Chapter 1
~ When we first met ~
The colored lights reflected off of the ice and snow on the old driveway. Snowflakes fell to the earth from heaven in numbers greater than a million. Inches of snow lined the streets and covered the grass. The house
blended in with the pale white grass beneath it. I sat on the steps leading to the front porch. My snow gear was warm from the heat of my body. I waited and watched the neighborhood children sledding with their families. I wanted to join them, but I waited for my cousins to arrive. It was Christmas Eve.
My family was coming home this Christmas. Every cousin who lives close to us was driving here today. Many were from my mom’s side of the family. Unfortunately, my dad’s parents, my grandmother and grandfather always had to come. My mother, father, and I had prepared weeks for this one Christmas party. I didn’t want a party. There wasn’t one person who I wanted to see. My family consisted of many people, most of which were very clumsy, messy, and rude.
I was lucky this year. My cousins were bringing a friend along this year. Uncle John told me that they are bringing a girl, a friend of my cousin Jamie, and she was my age. Her name is Annie. I had seen her before at Jamie’s birthday parties. She was cute, but we have never talked before. I might have said “hello” or “hi,” but never carried on a full conversation. I really wanted to make a good impression on her. If I made a good impression, I would maybe get a chance to go on a date with her.
It took a while, but soon after I had almost frozen to death, a car pulled up the drive. It was a silver little car with a license plate from Idaho
She was about my height. Long, tan, skinny legs stretched out from her abdomen. Long brown hair flowed over her shoulders and rest on her back. Her eyes were sparkling silver from the moon’s lovely light. Her long red dress curved over her body like the air over the water. She wore a heavy black coat over it to keep warm in this terrible cold weather.
My heart sank to my knees. I couldn't speak. Nor could any words come to my mind. My head pounded and sang to every step she took. Tyler
After a while, I managed to get up. My legs were weak, my head was pounding, and I still had no feeling in my body. Eventually, I regained my full feeling in my body and walked her to the door. All the blood rushed to my head. My face burned a bright red fire of love and emotion.
"May I take your coat?" I offered. The words barley left my lips.
"Yes, you may. What a gentleman!" She said.
I grabbed her coat and purse and hung them on the coat rack by the door. There were so many coats on the rack. To make room, I dropped my minor league baseball jacket on the floor. After I hung her coat, she handed me a present. It was a small flat gift with green wrapping paper and a red bow. On the tag, it said "To: The Roberts Family From: Annie Bennett." Could it be a book? What book? I set the present on the circle table in the front room and led her to the kitchen..
My family always had parties in the kitchen. We had a perfect Family room and Dining room, but we will never use them. The kitchen, like always, was a storm of people. Chips and dip, bread and crab spread, vegetable trays, cheese platters, fruit salads, and almost every other appetizer you can imagine lined the narrow counters. The air was humid and stale from the lack of fresh air. I had never seen so many people crammed into the kitchen before.
Annie walked to her parents. They were near the oven, mingling with my parents while watching my Mother’s famous turkey cook. Of course, Annie barley knew who I was, so she probably felt more comfortable with her parents. I grabbed some chips off the counter and stuffed them in my mouth. I kept watching her talk with her parents and eat.
I need to talk to her. I thought. If I don’t, I will be spending then rest of my life asking "Why didn't I?" I have to gain some courage and be a man.
Oh no, I thought, I am gonna puke. I stood there frozen. My back tensed up and my teeth clenched shut. I trying to speak, but realized that I wasn't breathing.
Annie was staring at me. An expression of disgust and worry was splattered across her beautiful face. She reached out her hand to me, I took it. Her lips were mouthing words while I stood their frozen. She grabbed my shoulder and walked me into the other room. I began to hear things again. Her touch was like a medicine that could cure anything. She led me towards the couch next to the circle table where I had placed the present. She sat down next to me and placed a cold rag on the back of my neck. Her hands rubbed my back. I was in heaven. Was this real life?
After a few moments, I was able to function again. Annie still sat next to me, rubbing my back. My breathing steadied. My heart beat to its own slow rhythm and calmed the rest of my body. The sick feeling that I had felt was gone as well. I could finally hear her sweet voice once more. I probably looked very stupid though.
"You ok Tyler
I didn’t know what to say. I didn't wanna tell her that I froze up because of her. That would make me sound like I am crazy. I had to tell her something! "I am fine. I am not sick. I am just really nervous."
"Why are you so nervous?" She said.
My heart was beating fast again. I guessed I actually had to tell her. I gained my courage and counted down in my head. Five, four, three, two, one. "Um... I wanted to make a good first impression on you. I think you’re really cute." I whispered it so quiet. I didn’t even think she heard it. Thoughts went running through my mind. Oh man! What if she thinks I am crazy? What if I just messed up my chance? I have only known her for around an hour. I am dead. Stupid hormonal mind, why do you have to ruin everything? Hormones, Hormones, Hormones, You make things even more awkward.
"Oh." She said. "Well, I don't know you very well but thanks. Lets just be friends for now...because Jamie, well, She is my best friend. It would be awkward to date her cousin after just meeting him.
“Ok.” I mumbled, not meaning what I said.
I regretted what I had said. There are no guys in my school who talk the way I just did. I knew I shouldn't have done that. It was awkward. At least, we are friends. I dreaded the moment that I had to walk back into that tornado of a kitchen.“Well, we should probably go back to the party." I said. She nodded and we walked into the kitchen together.
My mother and father rushed to see me. Of course, they wanted to know If I was ok. I stood there feeling stupid, answering all the questions my mother threw my way, and nodding accordingly. My father stood there laughing it off saying “He is ok! Don’t worry about him! Enjoy the party!” My mother was obviously worried though, so she sent me up to bed. Goodbye Annie.
