i love writing alison :*
i hope you guys enjoy!
so i want to address a guest review that was left for me lolz. first, if you're going to leave a review that's negative, i ask that you please do so with an account, so that i can respond to you via pm and defend myself. second, if you're going to hate on me and my imagination, please at least use proper grammar. now THAT is "cringey." i am genuinely sorry that i "butchered" harry potter; it wasn't my intention. in fact that makes me super sad that you think i did. i'm not "to lazy" (grammar...) to do research. i set hogwarts in america. creative freedom. FANFICTION. so yes, it is elementary school and high school, not primary and secondary. i understand that in Britain they start secondary school at 11. cool. that has nothing to do with this. i think that i disclaimed a few times that i was taking creative freedom. anyways, i am genuinely sorry if this offended you. i didn't mean to ruin your favorite things. i hope that in the future i can make a fanfic that is more satisfactory for you! even though i'm sure you'll never read this :( but thank you so much for your critique. i appreciate it :) have a great day lovely!
Ch 14
"Oh, I think she's coming around," someone with a deep voice says from above me. I try to open my eyes, but my eyelids are too heavy.
I begin to stir, but someone keeps me from moving too much.
"Emily?" a voice I recognize as Aria's asks.
I take a few deep breaths and finally force my eyes open. My vision is blurry for a few moments while my eyes try to adjust to their new surroundings. Lucas, Aria, Toby, Hanna, Caleb, and Spencer are all crowded around my bed.
I'm in a light room; judging by the beds, I would guess I'm in the Hospital Wing. All of the beds around me are empty, except one, which is curtained off. I try to strain my neck to see who is in that bed, but Spencer casually pushes my chest back down so I'm lying flat.
I give her a small, grateful smile.
My head throbs and I instinctively raise my left hand up to it. I'm not surprised when I feel a rather large bump on the back of my head. I gingerly touch it, careful not to press too hard. If I do, my vision goes black and I start to see stars.
"Em, how are you feeling?" Hanna asks from the foot of my bed. Her left hand is holding on to my toes for some weird reason.
"I'm okay," I reply groggily. Footsteps are heard from the entrance of the room, and everyone's head turns in that direction. Nurse Meredith appears from behind Toby.
"Oh, good, you're awake. That means all of you can finally leave," she snaps, rolling her eyes. Lucas gives her a weird look, but doesn't say anything. I chuckle a little because it's almost the same look that he used to give Alison.
Wait.
ALISON.
"Where's Alison?" I basically scream, causing Hanna to jump backwards. I fly upward into a sitting position and try to shake all of my friends off of me. "I need to see Alison!"
"Emily, calm down," Spencer tries to restrain me, but I push her away. She takes a couple steps back and regains her balance.
"Don't worry, I've got this," Nurse Meredith announces.
Aria gives me a look that says 'I'm worried; she ain't got this.'
Nurse Meredith rummages through her apron and pulls out a needle. I return Aria's frightened expression.
The last thing I remember before blacking out is Alison's scream.
I wake up in the middle of the night alone, only to find out that I'm sweating. I wipe my forehead, the sweat glistening on the back of my hand. I reach up to touch the lump on my head, but it's gone. Nurse Meredith must have healed me while I was asleep.
I sniff the air; it smells of bleach and other antiseptics.
My heart starts to beat uncontrollably as my eyes fall upon the closed off hospital bed across the aisle from me. I glance around the room to see if Meredith is anywhere around, but I'm pretty sure she isn't. She doesn't care that much about her patients.
I slip out from under my covers and slide my feet onto the cold, wooden floor. As silently as possible, I tiptoe across the room. The moon illuminates my path, shining in from one of the windows behind my bed.
I take one more quick look around before opening the curtains to Alison's hospital bed, and then closing them behind me. I take a deep breath, scared to turn around and see the damage done to her.
When I finally find the courage to, I almost throw up at the sight.
