"Riley!"
You keep hearing someone calling your name. It's almost like an echo, mocking you with that voice. Maya's voice. Why is it even in death Maya haunts you? Are you doomed to forever be haunted by your mistakes?
You feel someone grab your face, and suddenly, you feel a wetness dripping onto your cheeks. What is happening? Are you not dead? You try to open your eyes, but you have no such luck. Your head is pounding, the only thing keeping you from fainting is this person's cries and touch.
"Oh God, what have I done?" the person cries out.
You hear the person sob, and you have the strongest urge to gather them up in a hug. They seem so... familiar. Comforting, even. Sirens begin to wail, drawing closer to you. What is happening?
You hear the bustling of people's feet hitting the hard concrete. They start yelling out orders, and you assume they are paramedics. You try getting up. 'It's okay,' you want to say. 'I'm not hurt.' But you can't. Your body simply won't move.
Maya's voice overpowers the crowd, "Riley... Why? Why did you run away?"
Your heart breaks, hearing the pain in her voice. You feel arms wrap softly around you, and then, you feel a soft kiss on your forehead. It warms your heart, making you feel as if everything would be alright. It felt like home, like Maya.
"I wish we had never fought... You never spoke to me after prom... I missed you. Sarah was the only one who comforted me, Riles," Maya's voice continues.
You hold onto each word with all your focus. It is the only thing anchoring you to the real world and not drifting away into unconsciousness. You begin to wonder if Maya truly is there. It seems almost impossible, but you hold onto that hope.
Being pulled out of your thoughts, you feel yourself being lifted up off the ground. Where were you going? Oh God, were you going to Heaven? You feel panic rise in your chest, but you still can't move. Instead, you decide to listen to the conversations around you.
"-Fractured ribs," one person says.
"-Most likely a coma," a deep voice says.
The last voice you hear is Maya's desperate voice before you let yourself be pulled into the peaceful void of darkness, "Hang on for me, Riles, okay? I promise that everything will be okay when you wake up."
"A strong friendship doesn't need daily conversation or being together. As long as the relationship lives in the heart, true friends never part."
Maya takes a deep breath, watching Riley being placed onto a gurney. Her heart races, the conflicting emotions tearing her every way. Tears stream down her face. Why was Riley in this parking lot? Why didn't Maya look where she was going?
The blonde takes a deep breath, trying to keep her heart steady. She needed to get to the hospital. Maya needed to see Riley. 'She kissed your prom date and ignored you ever since that night without even an apology,' a voice hisses in Maya's mind. The blonde shakes it off, knowing that none of that mattered now. All that mattered was that Riley would be okay.
She bites her lip and gets into her car. The one that Riley had ran in front of. She shakes her head, reprimanding herself for going down that path again. Maya needed to stop getting distracted. Without any other hesitations, Maya puts her key in the ignition and follows behind the ambulance holding her injured friend.
"I don't care if you think you can leave my life, Riles. I won't leave you now," Maya whispers, the wind whipping her hair back.
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one." ― C.S. Lewis
Beeping. That's what you wake up to. Your head is pounding and your ribcage feels like a train crashed into it, but you aren't dead. It becomes painfully clear. You squint your closed eyes, preparing for the blinding lights sure to be right in your eyes.
Slowly, you open them, the light painful. You don't try moving, but looking around, you notice you are in a hospital. The neutral colored walls, the antibiotic smell in the air, and the small couch next to you.
Your eyes stay on the couch, a form clearly sleeping on it. Did someone wait for you to wake up? How long were you asleep? It could've been hours, days, maybe even months.
The person begins to shift around, waking up. You hear a groan escape their mouth, most likely from the uncomfortable looking couch. They turn towards you, and your breath hitches in your throat. The fast beeping of your heart monitor gives away how startled you are by the person's presence.
"M-Maya?" you say weakly.
The blonde sits up straight, turning towards you in surprise. Her bright blue eyes widen, shocked by you calling to her. It makes you really wonder if you were gone for long. The blonde gets up, quickly racing to your side.
"Riles, you're awake! The doctors said you might not wake up for years..." Maya mumbles, tears welling up in her eyes.
You slowly lift up your hand, wiping away the tear that trails down her cheek. You push a loose strand of hair behind her ear by habit. Smiling softly, you look at the blonde. She smiles back, a brightness in her eyes that wasn't there when you had seen her at school with Sarah.
"You promised that everything would be okay, Maya. I never doubted it for a second," you whisper.
The girl chuckles, tears freely streaming down her face. You know that they are tears of joy because you can feel your own running down your cheeks. Patting the space next to you, the blonde quickly kicks off her shoes and joins you in the hospital bed.
"I missed this," Maya whispers.
You look at her, smiling genuinely for the first time in months, "I did, too."
A doctor walks into the room, looking down at his clipboard, "Okay, Miss Hart... Anything happened whi- She's awake?!"
"Yes, sir, she is, and I wouldn't have it any other way," Maya says, looking at you with a smile radiating hope.
You grin, happiness consuming your whole being. Just a simple statement from Maya can remove all the grief, anguish, and anger from you. Maya simply is your happiness, and you wouldn't change it for the world. Probably because Maya is your world.
"Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over." – Octavia Butler
A/N: Only one chapter left! I know I could end it here, but we still have a couple unresolved issues. I hope my description of a hospital was correct because I've only been in one (no wait twice I was born in one XD) once before. Fairly recently so I hope this is correct XD
Welp, back to you guys :P You guys blew me out of the water with how much support I am getting! Seriously, I can't believe how many of you guys want me to continue! I wanna respond to you guys and your reviews because you guys deserve to know I realize you are there :P
Guest: Well thank you :P Your review was very kind, and Maya was the one who hit Riley (explanation next chapter) Hopefully, they settle their differences and get back together, but who know? (Oh wait, I do XD nevermind :P)
Lon: I actually was going to do that, but then I decided to take your advice so thank you :3 I did switch the point of view, as you also suggested :D Thanks for being supportive!
Guest: Why, thank you! I'm sorry I was a derp and didn't update XD Please forgive me :P
Cassie-the-Librarian: Bam! You ordered more, and I served more XD
Guest: You're great :P
Scumbeezy asf: Sowwy, but I hope that this suffices your need for a new chapter :3 Thank you, you made me smile :)
Guest: Sorry! I hate that I didn't write but such is life. I don't wanna bore people with my life problems so I just will simply say life happens XD I hope that you like the chapter, though :3
Guest: You can try reading my story "Remember When?" It's kinda like this :P (shameless advertisement for my other stories? Pssh, no...) I hope to finish this by the end of summer!
Guest: Nope, her condition will be explained in the next chapter XD Who knows?! Oh, I do... MWHAHAHA! Who knows?! What? Dieing... Pssh, I would never! *tears apart next chapter* nope, that wouldn't happen!
Hubbabubba123: Quickly! Grab the tissues! It's your only defense!
Guest: BAM! Update!
Guest: Thanks, I hope this chapter is the same :p
Guest: ALAKAZAM! Update achieved!
frostystuffs: Well, I hope it plays out how you want it :P Thanks! I never have done first person before so it was kind of a challenge XD Thank you again!
Guest: Aw, you are the sweetest person ever! I hope you start a fanfiction because then we could totally work on a fanfic together :) I haven't tried yet, but who knows? Maybe I will :P