That night, I spent my time thinking about her. I couldn’t get her out of my head. She was gone by then, back to her life, full of boys, in Idaho
After a while, my mind started to spin into a black hole, sucking the energy from my body. I became very tired and my thoughts whirled into a tornado and blew away with the rest of my emotions. I drifted into a lonely sleep full of terrifying night mares of no love. I never imagined my night to end this terrible. I wanted it to end with a kiss, but it ended in an embarrassing show staring my parents. Merry Christmas.
Dear Annie Bennett,
I am sorry for being an idiot. Do you hate me? I am sorry. Email me sometime: TylerARoberts@mailme.com.
Tyler Andrew Roberts.
P.S. I am sorry for freaking out on you. I get nervous around girls. We should go out to dinner sometime. I will miss you. You and your family should come to my family’s cabin on the river sometime. We have a lot of fun. I will ask my mom.
Merry Christmas Annie!
Chapter 2
~ The email ~
Christmas had come and gone. The day went like any other normal Sunday. I woke up and went downstairs. I made myself breakfast and went back upstairs to get dressed. After I was finished getting ready, I went back downstairs and checked my email. No reply from Annie yet. Oh well, it had only been 13 hours since she even left my house. I gave it another few minutes and refreshed the page. Zero emails. Stupid email.
The day went by fast. Only a few thing were left to remind me of the day; a $50 gift card from my Aunt Maggie, a new CD, and a WWU sweatshirt. They were good gifts but not exactly what I wanted for Christmas. All I wanted this year was Annie to be mine. That night, I sat at the computer. I stared at the screen. Refresh Refresh, Refresh, and No messages yet. When will she respond? I thought. Why is she taking so long? Did she even get my note? I clicked that refresh button till my eyes became sore, my heart became numb, and till my head was twisted and turned.
It had been hours when I finally headed up to bed. My legs didn’t want to move. I had to force my body away from the computer. I couldn’t bare it any longer. I sat down on the stairs and looked at the coat rack where her jacket had hung. Something shimmering beneath the rack caught my eye. I stood up and walked toward it. I wondered if it was just a ring or earring one of my drunken relatives had left behind. It wasn’t. When I got closer, I realized it was a necklace. This was not just any necklace. The charm at the end looked vaguely familiar. Harmony. I ran the chain through my fingers a few times. A few moments later, I realized something. This necklace that I held in my large hand, was Annie’s necklace!
My heart was beating fast. If this was here, I thought, then she will have to come back to get it. I was so happy. I ran up the long flight of stairs. I jumped two steps each time. Once I made it to my bedroom, I placed the necklace on my bed and grabbed the phone. I didn’t know Annie’s number but I dialed the operator. I asked for the number of a girl, Annie Marie Bennett. She transferred me to that number. She answered. Be calm, I thought, keep breathing, you can do this. A young, sweet, girl answered the phone. At first, I couldn’t hear anything but a rustling noise. Then, I heard her.
“Hello” She said.
“Hello Is this Annie Bennett.” I asked.
“Yes this is. Who may I ask is calling?”
“This is Tyler
“Oh hello Tyler
“Great, actually! Better than yesterday. How was your Christmas?”
“Very good. How about you”
“Good! Um…” I paused. “I was calling because I think you left your necklace at my house.”
The voice on the other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. I just waited. Then, she came back on.
“Oh! I did lose my necklace!” She said, shocked.
“Yeah, I have it right here. How do you want me to return it to you?” I asked.
“Umm.” She was thinking. “I can come and get it next weekend. Would that work?
“Here, hold on a second.”
I wanted her to come over badly! I ran into the other room. My mom and dad lay on the day bed reading. I had to ask them or she couldn’t come over. I was out of breath and my heart, beating really fast, kept stealing my breath. I pushed the door away and swung so fast that it hit the wall behind it and startled me and my parents. My father looked as if I was a robber and he was the dad with a shot gun, ready to beat me and throw me over to the police. Annie was still on the phone and I could hear her mindlessly humming a tune away from the microphone.
“Mom, Annie left her necklace here last night. I am on the phone with her now. Can she come over next weekend to pick it up and maybe hang out?”
Both my parents gave me a very strange look. To them I was crazy I guess. Well, It was 11:30 pm on Christmas day. I mean, who is not tired on Christmas. Only me, I guess. My mother set down her book on her lap. My father fumbled through the bed to find the TV remote and ended up dropping it on the floor. While removing his reading glasses, He took in a deep sigh and set them in his case.
“Tyler
"I know." I replied.
"I guess she can come over," My mother said,"But! She cannot be in your room alone with you.”
"I know." I replied.
"I guess she can come over," My mother said,"But! She cannot be in your room alone with you.”
"Yes!"I screamed loudly. I didn't realize Annie was still on the phone and waited awhile before I quickly said "Hold on" and put the phone on mute. I ran back into my room and jumped up onto my bed. Regaining my poise, I took a few deep breathes, pulled the blankets over my feet and pressed the phone to my ear. I unpressed the mute button and could hear her humming again. I listened for a moment before breaking the silence by clearing my throat.
“My mom said yes. You can come over on Saturday. Do you wanna hang out too?” I asked.
“Yes. Sure! I would love to hang out.” She said.
“Cool!” I paused and breathed deep. “So, I will see you Saturday. Does around noon work?”
“Yeah that works. I will have my dad drop me off.”
“Cool. See you then, Annie!”
“Cool. See you then, Annie!”
“Ok. Bye Tyler
She hung up. I almost fainted. She was coming over, for sure. The necklace was still in my left hand. I held it tight enough that I swear if I would have been any happier it would have ended up as a melted metal puddle in my hand. My heart was beating wildly as I did the famous "Got the girl" fist pump you see in all those cheesy movies. That when I had remembered that she brought a gift. I jumped up from my bed and ran downstairs and grabbed the gift off of the front room table. As I was running back through the hallway, I tripped on my baseball jacket and ended up head-first on the staircase. I laughed it off and wobbled up the stairs in humerous pain. Tripping up the stairs as I went, I turned on the light in the hall and ran into my room. Once I reached my room, I slammed my face into my pillow and screamed. I needed to get the pain out somehow. Again, I laughed and hurdled up onto my bed.