Her body is completely covered in casts, splinted in the correct directions. Her face is so beaten up and bloody that she's barely recognizable. Meredith didn't even take the time to clean her off; there's even still mud from the match splattered on her.
I move forward and sit on the side of her bed, eager to get started on cleaning her up. I use my gown to wipe some of the caked on blood off of her face. As I brush some off, her nose twitches. My heart skips a beat as it twitches again. I feel her hands balling up into fists by my side, and I hold my breath.
Her eyes flutter open—well, as open as they can—and she looks up at me. When she recognizes me, she widens her swollen eyes and reaches up to touch my face. Instinctively, I reach up and hold her hand.
"Oh my god, Emily," she whispers, her voice hoarse, "are you okay?"
I knit my eyebrows and shake my head at her. Why the hell is she asking me that? Her hand drops lifelessly from my face, slipping through my fingers.
"Alison—"
"Please tell me you're okay," she interrupts me. I can hear the tension and strains in her throat. "Emily."
"Ali," I murmur, leaning down and touching my lips lightly to her forehead. I'm careful to avoid brushing any of her cuts or bruises. I pull her into a gentle hug, resting her head against my chest.
"Oh, I was so scared," she says into gown. "I knew something bad was going to happen."
"Ali," I say, putting a little distance between us. "You realize that you're the one who took the bludger for me, right?"
"Yeah, but it's my fault," she groans miserably. "It's all my fault that you were even targeted."
She collapses back against her pillow and looks up at the ceiling. I can see the water forming in her eyes.
"Please don't cry," I whisper to her. "Quidditch is a rough game. It could've happened to anyone."
"But it happened to you," she swallows back tears, "because of me."
"I refuse to believe that," I tell her firmly. I tuck some of her beautifully messy hair out of her face and behind her ear.
"God, I'm so sorry, Em," she tells me.
"Don't be," I say, just as firmly as before. "But please stop avoiding the inevitable."
"What, the fact that we're about to kiss?" she smirks. My face flushes a deep crimson, and I open my mouth to speak a few times before reluctantly deciding it's better if I don't. I pretty much look like I'm making out with the air.
"I love making you blush," she teases, reaching up and touching my cheek. I hope that she can't feel how hot my face is. Judging by the fact that she smirks more, I would bet that she can.
"I'm glad," I mutter, my voice barely audible. She smiles at me with her eyes, her dimple showing on her left cheek.
"I'm fine, Em. Honestly, this is just the beginning. A hit from a bludger is child's play compared to what I'm going to go through in the future."
"You mean from Cece and Mona?"
"AH!" Alison suddenly cries, her face wrenching up in pain. The sheets scrunch within her fists as she thrusts herself backwards into her pillows.
"Alison!" I whisper-yell, looking around. My pulse quickens and my breathing is shortened. "Do I need to get the nurse?"
I frantically look around, trying to figure out to do. I start to panic, hyperventilating slightly. What do I do?
"Emily," she gasps, "Emily."
"Alison, I'm right here! I'm right here," I promise her. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, Emily," she groans, writhing in the bed. "Emily—"
"I'm right here," I repeat.
"Oh, Emily. My lips!"
I grab her hands within mine and squeeze. "Alison, I—wait, what?"
"My lips, Emily!" she continues to cry.
I furrow my eyebrows. "A-are you serious?"
Her shaking from crying transitions into shaking from laughing.
"Oh, Emily," she teases, sitting back up. She's smiling from ear to ear. "My lips are just so sore."
"I hate you. I hate you so much," I tell her indignantly. I can't believe I actually believed something was wrong. I sigh.
"Okay. Hate me all you want," she whispers, leaning closer into my face. She closes the gap between our lips with a chaste kiss.
"I don't hate you," I mumble incoherently.
"I know."
I stare at her for a few seconds before remembering that I'm supposed to be mad.
"You almost gave me a heart attack!" I swat her arm. "I thought something was wrong!"
"Something was wrong," she muses. "I took a bludger for you, and you didn't even give me a thank you kiss."
"You are so annoying."
