Fake Love

Chapter Six

Opening my eyes, I realised I was in hospital laying on a bed tucked in with an IV drip attached to my right arm. Moonlight flooded the room giving it a comforting glow. I took a deep breath exhaled then closed my eyes to return to the land of sleep. Sleep however refused to claim me so I couldn’t rest so I was forced to try and ignore the painful reminder of my parents visit a few days ago. A frustrated huff escaped me from not being able to sleep and from the intrusive memory.

Well at least they are not here and that it is a calm and quiet in the room especially since they took the hear monitor away. I love the silence nothing but pure tranquillity my absolute favourite, it pairs nicely with the moonlight. Like something out of a fantasy.

It was soon disturbed by the sound of footsteps echoing outside my room. The door to my room was slightly ajar with a dim light streaming through. I watched and waited to see the person walk past, the steps became clearer as they drew nearer to my door. It was boy in his pjs and dressing gown. He looked into my room as he walked past, he must have noticed me and the fact that I was awake because he back up to look in. I couldn’t see his face properly due to his shadow looming over him. We just stared at each other for a while without saying a word.

Ok I’m curious now.

I gave him a little wave and he waved back. This made me giggle at how silly we were being, he smiled in return then entered the room. I gasped when I saw his face illuminated by the moonlight, he had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen on this earth. One was greener than an emerald while the other was the softest lilac ever. I must have startled or offended him because he was about to leave. “Wait. I didn’t mean to offend you with my gasp it’s just……I have never seen eyes like yours before….they are stunning.” I whispered I have never complimented someone before, and I was a little scared of his reaction. He blushed under the moonlight and gave me a shy toothy smile while scratching the back of his head. “Thank you. I get mixed reviews some like them and some tease me because of them.” Said the mystery boy, his voice slightly deep yet sweet. “They’re just jealous.” I giggled, he smiled mischievously. “Of course, they are I mean can you not see how handsome yet adorable I am.” He said sarcastically lifting his arms up in a strong pose whilst doing duck lip. I laughed genuinely for the first time in so long, he joined in laughing himself. “I’m Hailey by the way.” I managed to introduce myself before giggling again. “Hi Hailey, I’m Ryan.” He chuckled.

I closed my eyes and when they reopened, I was staring at a ceiling.

Huh? Where is Ryan?

I sat up slowly and looked at my surroundings. This is the school’s infirmary.

Oh, I must have blacked out near the infirmary. But how did I get here? WAIT I WAS DREAMING JUST NOW ABOUT THE PAST. Uuuuuuuuuuuugh my head is a mess but to be fair it was one of my better memories. I haven’t dreamt of him for what feels like forever, I almost forgot what he looked like, but I could never forget those eyes. I wonder if he remembers me? I do hope we meet again hehehe my first love.

I was now sitting in one of the beds alone, just as I was about to get off the bed the nurse walked in. She was about five foot five, brown mousy hair up in a loose ponytail, light brown eyes, thin lips with a slim nose, very filled with an hourglass figure that complimented her golden skin. Although she is in her early thirties she looked to be in her mid-twenties. She wore a pair of trainers, with what I assumed to be something that resembled scrubs. “Oh, you’re awake, I am so relieved.” She smiled nurse Joy was always kind and likeable. “Um how did I get here? The last thing I remember was walking here and knocking on the door.” She gave me a gentle smile as she explained. “I left to go grab some coffee and paperwork from reception, when I got back one of the students was looking after you. He said he found you unconscious with a bit of a fever. He placed you in one of the beds and tried to bring your temperature down with a cold rag.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Oh god what if it was him. No no no he could have done anything to me while I was out. No calm down I may feel a bit sickly but I don’t feel as if I have been touched…..that I know of.

The nurse watched me with worry, I assume that the blood must have drained from my face. “Are you ok Hailey? You’ve gone all pale.” Her voice full of concern. “Do you know wh-who found me?” I stuttered.

The suspense is from not knowing. Please please if there is a god out there, please don’t let it be Brian who found me.

“Yes, it was Jason Knowells. I think he is in your grade.” She assured me, suspicion in her tone. I assume she is now trying to figure out why it’s so important that I know, hopefully she won’t ask. I physically relax and sigh, my mind now at ease knowing it was not Brian who found me.

Then again if it was him he probably would have hid me and….uuugh no no, I’m not going there again.

I pushed that train of thought right out of my head, she gazed at me with one raised brow obviously wanting to know why so I gave her a quick explanation. “Sorry it’s just I don’t really have any friends here and I am still a little scared to trust people.” It was not a complete lie, I do not have any friends and I definitely do not trust people so……..