The small gift that she had been holding was now in my hands. I carefully opened it by ripping off the wrapping paper very slowly. I was right. It was a book called 20 Quotes of Love. I stroked the spine and cover a few times checking it out. I had never heard of this book before. At first, I didn’t know why she got us this book. Then, I read it. I know why. She wrote the book. There were 20 pages in it. On page one; there was a poem about Christmas. I skipped a few pages because I don’t like to read. On the last page, there was a song. The words were showing black and bright on the white page.
“The night, the shining stars, the one I give to be forgotten. The song, the melody, inspires me, to love and give to, to be forgotten.” The song was depressing. Was Annie depressed? I didn’t want to get into it. All I wanted to think about was when she would be coming over next week. The thought of her being upset though, and that thought couldn’t escape my mind. I slept that night with her necklace in my hand and her book under my pillow. I couldn’t wait a week. I closed my eyes and felt her touching my back again. As I drifted off to sleep, I ended up in a dream.
The dream began as a breeze. It blew through my hair into my brain and pushed me deeper and deeper into a long sleep. When I landed, I was in a large grassy field. I stood barefoot among the crickets and butterflies. I could hear birds chirping in the distance. I walked forward. A tree appeared in the distance. There was a girl swinging on a rope hanging off of one of the branches. As I walked closer, the girl's figure became clearer. It was Annie, in a short pink dress. She swung back and forth. When I reached the swing, she jumped off and fell into the grass. Her hair was messy and wind blown. I walked over to her and lay down next to her. There she was, Annie Marie Bennett. She grabbed a flower and started plucking the leaves. “He loves me, he loves me not, He loves me, and he loves me not…” She was plucking a petal each sentence. There was one left. She pulled it off and said “He loves me.” She turned to me. Her eyes were a bright blue mist that filled the space between us. Then, her body became the mist too and she blew away into the atmosphere. Annie was gone. The mist turned into the sky and I woke up staring at my blank ceiling. The morning was here.
Chapter 3
~ The visit~
The week went by slow. A day would begin and take years to end. The sun would rise and rise but never set. I wanted to see her really bad. Every night I dreamed of her. My hands would not release their grip on the book and of course, the necklace. Unfortunately, Tuesday morning, it snowed. The weather had a mind of its own. The snow storm trapped me inside all week. Numerous power outages caused our family to freeze in the intense coldness. On Thursday, I got an email from Annie and I didn’t know why. I ended up just reading it over and over again. The email read:
“Dear Tyler,
I can’t wait to see you on Saturday. I told my dad to
drive me there around 11:30. Is that cool? Well, call me!
Sincerely,
Annie Marie Bennett
P.S. I am bringing chips and salsa. I hope that’s cool too! I will see you this weekend!”
My mother, at one point, was reading the email behind me. Obviously, mother was excited that I had a little crush on Annie. She probably couldn’t wait for the moment when Annie walked in and my face turned bright red. My father wasn’t exactly happy about Annie though. He thought she was just another teenage girl that I would try and do things with, bad things. The one thing is my dad doesn't realize that I am not that kind of guy, like he was when he was my age. He also thought she was one of those girls who was “Popular” and only wanted a boyfriend to show him off. I didn’t believe this one bit. To me, Annie was my love at first sight and personality didn't matter. Of course, that’s not true, personality is everything, but I wanted to believe that she was a good girl. I didn’t know her that well, So, I just brushed off the personality question until Saturday.
Friday night, I started to think about Annie even more. I lay, as usual, in my bed and stared at my blank ceiling. Bad thoughts rushed into my mind. They rolled into my brain like an avalanche coming down a mountain. Is Annie really the girl for me?
~ There is no handbook. There are no rules. Does anyone truly know what loves means? From my point of view, love is what is between a married man and woman. Does that mean that Annie and I will have to wait till we are older to realize our feelings? I think I love her. How would I know this to be true? My heart was telling me one thing, and my mind another. For which should I listen to? My heart seems to be right. It's never lied to me before. I was confused. My body was stuck in a trap pulling me down into despair. Give me a sign.
Early Saturday afternoon, after basketball practice, I heard a car door shut from outside. Then, the doorbell rang. I wondered who it could be. I thumped myself on the head and remembered Annie was coming over today. I kicked off my shoes and threw the contents of my pockets onto my bed and ran down the two flights of stairs to the front door. That's when I realized how stupid I looked cause I had forgotten to get ready. I licked my hands and ran them through my wet hair. I was still wearing basketball shorts and a tank top. "Oh well!" I thought and opened the door anyway.
Standing in the cold December air, Annie stood. She wore a short pink dress that cut off at her knees. She seemed taller. Her eyes sparkled against the light and I asked her to step inside. As she walked in, my heart began to beat faster and faster. I took her coat and purse and hung them on the rack. Why was I so lucky to have a girl, as pretty as her in my house?Again, the thought popped into my mind. What is love? Are these butterflies part of it? What about my heart? Is that part of it? I was lost. I forgot she was even there. I turned to the mirror and stared at my reflection. Who is that boy? Is that Tyler
Annie stood behind me and looked at the mirror too. Her hands rested on my shoulders. I dropped my head to my chest and thought for a moment. I really like her, don't I? She stepped in front of me. Her hands were still on my shoulders and she pulled me close for a hug. The butterflies returned to my stomach and I lost all my courage, all the courage you can expect from a fifteen year-old boy! She held me there for a few minutes and finally let go.
