Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I was so thrilled to read each one of it, and so I decide to publish two chapters in a row! Consider this as a sign of my thanks as well as New Year's gift to all of you!
Anyway, enjoy!
Gwen
We can hear Reine locks the door upstairs.
I can't blame him for the blond concern, because… six months ago, that would be me.
However, now that I've seen Neil and Reine, I feel bad for them. Imagining what they have to go through with their hair colour, and to think that I used to be one of those people…
After all of this thing, I should apologise to them again. But, now, to do my part…
"Dad, I think Reine has a point."
"If you think so, you are still kids. Both of you."
"If Dad think so, it's time for you wearing something to help you look, not just see."
I follow Reine upstairs. With the kind of emotion and physical condition she is in, I guess it's a bad idea to leave her on her own. Behind my back, I can hear Dad's complaining to Mom.
"See?! You persuaded me to give a chance to that redhead boy and now what?!"
Sorry, Mom. I'll make it up to you.
I gently knock on the door, "Reine, it's me…"
I wait for some moments but nothing is happening. I knock again, this time louder. "Reine, it's me!"
Again, nothing.
Something is bugging me; Reine is in no way a heavy sleeper. This time, I pound on the door with everything I have, "Reine!"
Soon, the sound of rushed footsteps is heard. I turn my head and find my parents, "What is it now?" Dad asks.
"Reine won't open the door."
I move aside as Dad begins knocking on the door. "Reine! Open the door!"
Nothing.
Dad tries to turn the knob, but Reine has locked it. "Reine Kreiss!"
Don't tell me…
Dad crashes himself on the door. Once. Twice. Then the door burst open on the third try. The room is dark, and there is no one.
My cell phone suddenly rings. I look at the screen and find Neil's name on it. I put some distance between Dad and me before I pick it up. "Hello?"
"Gwen,"
It immediately occurs to me to tell him what happened. "Reine—"
"She's in the general hospital now."
Neil
The drenched shirt sticks to my body like glue, and the cold air from the air conditioner makes it even worse. I rub my hands together to keep myself warm and thank God that my house isn't that far from the general hospital.
Reine is in the ER, and as much as I want to stay near her, I guess I should just wait for her family first outside the room. They come soon after I called Gwen, the three of them. Reine's father immediately punches me to the ground and jerks me up again. He has more power than I'd thought he would.
"What the hell did you do to her this time?!" he roars.
"Dad!"
"Jack, this is hospital…" Mrs Kreiss reminds him gently.
"Which means I can beat him to pulp if I want to."
If I tell him that Reine suddenly pops up at my house, it'll either drag me into deeper trouble for allegedly lying or Reine into trouble for running away from her house. The thought of letting this kind of wrath loose upon Reine isn't something pleasant; so I guess the best option is just shut up and let him beat me if he wants to. Not that it'd be my first time, anyway.
The doctor's emerging from the ER saves my ass, since it prompts Reine's father to let me go. "Mr Kreiss?" the doctor inquires.
"How is my daughter? Can I see her now?"
"Yes, of course. Please, follow me."
I really want to follow them in, but when I am about to do that, Reine's father glares at me threateningly. Nevertheless, I still stand up. Gwen holds me back. "Don't, Neil."
As much as I hate to admit it, she's right.
I throw myself back to the chair, cursing myself how could I have let this happened. If I had gathered enough courage to face her father before this, not when she's sick like this, things would've been different.
I'm such a… coward. And now Reine has to bear the consequences of it as well. My mind flies to the silver medal in my room. If only I had her fighting spirit…
Fight. That's what I'm seriously lacking in.
After a few moments, her parents emerge from the ER, but not Gwen. Her father glares at me once again, but he then walks past through me.
Mrs Kreiss, however, stops and bends down. "You'll catch cold!" she exclaims. She then walks to the nurse station and comes back with a towel that she drapes over me before sitting next to me.
"Thank you for bringing her here, Neil," she says.
She… isn't mad at me?
"How's she?"
"The doctor said it's pneumonia." Mrs Kreiss replies, "It worsened since she drenched herself in rain, apparently."
"I'm sorry…"
"Why?" she asks back, much to my surprise. "I've been her mother for seventeen years now. I know how much guts she has." She laughs softly. "If there's anyone who should apologize, it's Jack for giving that girl his guts and stubbornness, as much as he doesn't want to admit it."
Her laugh startles me. How can she… smile and laugh in times like this? Why doesn't she blame me?
"Why…" the word eventually comes out. "Why don't you disagree?"
"About you dating her?"
I nod.
"Because you've helped me with my groceries."
What the…? Now I know where Reine's gotten that kind of logic from.
"You were the first person who offered to help me, a total stranger, with my groceries, and you didn't pickpocket me or anything," she says. "That's enough proof for me to say you have a good heart. And all I want to find in my daughters' choice is a good heart."