Hey babes! Back here again with a new chapter for ya. I figured, I updated my other two stories today, so I might as well update this one too. :)
So here you go. Enjoy!
"Oh this beach day was such a good idea," Bobbi comments from her place lounging back on a towel on the sand, sunglasses resting on her eyes.
"Yes it definitely was," Lance replies under his breath, not taking his eyes off of her body.
Bobbi rolls her eyes at her boyfriend, "You are so predictable."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asks in an offended tone of voice.
"Stop," Skye speaks up from her low to the ground lounge chair. "Please do not have a lovers' quarrel right now when we're all trying to relax and have a good time at the beach. This is supposed to be a way for us all to spend some time away from the stress that is our upcoming high school graduation and everything that comes after it."
"Like college," Lincoln supplies. "Honestly, I'm kind of terrified to stay in the dorms next year. I've heard some stories."
"Well Skye doesn't have to worry about that," Jemma speaks up.
"What's Jemma talking about?" Lincoln asks his girlfriend. "You aren't staying in the dorms next year?"
Skye shakes her head, "No, I'm not."
"Then where are you staying?" He furrows his brows, "Actually, where are you even going to college? I don't think you've told me."
"I'm uh…I'm not going to college," she tells him.
His eyes go wide, "What? What do you mean?"
"I mean I'm not going to college."
"Wait, seriously? Why aren't you going to college?"
"I'm going to travel for a while. It's something I've always wanted to do for as long as I can. An old friend convinced me last year to follow my heart when I was trying to decide on a college. And my heart wants to travel the world," she gives him a small smile.
"Does your friend have some kind of issue?" Lincoln asks.
Skye frowns, "What?"
"He basically told you not to further your education, Skye. Don't you know how important it is to go to college and get a degree?"
"And my dreams aren't important?" she questions.
"That's not what I meant, Skye."
"Well it sure as hell sounded like it." She stands up from her beach chair, grabbing her phone, and stalks up the beach.
Looking down at her cell phone, Skye unlocks it and goes into her contacts to find Grant's number. She hits the call button and holds it up to her ear, waiting impatiently for it to ring.
"Hi, you've reached Grant Ward." Skye groans. "Sorry I missed your call. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
"Grant," she says when the beep sounds. "It's Skye. Where are you? I invited you to the beach with everyone because I wanted to hang out with you and for everyone to get to know you a little before we graduate and go our separate ways, so you better not be bailing on me right now. Also I really need to talk to you. Call me when you get this. Or just text me and let me know you're coming. Okay, bye." She pulls her phone down from her ear and ends the call.
"Skye."
Turning her head, she sees Lincoln approaching her. "What?"
Lincoln sighs, "Look, I'm sorry about what happened down there. I didn't mean for you to think that I don't care about what you want or that your dreams aren't important. But so is getting an education."
"I can get an education while I'm traveling," she tells him. "Some things are learned better when out in the world, immersing yourself in it instead of burying your nose in a book about it."
"Fine, fine, I get it. I'm sorry." He pauses. "So, who was on the phone? Or did you just bring it up here to play some Candy Crush?"
"I hate Candy Crush," she tells him with a blank face. "I can't get past that one damn level."
Lincoln chuckles, "I'm sure you will at some point. But seriously, were you on the phone? Did I interrupt a call?"
She shakes her head, "No, you didn't. He didn't pick up."
Lincoln raises a brow, "He?"
Skye rolls her eyes, "Don't act jealous, it's not a good look on you. I was calling Grant to find out where he is because I invited him to the beach with us and he's not here."
"You really invited that kid?" Lincoln asks.
"Yeah, I did," Skye nods. "He's my friend."
Lincoln scrunches up his face, "He's kind of odd."
Skye takes a small step back, "You don't even know him, Lincoln."
Lincoln shrugs, "I don't need to know him. High school's pretty much over, I'll probably never see him again."
"Whatever. I'm going to call him again, see if he picks up this time." She looks down at her phone.
"Maybe he didn't pick up because he's busy."
"Grant always picks up whenever I call him," she holds the phone up to her ear. "Even though I don't call him a whole lot, he still always manages to pick up. And if he doesn't pick up, he usually calls me right back or sends a text. Neither of which has happened yet." She pulls the phone down, "Damn it, voice mail again."
"See, he's probably busy. Now come on, let's get back to the party," he grabs Skye's arm and tries to pull her back down the beach.
She pulls out of his grasp, "You go ahead. I'm going to call Gramsy and see if she knows anything. Something feels off."
"What feels off is that you're more worried about some random guy than you are about your boyfriend. That's not right, Skye."
She looks up at him, "Are you seriously going to act like this? Because if you are then there's really no point in us dating anymore. Grant's a friend."
"Whatever," Lincoln scoffs, turning around and walking back down the beach to rejoin the others.
Turning her attention back to her phone, Skye finds Marianne's number and holds the phone up to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Gramsy," Skye breathes out, "thank goodness you picked up."