I straightened myself up and walked her to the living room. We sat there in silence for a while while I thought of something to do. All I wanted to do was stare deep into her eyes and kiss her, but obviously Annie didn't want me to kiss her because she just kept giggling and turning away. Then I asked her about her book. That's when our conversation basically started. She told me that last year she was depressed. I asked her why and she said her boyfriend had broken up with her, who she had been dating for a year, and her parents were getting a divorce. My jaw dropped and I tried to put myself in that situation but couldn't. I asked her to read me a few poems and sing the song. She refused to sing but read the first few pages of the book before my mother called Annie and I into the kitchen. My mom made Chicken and rice. Annie’s chips and salsa sat on the table ready to be eaten.
Yummy…… but I couldn’t eat. My stomach was upset. I didn’t know why, but it hurt really bad. I tried to drink water, but I couldn’t swallow it. I had to spit it back in the cup, which grossed Annie out. While Annie ate, I just sat there with my arms wrapped around my stomach in discomfort. Why today? I thought. Why now? My head hurt too. I guessed it was probably heartburn or something like that, but that couldn't explain the headache I had raging in my head. I whispered to my mother that I wasn't feeling good and she asked if I wanted to go lie down. I refused and keep rocking in pain and of course, I was forced by my mother to eat. I began to gag.
My throat was tightening and I knew the feeling. I was gonna throw up, so, I covered my mouth and ran into the bathroom. All of my food came up. It was DISGUSTING! Week old pizza from before Christmas, Grandma’s casserole from last Sunday, and many other gross surprises came up. I stood there, unable to breath pulling all of my stomach muscles and draining my tummy. I must have been in that bathroom for a long time, because when I came out Annie was doing the dishes and the table was clean. My mother rushed to my side as usual, which made my face turn red. Annie turned from her work and gave a sort of happy sad smile.
Yummy…… but I couldn’t eat. My stomach was upset. I didn’t know why, but it hurt really bad. I tried to drink water, but I couldn’t swallow it. I had to spit it back in the cup, which grossed Annie out. While Annie ate, I just sat there with my arms wrapped around my stomach in discomfort. Why today? I thought. Why now? My head hurt too. I guessed it was probably heartburn or something like that, but that couldn't explain the headache I had raging in my head. I whispered to my mother that I wasn't feeling good and she asked if I wanted to go lie down. I refused and keep rocking in pain and of course, I was forced by my mother to eat. I began to gag.
My throat was tightening and I knew the feeling. I was gonna throw up, so, I covered my mouth and ran into the bathroom. All of my food came up. It was DISGUSTING! Week old pizza from before Christmas, Grandma’s casserole from last Sunday, and many other gross surprises came up. I stood there, unable to breath pulling all of my stomach muscles and draining my tummy. I must have been in that bathroom for a long time, because when I came out Annie was doing the dishes and the table was clean. My mother rushed to my side as usual, which made my face turn red. Annie turned from her work and gave a sort of happy sad smile.
“My darling boy, Are you OK?” My mother said.
I just stood there staring at Annie who looked as if she were about to puke. My stomach was calm now. Tears still trickled down my face but only so often. They waited for me to say something but I didn't want to talk in fear that I would saying something that would trigger my gag reflexes again. Eventually, I did have to say something .Both my mother’s and Annie’s faces had very strange looks. They showed a mix between disgust and wonder.
“Mother, I am fine. Annie, I am sorry you had to see that. I must have ate something bad.”
“Tyler
“Mother, I am fine. Annie, I am sorry you had to see that. I must have ate something bad.”
“
“Oh nothing, all I ate was a grilled cheese sandwich.” I moaned in embarrassment.
My mother’s expression went from disgust to relief.
“Tyler
Of course, the one day I forget to read the label, I get food poisoning. How could I be so stupid? Of course, the cheese was bad. It had green on it. Why did I think those green dots were spices? Damn, Aren’t I stupid? I could still taste the vomit in my mouth. Luckily, I was feeling a lot better than before but I longed for some water. Then, Annie walked over to me holding a glass of water and a wet rag. Had she read my mind? My mother led me over to the couch and placed a garbage can beside me. I still felt pretty gross but not as bad as before. After adjusting the pillows a few times, I grabbed the water and rag from Annie. I placed the rag on my forehead and drank the whole glass of water.
I was never more embarrassed in my life than the moment my mother started talking about me spitting up when I was baby. She went on and on about how she would spend hours waiting for me to get hungry and then I would finally drink a whole bottle and spit everything back up. It made me almost puke again and the laughter coming from Annie didn't help my condition one bit. I swear my face was as red as my basketball shorts. I pulled the rag over my head and laughed so hard that the rag fell onto the floor. Annie laughed too. Her laugh was so cute.
It was turning dark and Annie got a call from her father. He would be there in 15 minutes to pick her up. To be honest, I didn't want her to leave. She made me feel better and if she left I don't know what I'd do. She was my distraction from the throbbing in my brain. As everyone knows though, All fun has to come to an end. The doorbell rang and I jumped off the couch to grab a piece of paper out of my backpack. I scribbled down a quick apology letter and stuffed it in her purse before she grabbed it.
"Annie, thanks for helping me. It was very fun hanging out with you." I said.
"Yes, it was! I hope you feel better kid." She gave a sort of serious-humorous glance at me and pulled her jacket off of the rack.
"Bye!" I yelled as she walked out to her car.
"Bye Tyler!" She mouthed as she climbed in the passenger seat.
I watched them drive away and waved thinking about all we had done today. As I shut the door, I suddenly jolted and doubled over in an intense pain that ran from my head to my feet. I tried to scream but couldn't. I could barely breath and it was hard to move at all. The pain still stung through my veins and seemed to recharge and go through my body over and over. With all the strength I still had in my body I yelled to my mother who was in the kitchen. She sprinted to my side as I fell to the ground causing my head to hit the bottom of the staircase. I blacked out from the intense pain. The last thing I saw was my mother bent over me and I heard her screaming my name over and over. Darkness covered my mind and I was lost in silence.
