"Yeah I know what you mean with the rain… Well since you don't have any plans today, maybe we could do something tonight."

"Sure. Did you have something in mind?"

"Uh, no. We could go somewhere, like the movies or something. I don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

"We could go to the movies. That sounds good."

"Ok, what time do you want to leave?"

"Does 5:00 work?"

"Yeah. Well, I have to go, Rocky needs help with our room. We're putting together our furniture for our bedrooms like dressers and shelves and stuff. But I'll pick you up at 5:00."

"Ok, I'll see you then."

"Oh, and thanks for lunch."

Later…

Riker POV

"No, I need the other screw. This one's too big," said Rocky.

"There are no other screws!" I said, annoyed.

"There has to be! This one doesn't fit! Look on the ground. Maybe it fell."

"Ugh!"

"Do you see it?"

"No I don't see it! There are no other screws! You probably put it together wrong. Are you actually reading the directions?"

"No. But it looks like the picture on the box!"

"Rocky! You need to read the directions!"

"Ugh! Can you hand me the box?"

"Hold on, someone's calling me…"

I scrambled to find my phone buried in my bed before I could answer it.

"Hello?"

"Riker?"

It was Megan.

"Yeah?"

"Uh, not that you have to come over here right now, but I just wanted to let you know that you left your guitar here."

"Oh, it's actually Ross's. Yeah, can I get it when I pick you up tonight?"

Rocky started frantically mouthing words I couldn't read. I waved my arms at him, trying to concentrate on Megan's voice.

"Yeah, sure. You're picking me up at- AHHH!"

"Megan!? What happened!?"

"Ow… I fell down the stairs. My cat ran between my feet and- Ugh!"

"Are you ok!?"

"My ankle just really hurts…"

"Hold on, I'll be there in 2 seconds!"

I hung up, shoved my phone in my back pocket, and sprinted out the door and across the street. Luckily, Megan's door was unlocked. I practically slammed the door as I ran down the hall to the stairs. Megan was sitting halfway up the stairs, holding her ankle tightly. I ran up the stairs, almost falling myself, to Megan, who was crying now.

"Megan! Do you need to go to the hospital!?"

"I don't think so. I can move my foot. It just hurts really bad!"

"You probably sprained it then. What do you want me to do?"

"Help me stand up. I just want to go lay in bed."

Megan put her arm around my shoulder as she tried to stand. She was in too much pain. I caught her as she was about to fall back on the stairs. I made a quick decision and picked Megan up in my arms before she could try to stand again, and walked up the stairs to her room. I carefully put her on top of her bed.

"What do you want me to do? What do you need?"

"Ice? But I don't have ice. Our icemaker's broken. Can you just get something!? The pain is making me really dizzy!"

I ran down the stairs, again almost falling, and ran back to my house. I opened the freezer and threw ice into a bowl before sprinting back over to Megan's. I randomly opened drawers until I found a plastic bag, and dumped the ice in. I ran back up to Megan, and placed the bag of ice on her now extremely red ankle.

"Ahhh!"

"Sorry! Does it hurt!?"

"Well yeah, but not from the ice. It's just cold!"

"Does it feel better with the ice?"

"Yeah, a little bit. But it still hurts insanely bad!"

"What should I do?"

Megan looked down, avoiding my eyes.

"What? Tell me," I said.

"If you don't want to, it's completely fine. I was just wondering if you could run to the store and get some pain relievers. But you really don't have to. I'll be fine."

"No, it's fine. Are you sure you'll be ok until I get back? Do you want me to get one of my siblings to stay with you?"

Megan flopped back against her pillow.

"Megan!"

"I'm fine. Go. I'm just… Really dizzy."

"No, let me call Rocky. He can stay with you until I get back."

"No, Riker don't. I'm fine."

"Shhh! Rocky? I need you to stay with Megan until I get back from the store. She sprained her ankle and I don't want to leave her home alone. Yeah… Ok, thanks."

"Riker I'm fine…"

Megan POV

I told Riker I was fine, but my ankle felt like it was being stabbed nonstop and then lit on fire. I was starting to get a headache now, and I felt so dizzy, I was scared I would pass out. Riker sat down on the end of my bed, not sure what to do. A few minutes later, Rocky and Ellington came upstairs to my room.

"I will be right back, I promise," Riker said to me, as he left.

Rocky came over and sat on the end of my bed, looking at my ankle.

"Can I wrap up your ankle?" Rocky asked.

"Sure…"

Ellington sat diwn next to me, and helped me sit up. He rubbed my shoulder as Rocky picked up the ice pack Riker had made. Rocky gently picked up my ankle, and started wrapping it. It was taking everything in me not to scream. When he was done, he carefully placed my foot back down on the bed.

"On a scale of 1-10, how bad does it hurt?" Asked Rocky.

"Don't answer that. Don't you think we should be taking her mind off the pain instead!?" Ellington asked.

"Yeah, sorry Megan."

"It's fine," I said.

"You're going to be fine. Riker's coming back soon," said Ellington as he wiped my cheeks.

A little while later, Riker came bursting through the front door, and sprinting up the stairs. When he finally got to my room, his face was red, he was out of breath, and he looked like he was about to pass out. He threw Rocky the bottle of pills as he caught his breath.

"Ok, you're supposed to take one of these every 4 hours," said Rocky, handing me the bottle.

"Thanks guys," said Riker as Rocky and Ellington got up to leave.

I opened the bottle and took the pill as Riker sat down on my bed next to me.

"I didn't take too long, did I?" Asked Riker.

"No, you were fine," I said.

"Ok, good. Who wrapped your ankle?"

"Rocky."

"Does it feel any better from the ice?"

"A little bit…"

Riker POV

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just really tired."

Just then, a huge clap of thunder shook the house.

"Whoa," said Megan.

"Yeah…"

"Would you mind grabbing me a piece of pizza from the fridge?" Asked Megan.

"Sure."

As I walked back up the stairs with Megan's dinner, the lights started flickering. I ran the rest of the way to her room.

"Thanks," said Megan.

I sat down on the edge of her bed, listening to the thunder, and staring out her window, watching the flashes of lightning. The lights started flickering again, and suddenly went out. We were left in total blackness, except for the flashes of lightning. My heart started racing faster and faster as I tried to think of what to do.