Chapter 53

Mitchell and I spent over an hour in the hospital room with Grayson, until we were asked to leave when visiting hours were over.

The next morning, I ecstatically get up out of bed and hop into the shower. Since I no longer had to actually go to school, I figured I would spend the day with Grayson in the hospital, at least until I have to go to work. Luckily, my hours were flexible.

At first, the water spraying out of the shower head was ice cold. It took a minute to warm up, to which I then step in and let the water rain on me.

After showering, I get dressed and head downstairs to get something to eat.

My mom and dad are seated at the dining table. Dad is reading a newspaper, which completely baffles me. Like, who even reads newspapers anymore?

My mom, on the other hand, was opening mail.

“There’s an envelope for you.” She says when I walk into the kitchen. She holds up a large yellow envelope.

“It’s probably school work.” I say, reaching to the top cabinet for a bowl and a mug.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t want to go back to school.” Dad says.

“I already told you why.” I groaned, setting the empty mug and bowl on the countertop. I then walk over to the refrigerator to get milk and orange juice. Afterwards, I walk over to the pantry and get a box of Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes.

“I’m sure all the rumors and whatnot have died down.” He says.

“They weren’t rumors.” I say. “I’ve told you that, also.”

“So, you’re gay?” He wonders.

Here we go again.

“No. I’m not gay. I’m just not straight either.” I pour cereal into the bowl before chasing it with milk. I then head over to the drawers and fish out a clean spoon.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Dad added.

Tell me about it.

“What he’s trying to say is that he doesn’t have to be gay to like a boy.” Mom added.

“If he likes boys, that makes him gay.” Dad responded.

“He likes a boy.” Mom corrected. “And there’s such thing as bisexuality.”

Dad sighed. “I don’t get this stuff.”

“You don’t have to get it.” I tell him. “It’s my life.”

“I’m not trying to be unsupportive.” He says. “I just, I’m not up to speed with all these different sexualities and all that.”

I rolled my eyes as I take a seat at the table. “Surely you’ve had an attraction for a guy at one point.”

My dad scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What about you, mom? You ever felt attracted to a female before?”

Dad shook his head at my behavior.

“Well, there was this one girl in college.” Mom says.

Huh?

I was only kidding!

My mouth falls open in shock.

“She’s lying.” Dad says.

“I am not. Her name was Maria, and we might have made out on more than one occasion.”

“Oh my god.” I choked.

“Wait, Maria? Your college roommate, Maria?” Dad wondered.

“Yep.” Mom laughed.

“But we were together in college.” Dad says.

Awkward….

“Uh, I’m going to head out.” I decide to take my leave before things got even more awkward.

When I arrived at the hospital, there’s a nurse standing beside Grayson telling him to clench his hand into a fist.

“Very good.” The nurse says.

“But I couldn’t fully do it.” Grayson stated.

“It’s totally normal, the fact that you almost could means you’re already healing faster than expected.”

I cleared my throat to announce my presence.

“Oh, hi. I’m just doing tests on the patient.” Said the nurse.

“Okay, should I come back later?” I asked.

“No, it’s alright this won’t take long.” She says, moving to the end of the bed and throwing the blanket off of his feet.

“Hey.” I greeted Grayson as I awkwardly moved towards him.

He smiles at me. “Hey.”

“Can you wiggle your toes for me?” Asked the nurse.

“Sure thing doc.” Grayson replied. His voice was still strained.

The toes on his right foot slightly wiggle.

“Now the left.” The nurse instructed.

“I am.” Grayson says.

Nothing was happening. Grayson looked down at his left foot, and his face fell.

“What does this mean?” He asked with worry.

“It’s common after injuries such as yours. Usually, it might take awhile, but….” She pulled out a pen.

“But what?”

The nurse didn’t finish.

“Are you saying I might never feel my left foot again?” Grayson asked desperately.

It broke my heart.

“Tell me if you feel anything.” The nurse says as she pressed the pen against his foot and moved upward in small strokes.

“There.” Grayson says when she reached the middle. “I felt that.”

The nurse moved the pen down a tad and repeated it in the same spot. “I felt that too.”

I sighed with relief.

“That’s good.” She says.

“What does it mean?” Grayson asked.

“I can’t say for certain, but in my experience, most TBI patients deal with the same thing. With some physical therapy and time, you should be able to walk again. Recovery time depends on the individual, but seeing how you have only just woken up from a coma yesterday and already making strides, I’m confident you’ll make a full recovery.” She gave an encouraging smile. “I’ll be back to check in on you later.” She takes her leave.

I walk over and seat myself beside his bed.