Chapter 4
~ The Emergency Room~
Doctors leaned over my body. Wires were attached to my arms and chest. Monitors beeped and buzzed around my head. I opened my eyes to find out what was happening, but everything was blurry. Masked figures in blue scrubs circled me over and over again. A doctor by my stomach wrote down a on clipboard. While doing this, another doctor felt around my stomach and ended up pushing right where I felt the most pain. I shrieked in agony and began to crying hysterically. It was as if he had exploded a firecracker in my stomach. I clenched my fists and bit down on my lip. They kept feeling that spot over and over. The pain throbbed through my chest and seemed to pierced me all over my body.
The doctor who was writing on the clipboard motioned to all the people in the room. The other two doctors ran into the hallway and two nurses entered. On ran up next to my head and put an oxygen mask on me and the other unlocked the wheels on my bed. Suddenly, it was a tornado. More and more nurses ran into my room from the hallway and surrounded my bed. With one jerk, the bed was in motion down the hall. As we passed through the door, I saw my mother at the nurses station. I screamed to her as we passed. Half crying half screaming loudly, I almost fainted. She ran to my side and I reached for her hand. She grabbed it and I squeezed it tight. We entered the elevator and she was told to wait in the waiting room. I started to cry harder than ever.
The elevator doors shut. The lights clicked for each level we reached. I covered my eyes to hide my crying from the nurses and doctors who were all whispering to each other. My mother was gone. I was scared out of my mind. I looked down to my stomach and saw a giant red circle right where I had felt the pain. The nurse beside me took the clipboard off the side of the bed and wrote down something. I tried to ask her what was wrong with me, but no words came from my mouth. Ding! We reached our floor and the doors opened. The bed swerved out of the elevator and into the hallway. Turning past many rooms, we finally slammed through two double doors labeled "Operating Room B." I looked up to the nurse on my left who took off my mask and leaned down to me.
"You will be alright," She whispered "Don't worry about anything."
I nodded and wiped the tears from my face. The bed turned in a circle and pushed through another set of doors. We entered a room filled with thousands of gadgets. The doctor who had the clip board was standing there but now he was wearing thick scrubs, gloves, a mask, and something on his head. The other two doctors who had been examining me were there two. They rolled the bed up to the table and locked the wheels. The doctors circled around my bed and reached under me. Without a problem, they lifted me to the table and nurses rolled the bed away. While I got comfortable, a nurse placed on an oxygen mask and I felt a prick in my arm. I looked over to see a giant needle stabbed into my arm. Within seconds, I shut my eyes and was stuck in that dark silence again.
The hospital room was dark. I lifted my head off the bed and looked around. The blinds were shut and no one was there. I figured that it was late and everyone who was here had gone home to sleep. The bad pain in my stomach was gone. I looked down and lifted up my rob to see a thick line of stitches right where the red circle used to be. I felt fine, but I had a small headache. Next to my hand was a remote which looked like it controlled the bed. I clicked the up button and the bed moved upward into a sitting position. Above me was a set of lights. I clicked the light switch button on the remote and they turned on. The room got brighter. Beside me was the clipboard the doctor was holding when I was being checked out. I grabbed it and held it up so I could see it in the light.
The board said: "Tyler Andrew Roberts, Age: 15, Sex: Male. Diagnosed: Appendicitis (Approx. for 2 months - By observation) Reason for E.R. Care: Appendix Burst (Approx. 7:30 pm PST On Jan. 1, 2011) Time admitted: 8:14 pm PST, Date: January 1, 2011." I skipped through all the signatures to find out who did my surgery. Two doctors by the names of Issac Martin and Diane Bennett did it. Underneath Dr. Bennett's signature its said "Good patient. I'll tell Annie "Hey!" for you." I started to laugh. Annie's mother was my doctor. A few moments later a nurse came in and grabbed the clipboard off my lap.
"Hey there bud..." she said. Her hands ran over the clipboard and she began to check the monitors that circled me.
"Hello." I replied.
"How you feeling?"
"OK. Did they really take out my Appendix?"
"Yes. The doctor said she would be in, in a while to check up on you and tell you what exactly happened."
"OK... I sort of know her. She is my girlfriend's m-..."
I paused. Did I just say that? Girlfriend.... We hung out once. It wasn't even a date, especially because my mom was there and I kind of puked in the middle of it. What if Annie thinks it was a date? I already said it. The nurse looked at me weird and laughed. My face turned bright read as I attempted to correct myself.
"... I meant my friend who is a girl, so my friend's mother, Annie's mom did my surgery."
The nurse laughed and scribbled down a few more notes on the clipboard. After checking a few more monitors and placing the clipboard back on the side of my bed, the nurse pulled up a chair next to me.
She crossed her arms on the side of the bed and pulled her hair out of her face.
"You know, Tyler, I was your age once. This "Annie" girl came in earlier while you were in surgery. She wanted to know if you were OK and how the surgery was going. She wanted to see you badly, but you were just out of surgery so, nobody could see you yet. I told her you were OK and that she could come back tomorrow to see you. Her mother was indeed your surgeon. Annie seemed really scared and sad, by the way. She waited for you to wake up in the waiting room. Her dad took her home a few hours ago, but she insisted on leaving you this note."
She handed me a white piece of paper the was folded up neatly. She widened her eyes and chuckled into her arms. I unwrapped the page and looked to her again. Her head was in her arms and she was laughing quietly. Her head jerked back up and she looked at me funny. I looked at the note. It read:
Dear Tyler Roberts,
I am so scared! I thought you just had the flu and I find out from your mom that you had YOUR APPENDIX REMOVED! I hope you are OK now:) I will come and visit you tomorrow. Which do you like Reese's Cups or Hershey Bars? I doesn't matter. I'll buy you both. Feel better buddy.
- Annie Marie Bennett
P.S. You were so cute yesterday. You should text me so we can hang out again, when you are better, OF COURSE!