She nodded her head understanding where I was coming from, after all she was there the day, they found me in the basement, so I am glad that she understands, and dose not press further. She turned around suddenly heading towards the examination area, grabbed a chair then came back to me. On her way back she picked up a clipboard and pen then placed the chair next to my bed and sat down next to me. “Right then I have some questions I need to ask Hailey so please answer all of them as best as you can. Some will be about what happened, and the rest will be about how you’re feeling now.”

Oh, this is not going to go well.

“Now, did someone hit you over the head with an object or did you fall and hurt yourself?” She asked as she crossed her legs with her pen at the ready. Her gaze was like a steel trap that no one could escape, it made me hesitate.

I don’t know what to say, what should I say? Ok keep calm ok Hailey breath, she mentioned falling. Ok I could run with that, not like I haven’t before and I kind of did after hitting my head. Yeah, ok here goes nothing.

“Um, yeah I…..I kind of fell down the stairwell. You know the quiet one near the English lit classroom, well I got near to the top but tripped up the step. I hit my head on the last two steps and ended up rolling down the whole flight of them. Because I was rolling so fast when I reached the bottom, I smacked my head against the wall.” I tried my hardest to hold her gaze to make it believable since her face was void of any emotion or expression. To be honest I think nurse Joy is in the wrong profession she should totally be a detective since her poker game is on point.

Crap she is not buying it.

“And then what happened? Because I was told that you were late for class, is that correct?” She is determined to find out.

Hmmm maybe just maybe I might get away with this.

“Well, my head hurt so bad I could not move so I stayed where I was, but I didn’t know I was there for so long. I was still on the floor when the bell rang but the noise was so loud it made my head worse. I waited for the pain calm down and when I did, I got up and went to class.” I answered honestly because that part at least was true. She wrote down what I said for what I assumed to be the accident report, but I could be wrong. Some of the teachers were told to keep tabs on me since that time I went missing, probably not a good look for the school’s reputation. Last thing they want is the school to be known for missing or kidnapped children.

She finished writing my answer then looked back at me and asked, “And then what happened? Please do not leave out any details for example, any headaches, migraines behind the eyes, nauseous feelings and so on.”

Despite the fact that I’m terrified she will see through me at least she is very professional and is taking her job seriously unlike the nurse before her…….nurse Jenny.

“Well, I walked to class feeling a bit sick, my head hurt, and I had a massive headache. When I got to class my headache started getting worse, so I drank some water. That helped calm it down for a bit, so I carried on like nothing had happened. But near the end of class my headache came back badly like really bad. So, I headed here to ask for some painkillers, but it got so bad that I started sweating and it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Last thing I remember was knocking on the door just before it became blindingly painful to the point where all I saw was white. Then nothing, but I think I had a dream about the last time I was in hospital….” I trailed off at the memory of Ryan’s eyes, they truly are unique. I do hope I see him again even if it was only for a moment. Sighing internally my mood plummets to an all time low at the odds of ever seeing him again. “Ok based on what you have told me and the examination preformed while you were unconscious, you were suffering from a mild concussion. So currently are you feeling any dizziness, pain, nausea, or any headaches at all?” I shook my head no grateful that she stopped assuming someone had hit or shoved me down the stairs, even though yesterday mother did hit my head a few times, but it did not hurt on the same level as today, or maybe it contributed? Who knows? But I can’t tell her that. “Alright then I will give some special painkillers now because I’m sure you can feel a shadow of a headache.” Said nurse Joy as she got up to fill a glass with water and grabbed a couple of pills for me. She handed the items to me and watched me take the pills. Satisfied that the pills had been devoured she took the cup from to place it in the nearby sink. She then walked back to her seat to resume our conversation. “So, there are things I want you took look out for. If you feel dizzy, faint or your headache comes back while you are at school come back to me immediately. If you experience any of those symptoms at home head to the hospital immediately, is that understood?” said nurse Joy all serious, I nodded to show that I understood hoping she would stop staring at me so intensely. “And one more thing.”

Oh no I jinxed it she is going to ask the thing I have been dreading.

“Please be honest with me. did anyone push you or hit you at all?” She looked me dead in the eye as she asked me and even though I did it to myself I highly doubt she would believe me…..unless.