"Skye? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me. Do you know where Grant is? I've tried calling him twice but he hasn't picked up. I invited him to this beach party with me and my friends and he promised me he'd try and make it but he's not here and he hasn't even texted me telling me he can't make it so do you know where he is?"
There's a beat of silence. "Well, that was certainly a mouthful, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, sorry. It happens."
"I know, dear. It's fine. And yes, I do know where Grant is."
"Great, where is he?"
"Right here."
"Could you put him on?"
"I'm afraid I can't."
"What? Why the hell not?"
"Watch your tongue, young lady."
Skye sighs, "Sorry, Gramsy. But why can't I talk to him?"
She hears Gramsy take a deep breath. "He's in the hospital."
Skye feels as if she just got the wind knocked out of her at the revelation. Her throat has suddenly gone dry and it's hard to swallow. "What?" she whispers. "What do you mean he's in the hospital?"
"He was driving and got hit by another car that ran a red light. He was hit on the driver's side."
Skye gasps quietly, feeling the tears building in her eyes. "How long ago did this happen?"
"Sometime yesterday morning, I believe."
"Yesterday?! What the—I'm coming. I'm coming to the hospital to see him. I'll be there as soon as I can." She doesn't give Marianne a chance to answer before she ends the call.
She turns around and quickly makes her way back down the beach towards her friends.
"Skye?" Jemma speaks up when she sees her friend. "Skye, what's wrong?"
Skye's silent for a moment before letting the dam break and the tears fall from her eyes, "Grant's in the hospital. There was an accident yesterday and he...he's..."
"Oh, sweetheart," Jemma gives her a sympathetic look and stands from her seat, going over to Skye and pulling her into a hug.
Skye just hugs Jemma back tightly, burying her face in the Brit's shoulder as she cries.
After a moment she pulls back and wipes at her eyes. She swallows, "Um, I'm going to go to the hospital to see him. Can you give me a ride, Jem?"
"I would, but I didn't bring my car. Fitz gave me a ride here."
"I'll take you," Bobbi speaks up, standing from her towel. "Obviously this guy means a lot to you."
Skye nods, "He was my best friend when we were kids. We've grown apart over the years but he's still a really good friend."
"Alright," Bobbi nods, reaching out to grab her t-shirt to slip on over her bathing suit. "Come on," she grabs her car keys and wallet, gesturing for Skye to follow after her as she slips her sandals on and makes her way up to the parking lot.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Jemma asks her friend.
"I don't want to ruin the party for you," Skye says.
"Never," Jemma shakes her head. "You're my friend, Skye. Let me be here for you."
Skye nods, "Okay. Come on." She links her arm with Jemma's and the two girls quickly follow behind Bobbi to the parking lot.
...
Rushing through the doors of the hospital with Jemma right behind her, Skye skids to a stop in front of the reception desk.
"I'm looking for Grant Ward's room," she says, breathing heavily from running.
"What's your relation to him?" the woman asks.
"I'm a friend," Skye tells her.
"I'm sorry. Only family and other approved individuals are allowed back to see him. And they're all already back there. If you'll give me your name then I can—"
Skye shakes her head, "No, don't you dare say that to me. I don't care about some damn list. You let me back to see him right now or I swear I will—"
"Skye."
Turning her head, Skye lets out a breath when she sees Marianne standing a few feet away. She immediately hurries over to the older woman, throwing her arms around her in a hug.
"How is he?" Skye asks after she pulls back.
"He's stable," Marianne tells her. "But he still hasn't woken up yet."
"The woman at the desk says I can't go back and see him. But I have to, Gramsy, I have to see him."
"Of course, dear," Marianne gives her a soft smile. She looks past Skye at the reception desk, "She's fine to come back." The woman at the desk nods silently.
"Bobbi and I will wait for you out here," Jemma tells her friend.
"Come on, sweetheart," Marianne wraps an arm around Skye's shoulders and guides her down the hallway towards Grant's hospital room. They're both quiet the whole way to his room, neither woman knowing exactly what to say in the moment.
When they finally reach his room, Skye takes a deep breath before stepping into the room, stopping in her tracks when she sees Grant lying in his hospital bed. His face is pale and she can see cuts and bruises scattered across the skin of his face and arms. There's a bandage wrapped around his head and a cast on his leg that's being elevated slightly.
Skye chokes on a sob at the sight of him, thankful for Marianne's arms around her to prevent her from collapsing on the floor.
"Come here, sweetheart," Marianne guides Skye over to one of the chairs near Grant's bed, helping her sit down in it.
Skye immediately reaches out for Grant's hand, holding it tightly in both of hers as the tears roll down her cheeks.
"I'll just leave you alone for a few minutes," Marianne says.
Skye just nods, not taking her eyes off of Grant.
"Hey Grant," she says after a few minutes, after her crying has subsided some. She wipes at her eyes. "I'm uh, I honestly don't know what to say right now. I can't believe this happened to you. This isn't fair. You have to get better, okay? You have to."
"He fancies you, you know."
Skye whips her head around to see two people standing in the doorway, a guy and a girl.