My face turned bright red. The nurse, who was probably only in her twenties based on her piercings and attitude, hid her head in her arms again as she laughed. I laughed as I dropped the note into my lap, but laughing hurt too much! The nurse stood up and put the chair back to where it originally was. She walked to the door. "Now you better get some sleep Tyler. You don't want to have bags under your eyes when your precious ANNIE comes tomorrow." Her expression was hysterical when she said Annie. Her eyes bugged out and she smiled wildly. I laughed as she closed the door behind her.
I folded the note back up and placed it on the side table attached to my bed. I had no idea how I would ever fall asleep in this bed, especially because I was too excited to see Annie tomorrow. I took the remote and leaned back the bed. After I was positioned so that it didn't hurt, I stared at the blank ceiling and thought about all that has happened these past few weeks. Things like Christmas, Annie, the email, my Appendix, and all the pain that came with it popped into my head. If I thought about it, it hurt, so I changed my thoughts to sleeping and eventually drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 5
~ Her Visit~
At about eleven-o-clock in the morning, I woke up to the hustle and bustle of the busy hallway outside my room. Beds rolled by, nurses ran, and groups of people holding flowers and cards walked into different rooms. I rubbed my eyes and pulled the bed up to a sitting position. My stomach still hurt, not as much as yesterday though. I scanned the room for a TV remote and found it on the table across the room. I wasn't going to sit in this empty room doing nothing, so I pressed the nurses button on the remote. Within seconds, the nurse that I had talked to last night, walked in with a tray of food. She smiled at me and seemed to know what I really wanted, the TV remote. After placing the tray on the table beside me, she walked over and manually turned on the TV to Sports Center. Obviously, she has been around teenage boys enough to know that watching Sports Center is one of our many forms of entertainment.
"This good enough for you?" She asked as she giggled to herself.
"Yeah, it's great. Do you know when Annie is coming in today?" I took a bite of the mashed potatoes on the plate as the nurse fluffed the pillows at the foot of my bed.
"She said around lunch time. You ready?" She winked and started to laugh harder than before.
"I am ready..." I replied confidently, "...I think....maybe.....No." I turned my head to hide my face which was probably blushing even more than when I read the note last night.
"Well, you better get ready fast, because she just got here." The nurse stuck her tongue out at me and ran out of the room.
I tried to make myself presentable. I ran my fingers through my hair and used my blanket to wipe off my face, just in case there was mashed potatoes or drool on it. That would be VERY embarrassing. I already threw up in front of her so, I guess it wouldn't matter anyway. I folded the larger blanket I had on up, and threw it to the end of the bed. I smoothed the smaller blanket that cover my legs up, so it looked neat. That is when I heard the nurse walking towards my room explaining to someone how I was doing. There was a knock on the door and there was Annie. Annie looked happy. Although wearing sweats and a red t-shirt, she still looked amazing. The nurse started laughing at me. I think my face was turning even more red now that she was actually here. I laughed it off and waved at her.
"Hey, How you feeling?" Annie asked.
"I am fine, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders and looked up at her.
"I am sorry. Are you still in pain?"
"Yes, but not as much as I was last night." I responded.
"Of course." She started to giggle quietly.
"Yeah, so how are you Annie?" I asked.
"Well, I am great! I was really worried about you last night."
"Don't be worried! I am still here, aren't I?
"Yes you are..." She laughed and then pointed towards the door." I got something for you, so you won't be so bored in this hospital room. I will be right back!"
She whirled around and out the door. I could hear her footsteps pounding down the hallway. As I sat there waiting for her to return, I grabbed my phone off the table beside my bed. I checked the messages. I had received 54 texts since the last time I checked it, which was before Annie had even made it too my house last night. A few of them were from girls at school, some were from some of my basketball friends, but the one that surprised me the most was from Annie.
It was the first text message on my phone and it was timed right after I shut the door when she was leaving. I clicked the open message and read it quietly to myself. It said "I had a great time tonight and I hope you are feeling better. We really need to do this again because I have something to tell you....:)" I honestly could only think of one thing when I read that, She likes me. My brain seemed to burst with excitement and my face burned hot red. I smiled as read the other messages on my phone. I looked up at the nurse, still smiling, who gave me a silly, immature, googly eyed look as she turned off the TV.
"What?" I said laughing under my breath.
"Oh nothing, nothing." She smiled and made kiss-y faces at me.
"Stop it..." I said. "You know that she is just my friend, right? She doesn't like me like that!"
"Oh, not true! I could tell by the look on her face when she was in here and the look on your face when you read that message that she has a little 'thing' for you and you have a little 'thing' for her!"
"How do you know I wasn't reading a message from another girl? Maybe, I have a girlfriend that you don't know about! Or maybe I was smiling at a funny, but embarrassing, joke one of my basketball teammates said to me! "
"Because I can tell when someone has a girlfriend, not you, when they are texting a friend who told a funny joke, not you, and when someone likes the person they are texting, which is Annie! You!!!"
"OK! Fine! You caught me! I like Annie..." I started laughing and so did the nurse.
I grabbed my phone again and read all the other texts messages while the nurse checked all the gadgets that were attached to me. Brandon Jackson, a kid from my basketball team, said he was going to stop by in a little bit to see how I was doing. Apparently, everyone from school had heard that I was rushed to the Emergency Room last night and everyone was planning on coming in to see me. Allie Morgan, a girl from my French class, asked me how I was doing and was wondering if I needed anything. Amy Johnson asked if I needed some company or something to do while I was trapped in the hospital. I read through all of them in a matter of moments. Instead of answering all of them individually, I sent out a mass text telling everyone that I am fine and that they could come in and see me, but they didn't have to bring anything.