She shrugs, "You like it."
"Ugh, but please be serious," I tell her, my cheeks still burning. "Are you okay?"
"Emily," she laughs, "I'm fine. I wouldn't be joking around if I wasn't."
"Really? Promise?" I urge her. She smiles and nods a few times.
"Yeah, babe. I'm great," she assures me. "I'm a pretty tough bitch."
I chuckle when she winks at me. "Yeah, I can see that."
We remain silent for a few moments, just looking at each other.
"Hey, Alison?" I ask in a small voice. She raises her eyebrows, indicating for me to continue. "Thank you. For taking that hit for me."
Her smile widens even more—I didn't know that was possible.
"Anything for you, Emily."
"I—I should get back to my bed. It's almost morning."
She nods, but doesn't say anything more. Part of me feels like she's disappointed that I'm going back to my bed. I don't think that she understands that I need to, or I might blurt out something I don't want to.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Alison," I tell her as I stand up beside her bed. She smiles.
"I'm glad you are," her voice is soft. As I start to walk away, she lightly grabs onto my wrist. "Wait."
I turn back to her, letting her pull me closer to her. I lean down and give her a light kiss, and she smiles into it.
"Goodnight," I say, slowly lifting myself up off of her. I bite back the words I want to say to her.
Before I'm tempted to say the words again, I give her a small wave goodbye and head back to my bed, drawing the curtains behind me.
As I'm walking back to my bed, I take a few deep breaths to calm my breathing down.
I can't believe I almost just told Alison that I'm in love with her.
"Emily, you've been quiet ever since you got out of the hospital," Hanna comments. She puts some cream cheese on a blueberry bagel and takes a bite. Aria and Spencer watch me from across the dining table, waiting for my response.
"What's on your mind?" Spencer asks.
"Did Nurse Meredith like erase your ability to speak?" Hanna questions. She takes another large bite of her bagel.
"Hanna. Not now."
"No, sorry guys," I finally respond. "I'm just kind of worried."
Hanna furrows her eyebrows and looks at Spencer, who remains silent. She just sips on her orange juice.
"About Alison?" Aria is the first one to ask.
I nod.
"Look, I think it's cool that she took a bludger for you, but that doesn't make her a saint," Spencer puts her juice on the table.
"No, but she risked her life. That's a start," Hanna pipes up.
"I mean, I can't even imagine what this is going to do to her reputation. Everyone could tell that she took the hit for you," Aria says. She lightly brushes some crumbs off of the table.
"That's what I'm worried about," I admit.
"Hey," Aria reaches across the table and puts her hand on my forearm, "we're here for her too. If she's important to you, she's important to us."
Hanna nods from beside me and holds out a piece of a bagel for me to eat. I chuckle and take the bagel piece from her. When Spencer doesn't say anything, Aria elbows her in the side.
"Ow," she groans. "Okay, yes, I'm here for her, too. Promise. I just… I don't trust her completely yet."
"So almost dying does nothing?" Hanna cries. "She should be given an award!"
"Up until like last month she called you Hefty Hanna!" counters Spencer.
"But then she met Emily," Hanna swoons, clutching her chest. "Isn't that so romantic, Aria? Alison has been converted!"
The brunette in question just rolls her eyes.
"Anyways," she ignores her two friends, "whatever you think that we can do to help, please let us know."
"Thanks Aria. And you too, Hanna, Spence," I tell them, flashing a grateful smile. "I really appreciate it."
Spencer's eyes glaze over as she glances over my shoulder. Before any of us can see what she's looking at, she raises her hand above her head.
"Alison," she calls, "over here."
I almost spit out my orange juice in shock. I watch as Spencer forces a smile and beckons her to come join us.
I've never been so thankful to have such incredible, compassionate friends. I really have found my home here.
sorry for the long gap in updates. i've got the next chapter ready, so it definitely won't be as long ;)
i hope you guys enjoyed! review, pm, or tweet me! (same username) i love hearing from you guys! until next time :)