“Do you think she was sincere?” He asks.

“Huh?”

“Do you think she was lying about the possibility of recovery?” He wondered.

“You’ll be okay.” I tell him. “I know you will.”

“Is everyone at school talking about me?”

I avert my eyes before replying. “I wouldn’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

“I uh… I kinda left school.” I turn to face him. “Well, not entirely. I’m still doing my school work, I’m just doing them at home instead.”

“Oh. Why?”

“As soon as everyone at school saw that photo of us, they saw us differently. In just the first few moments after it was posted, I was instantly picked on and bullied.” I say. “I don’t know if I want to go through that every day.”

“What about college?” He asked. “Are you planning on doing that from home too?”

“It’s just for the rest of this year. Hopefully for senior year, everyone will forget about it.”

There’s an awkward silence.

“So my friend’s dad’s wedding is coming up.” I break the silence.

“Which friend?” He wondered.

“Lucy.” I tell him. “Maybe if you get better by then we can…” I paused, inhaling a calming breath before continuing. “Go? Together?”

“Are you asking me on a date, little Cooper?”

“You know I hate that nickname.” I rolled my eyes.

“Answer the question.”

Even in a hospital bed, he’s an insistent prick. But I’ve grown to like that about him.

“If I get better, yes. I would love to go to your best friend’s dad’s wedding with you.”

I smile. “Really?”

“Duh.” He smiled too. “Let’s just hope I’m better by then, otherwise you might have to find someone else to waltz with.”

“Who said I would waltz with you?” I asked.

He feigned a gasp. “Rude.”

Our eyes meet, and for a moment, everything else seems to fade away.

“Hi Grayson!” A voice interrupted us.

The voice belonged to his little sister, who came running in holding a stuffed animal toy.

“Hey Leigh.” Grayson smiled. It wasn’t his normal smile where he didn’t show teeth. Instead, those pearly whites were on display.

“Careful, Everleigh.” Their mom cautioned.

I stand up and shove my hands into my pockets. “I should, uh, head out and give you guys some space.”

“You don’t have to.” Grayson says.

“No, it’s okay.” I say. “I’ll talk to you later?”

“Okay.”

I head out into the hall and begin the walk to the elevator. “Dallas.” Diana calls my name.

I take a breath before turning around. “Miss Scott? How are you?”

“I don’t want you to see my son anymore.” She says ever so bluntly.

“But I-“

“I don’t care. You’re the reason he almost died, and now,” She scoffed. “Now he may never be able to play football again. He might never get to go to his dream college and get a career in the NFL.”

“I’m sorry-“

“I don’t care for your apologies.” She snapped quietly. “You ruined his life.”

A shiver spread throughout my entire body as she turned on her heels and walked back into Grayson’s room.

My eyes welled with tears.

That afternoon I was finishing up my shift at The Nook whilst telling Mitchell—who was here to pick me up—about what had happened earlier on at the hospital.

“That’s a really fucked up thing to say.” He seethed. “She’s being so unfair.”

I wipe down another table with frustration.

“Who cares what she thinks? It’s not like she can stop you from seeing him.” Mitchell says.

“Shouldn’t you be at football practice?” I asked him. “Why didn’t dad come and pick me up?”

“He asked me to pick you up, and no, practice was cancelled.”

Oh.

“I think he’s still weird about.. you know.” I say, awkwardly.

“He’ll get over it.” Mitchell says.

“Are you?” I wondered.

“I was never weird about you maybe liking guys. I was weird about you and Grayson.” He says. “Mostly because I know that Grayson is a player and I thought he would end up hurting you.”

“Turns out I ended up hurting him.”

“Dallas-“

“Alright, I’m all done.” I interrupted him before he could say whatever he was about to say. “I’ll just go and put my apron in the wash and we can head home.” I start undoing my apron whilst walking behind the counter and out into the back area.

When we arrived at home, there’s a police car outside of our house, which causes me to worry. “What the hell?”

“Do you think something happened?” Mitchell wondered.

On the front porch, mom, dad and an officer are standing atop the steps, conversing seriously.

Mitchell pulled into the driveway and parked the car before we both get out.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Which one of you is Dallas Cooper?” The officer asked the two of us. He’s no older than fifty, and he has black and gray hair and a visible scar over his left cheek. It looked as if someone had cut it with a butcher knife, or a machete.

“That’s me, I am him” I answered, both awkwardly and scared.

“What’s this about?” Asked Mitchell.

“This is a restraining order filed by Miss Diana Scott, stating that you are not allowed within 500 feet of her son, Grayson Scott.” The officer says.

What?