Then, after a few more minutes of waiting, Annie returned with a cart with a blanket over the top. The blanket seemed to cover something oddly shaped and because the blanket wasn't see-through, I couldn't tell what was beneath it. She rolled the cart up right next to me and walked to the other side of my bed. She told me she was sorry for it taking so long and motioned me to take the blanket off the cart.
"Go ahead and take it off, Tyler." She said.
I reached over to the cart and pulled it closer. Without any hesitation whatsoever, I quickly ripped the blanket off the cart as fast as I could. The blanket slowly settled to my lap as I stared in amazement at my XBOX. I turned to her and she began to laugh. My mouth dropped to the floor. On the shelves of the cart were all my video games. The nurse took the cart and pulled it over to the TV set to plug it in.
"Do you like it?!" Annie asked excitedly.
"Do I like it? It's the best thing anyone can do for me while I am trapped in this hospital. Thank you Annie."
That is when she leaned in for a hug. My face turned bright red and I started to laugh, sweat, cry, and shake all at the same time. I was so happy. I still had a week left in the hospital due to observation and blood tests and what not, so I figured that if she didn't bring me my XBOX that I would probably be the most bored kid on the planet.
"Thank you so much Annie. I couldn't have asked for anything better. You are amazing." I whispered into her ear as we hugged. As we pulled away from each other, Her face began to turn really red. She laughed and smiled at me as did I to her. I reached for her hand and grabbed it. She turned to me in astonishment. I smiled up at her and she smiled down to me. Again, I pulled her in for a hug and told her that I was very thankful for her. She nodded and said she was happy to help. For the rest of the afternoon, She beat my ass at Call of Duty.
A bunch of kids from my school came in to say Hi to me. By the end of the day, my side table and floor was covered in flowers and candy. People that I barely knew came in to see if I was alright. Annie still stayed with me until her mother got off work at midnight. It was fun, for the last 2 hours we watched movies and she sat with me in my bed. Before she left, I challenged her to a rematch at Call of Duty the next day. She accepted without wait. "Your on! See you tomorrow!"
Chapter 6
~ Back to school~
The hospital released me about a week after the actual surgery. I was able to walk and everything, but I was forced to stay home until the stitches healed up, which took two weeks and a half weeks. That meant I spent those 2 weeks in bordom, beating every single level of every video game I owned. Half of the time I was browsing Facebook and stalking people I didn't even know. I kept checking Annie's profile, but she didn't post anything. I hadn't talked to her since my last day in the hospital.
Her and I were really close. She visited me everyday like she promised. I texted her last Monday and she didn't respond. I wonder if she ever responds. I thought of calling her but realized she was most likely stuck in class or doing homework. On Tuesday, I sent her an email telling her that I really wanted to talk to her. Again, she didn't respond. Time passed and I just ignored it. I passed it off as her maybe being busy.
At one point, I wondered if maybe I had done something wrong. I could have insulted her. I could have made a really mean or perverted comment about her. I could have done so many things to make her pissed off. I just didn't know what. My ideas ranged everywhere from her being mad to that she was dead. I knew she wasn't because her parents would have told mine, or my cousin would have told me. I wished I could have known but she wouldn't talk to me.
After my stitches healed up, I went back to school. All of my friends were asking to see my scar and to touch it. My friend Andy signed my bandage. It said "To bad you missed last Monday." I asked him what it meant during lunch. Everyone at my tabled started to laugh and slap or punch each other. With the looks on their faces, it had to do something with a girl. One of the guys at my table pulled out his phone and slid it across the table.
"You like Cassidy Loreen right?"
"No. I used to. I like someone else...Her name is..."
"Well, Cassidy broke up with Jackson and he through a fit! It was during lunch, right?" I was rudely cut off by Jordan who seemed to be flipping out.
"And he stands up on the lunch table and is screaming his head off!" Austin continued.
"He screamed 'What the hell?! WHY!?' and threw his lunch at her. She ran away but ended up caught by him. He yelled a bunch of swear words at her and pushed her down. He was taken to the principal right after that. He was nearly dragged!" Jordan reenacted the entire scene with Terrel as he told the story. Both laughed so hard they couldn't speak.
"Jackson got suspended and his parents are sending him to SAS to keep him away from her." Terrel said once he caught his breath. "You missed it! It was probably the funniest thing ever!"
"Yeah! Oh, and now you have your shot with Cassidy. She couldn't stop talking about your little 'apendix incident' in French the day we got back from break." Jordan nudged my arm and winked at me a few times.
"Nothing is better than a emotionally unstable girl who is just looking for a little fun." Terrel said seductively.
All the guys started laughing, nudging me, and throwing cups at me. I turned to Andy.
"You know I don't like Cassidy anymore right?"
He looked shocked and kind of embarrassed. He slide his hand across his neck with his eyes bulged out and all the guys stopped dancing around and laughing. The rest of lunch was awkward. We all sat at the table and kind of just stared at each other. It wasn't until the end of lunch, when the bell rang, that Jordan came up to talk to me.
"Hey Tyler. You had the biggest crush on Cassidy all year. How come you don't like her anymore?"
"Oh. I was trying to tell you. I met someone else."
"Who is this new girl?" Jordan nudged me and cupped one of his hands over his mouth.
"Her name is Annie."
"Annie. Annie, who?" Jordan said.
"Annie Bennett. She goes to Ridgeside High. I met her at a Christmas party."
"Ooo. Did you do anything?" He winked at me. The fact he thought that made me very irritated though. As we walked through the Cafeteria doors, he asked again and I turned to walk to the Art building.
"We didn't do anything Jordan!" I yelled.
"OK. Whatever you say." He winked at me again and turned to walk to the Science building.
I wanted to tell him we did stuff, just to see what he would do. He would probably tell me "Congrats!" and ask me what we did. I would tell him we did "Everything but..." and he would tell me he was proud of me. Then, he would most likely ask for a picture of her. I would show him one and he would be jealous. That is how I wish it would have gone down. Unfortunatly, my real story wasn't even close.