She furrows her brows, "What?"
The guy steps forward, "Grant fancies you. Well, it's more like he's madly in love you, but it's basically the same."
"Who are you?"
"Name's Kebo. And this is Kara," he gestures to the girl next to him. "Grant's our friend."
"Okay. Well, Kebo, you're crazy if you think Grant is in love with me. We're just friends, that's it."
"Yeah, I know that. Grant knows that too. Doesn't stop him from being completely head over heels for you."
"How do you even know that what you're telling me is true?"
"It's obvious in the way he looks at you," Kara tells her. "And the way he talks about you. And the goofy smile he gets on his face that we know means he was just with you or is thinking about you."
"Why are you telling me this?" Skye questions.
Kebo shrugs, "Dunno. Maybe cause the bloke was too chicken to tell you how he felt and now he may never get the chance."
"Kebo..." Kara says quietly, placing a hand on his arm.
"Don't say things like that," Skye tells him. "Grant is going to pull through. He has to."
"Yeah? And what if he doesn't?" Kebo takes a deep breath, "Look, I don't mean to get all depressing and whatnot. But he may not make it out of this. And in case he doesn't, you should probably see this." He holds out a slightly scratched up laptop to her.
"Is this his laptop?" she asks, taking the computer from him.
"Yeah," Kebo nods. "We were hanging out the other day and he left a video open. I watched it, like I do, and I...well, I think you should see it for yourself."
"Um, okay," she says. "Is there a..."
Kebo shakes his head, "No. No password. For whatever reason Grant doesn't have a password on it."
"Okay, thanks."
"Yeah," Kebo nods. "We'll leave you to watch that, then." He and Kara spare a glance at Grant before turning and walking out of the room, leaving Skye alone with Grant and his laptop.
Holding the laptop in her lap, she opens the lid, bringing her to the desktop screen.
She goes into his video files, finding the most recent upload to his computer.
She double clicks on the video, waiting for the window to pop up and load.
The video opens up to show Grant sitting on the edge of his bed, his guitar perched comfortably in his lap.
"Hey, Skye," he smiles nervously into the camera, "um, so, you most likely won't ever see this, because I don't exactly plan on showing it to you any time soon. But uh, you know how I've always loved music and tried writing songs. You also know how I could never really finish a song and get it just right. Until recently, that is. I think I've finally written the perfect song. And you, Skye, you were my inspiration, you always have been. So this song is for you. I really hope you like it, even though you most likely won't hear it."
He looks down at his guitar, takes a deep breath and strums a few chords before opening his mouth to sing.
I bet you didn't notice
First time your heart was broken
You called me up and we talked till the morning
Oh
And the time that you were stranded
I was there before you landed
He was a no show
I made sure you got home
And I've been right there
For every minute
This time, it's no different
Whatever happens you should know
Cause you're not alone, girl
Look over your shoulder
You don't have to wonder
Cause you know, you know, you know
That you're not alone, girl
I'll be there to hold you
I'll stay till it's over
And you know, you know, you know
That you're not alone
That you're not alone
You're not alone
All the days that you were stressed out
Feeling like pulling your hair out
They were all missing but I was here listening
Yeah
You gotta believe in me
Even if you can't see me there
Can't see me there
I'll catch you when you fall
Cause I've been right there
For every minute
This time, it's no different
Whatever happens you should know
Cause you're not alone, girl
Look over your shoulder
You don't have to wonder
Cause you know, you know, you know
That you're not alone, girl
I'll be there to hold you
I'll stay till it's over
And you know, you know, you know
That you're not alone
That you're not alone
You're not alone
I'll be here for you no matter what
Comes around the corner
Whoa oh, whoa oh, whoa oh, whoa oh
As long as I am breathing
You won't have to worry no more
Cause you're not alone, girl
Look over your shoulder
You don't have to wonder
Cause you know, you know
Cause you're not alone, girl
Look over your shoulder
You don't have to wonder
Cause you know, you know, you know
That you're not alone, girl
I'll be there to hold you
I'll stay till it's over
And you know, you know, you know
That you're not alone
That you're not alone
That you're not alone
That you're not alone
You're not alone
I bet you didn't notice
First time your heart was broken
You called me up and we talked till the morning
The video ends with Grant giving a small smile to the camera and Skye just sits silently in her seat, not sure what to do.
After a moment, she closes the lid of the laptop and sets it off to the side before turning her attention fully on Grant.
"I'm so sorry, Grant," she says, clutching his hand in hers again. "I wish...I wish I'd known. Maybe if we hadn't grown apart. But you were still always there for me," she lets a small smile grace her lips. "Even though we went our separate ways you never failed to come to rescue. I don't know how I could have been so blind; you were always there when I needed someone." She leans forward and rests her cheek on his hand, looking up at him. "When you wake up I promise we're going to hang out more. I promise. Just please..." she closes her eyes and turns her head into his palm, "please wake up."
So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Left ya on kind of a cliffhanger there. Two more chapters to go here and then we're done.
Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!