I sat through art in silence. Terrel texted me and asked me why I was so awkward at lunch. I told him the whole story and he seemed sort of impressed. He told me that if he could find a girl like Annie, he would be the happiest guy on earth. He also told me that I needed to take a chance and ask her out. I was going to have to try at one point if I didn't want to lose her.
The next class I went to had Cassidy in it. I tried to ignore her, but she still ran up to me and freaked out when she got to me.
"Oh my goodness! Tyler, you are back! I missed you. How are you feeling? I heard you got your appendix taken out. That really sucks hun. You should have texted me while you were at home. I could have come and visited you." She went on and on. I wish I could have cut off my ears and throw them in the garbage.
"I am fine, Cassidy. Thanks for caring." I went and sat in my seat but she followed me and grabbed the stool next to mine.
The entire period, I felt like killing myself. She wouldn't stop talking and asking me thousands of useless and boring dresses. She doesn't understand that I don't really care about anything she is telling me or asking me. I answered all her questions though, just to be nice. The moment the period ended I bolted out of the classroom and basically sprinted the entire way to the English building so she wouldn't see me. Why did I ever like her?
Her and I were really close. She visited me everyday like she promised. I texted her last Monday and she didn't respond. I wonder if she ever responds. I thought of calling her but realized she was most likely stuck in class or doing homework. On Tuesday, I sent her an email telling her that I really wanted to talk to her. Again, she didn't respond. Time passed and I just ignored it. I passed it off as her maybe being busy.
At one point, I wondered if maybe I had done something wrong. I could have insulted her. I could have made a really mean or perverted comment about her. I could have done so many things to make her pissed off. I just didn't know what. My ideas ranged everywhere from her being mad to that she was dead. I knew she wasn't because her parents would have told mine, or my cousin would have told me. I wished I could have known but she wouldn't talk to me.
After my stitches healed up, I went back to school. All of my friends were asking to see my scar and to touch it. My friend Andy signed my bandage. It said "To bad you missed last Monday." I asked him what it meant during lunch. Everyone at my tabled started to laugh and slap or punch each other. With the looks on their faces, it had to do something with a girl. One of the guys at my table pulled out his phone and slid it across the table.
"You like Cassidy Loreen right?"
"No. I used to. I like someone else...Her name is..."
"Well, Cassidy broke up with Jackson and he through a fit! It was during lunch, right?" I was rudely cut off by Jordan who seemed to be flipping out.
"And he stands up on the lunch table and is screaming his head off!" Austin continued.
"He screamed 'What the hell?! WHY!?' and threw his lunch at her. She ran away but ended up caught by him. He yelled a bunch of swear words at her and pushed her down. He was taken to the principal right after that. He was nearly dragged!" Jordan reenacted the entire scene with Terrel as he told the story. Both laughed so hard they couldn't speak.
"Jackson got suspended and his parents are sending him to SAS to keep him away from her." Terrel said once he caught his breath. "You missed it! It was probably the funniest thing ever!"
"Yeah! Oh, and now you have your shot with Cassidy. She couldn't stop talking about your little 'apendix incident' in French the day we got back from break." Jordan nudged my arm and winked at me a few times.
"Nothing is better than a emotionally unstable girl who is just looking for a little fun." Terrel said seductively.
All the guys started laughing, nudging me, and throwing cups at me. I turned to Andy.
"You know I don't like Cassidy anymore right?"
He looked shocked and kind of embarrassed. He slide his hand across his neck with his eyes bulged out and all the guys stopped dancing around and laughing. The rest of lunch was awkward. We all sat at the table and kind of just stared at each other. It wasn't until the end of lunch, when the bell rang, that Jordan came up to talk to me.
"Hey Tyler. You had the biggest crush on Cassidy all year. How come you don't like her anymore?"
"Oh. I was trying to tell you. I met someone else."
"Who is this new girl?" Jordan nudged me and cupped one of his hands over his mouth.
"Her name is Annie."
"Annie. Annie, who?" Jordan said.
"Annie Bennett. She goes to Ridgeside High. I met her at a Christmas party."
"Ooo. Did you do anything?" He winked at me. The fact he thought that made me very irritated though. As we walked through the Cafeteria doors, he asked again and I turned to walk to the Art building.
"We didn't do anything Jordan!" I yelled.
"OK. Whatever you say." He winked at me again and turned to walk to the Science building.
I wanted to tell him we did stuff, just to see what he would do. He would probably tell me "Congrats!" and ask me what we did. I would tell him we did "Everything but..." and he would tell me he was proud of me. Then, he would most likely ask for a picture of her. I would show him one and he would be jealous. That is how I wish it would have gone down. Unfortunatly, my real story wasn't even close.
I sat through art in silence. Terrel texted me and asked me why I was so awkward at lunch. I told him the whole story and he seemed sort of impressed. He told me that if he could find a girl like Annie, he would be the happiest guy on earth. He also told me that I needed to take a chance and ask her out. I was going to have to try at one point if I didn't want to lose her.
The next class I went to had Cassidy in it. I tried to ignore her, but she still ran up to me and freaked out when she got to me.
"Oh my goodness! Tyler, you are back! I missed you. How are you feeling? I heard you got your appendix taken out. That really sucks hun. You should have texted me while you were at home. I could have come and visited you." She went on and on. I wish I could have cut off my ears and throw them in the garbage.
"I am fine, Cassidy. Thanks for caring." I went and sat in my seat but she followed me and grabbed the stool next to mine.
The entire period, I felt like killing myself. She wouldn't stop talking and asking me thousands of useless and boring dresses. She doesn't understand that I don't really care about anything she is telling me or asking me. I answered all her questions though, just to be nice. The moment the period ended I bolted out of the classroom and basically sprinted the entire way to the English building so she wouldn't see me. Why did I ever like her?