Oh god what if she saw my neck while I was out and maybe that’s why she is determined to find out. Maybe she thinks the bullies hurt me not only in school but outside………yeeeah I will have to remember that in case she or anyone else asks. Well at least they sever an actual purpose now so maybe it’s not so bad that I get beat up at school. Ok keep calm do not panic be level-headed as far as I know nurse Joy knows nothing and it will stay that way.

“No, I was alone. Like I said I tend to use that stairwell because no one uses it. It’s stress free for me and it’s one of the very few places where people don’t bother me.” I said feeling sheepish.

Please accept what I said, please.

I can’t help but give a silent prayer to any deities out there that she won’t investigate further. Nurse Joy gave a curt nod of her head seeming slightly defeated, she wrote something down then took the paperwork to her desk. I glanced at the clock on the wall behind me to check the time and to my horror it was almost noon.

Oh, crap I’ve missed two classes, crap I hope they didn’t call my parents.

Then a thought hit me, what if they send me home. If they send me home mother and farther will make me go out and entertain, no no no I refuse. “Hailey, I have written up this slip for you to go home for the rest of the day. Make sure to rest up, do not eat anything heavy, drink plenty of water and like I said if you experience any of the symptoms go straight to the hospital immediately, ok.” She said with her hand stretched out passing me the piece of paper, I didn’t even notice her move away from her desk. I couldn’t move instead I stared at the paper like it was a cursed object I refused to touch it because the moment I did I would be cursed to go home and be with………those people. “Don’t worry about the classes that you missed Jason kindly offered to collect the homework for you since you are in those classes together and I explained everything to the teachers, so they are aware of why you were absent.”

Well, she’s organised I will give her that however I now have two problems. One hot to avoid going back to the shelter and two how to get my homework from Jason without Rebecca knowing. Uuuuuuuuugh why is my life so complicated?

An empty laugh escaped my lips unwillingly causing nurse Joy to give me a strange look. “Ummm, if-if it’s ok could I just finish the school day, please? I mean I do feel much better now just maybe a little hungry is all. But I swear if I start to feel bad again, I will come straight back here I promise.” I probably look like a crazy desperate person right now, like no student would ever miss the opportunity to go home early, well except me. she looked at me as if I had grown an extra body part or something the way her eyes were budging out of their sockets. “Are you sure you don’t want to go home? It would be best if you did since this isn’t the best place to recover for you.” She said gently like she was talking to a mental patient. I know she means well, and she obviously knows best but I would rather risk having to go back to the hospital than go back to the shelter with those two. Nurse Joy sat back on the chair next to the bed. Squaring her shoulders, she said “Hailey, I must insist that you go home. You cannot be stressed and must absolutely not take any more hits to the head.”

All the more reason for me not to go back where I’m bound to be hit, stressed or…..touched.

Sighing I turned my gaze down at my now sweaty hands in my lap internally pleading and willing her to understand that I can’t go back.

Huh when did my hands get sweaty, I feel so numb right now I wasn’t aware my heart rate had picked up. WAIT I KNOW.

“In all honesty I don’t want to go home because no one will be there, and anything could happen while I’m alone,” I said while making myself look as pitiful as possible for added effect which isn’t that hard to do because I’m already so pathetic. “Is it not possible for them to be contacted to come home or come and collect you?” She asked seeming frustrated now. “No. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be an inconvenience.” I said my voice going quiet.

What I said was not wrong my parents like to remind me religiously that I am an inconvenience. I try so hard to not be but as usual no matter how hard I try it is never good enough.

That familiar feeling of the empty abyss began seeping into me, I could feel it dulling my eye more than they already were along. The cold spread through my veins numbing every inch of me right to my core. The sultry voice in the back of my head beckoned me to the peace of eternal slumber. I wish so badly to answer the call right this moment but since I can’t right now, I just enjoy the deathlike calmness brought by the abyss. A heavy sigh breaks the spell I’m under causing me to look up to a smiling face.

“You are not an inconvenience Hailey; I am sorry if I made you feel that way. And I’m not frustrated with you just the fact that you need proper rest so that you can men correctly.” Her words repelled the abyss silencing the voice at the back of my head, however, the numbness remained. “You can wait here until lunch and then finish the school day, ok? But promise me if you feel unwell you WILL come back here straight away.” My entire being relaxed knowing I did not have to go back to the shelter until it was time, I nodded with a smile that I knew never reached my eyes. Refusing to use my voice in case the abyss had affected it too. “Alright lunch is at one, so you have just over an hour and a half to nap. I’ll draw the curtains for you to give you some privacy.” As she finished her sentence, she moved the chair back to its place and drew the curtains dragging them along the rail. Before she closed them entirely, I asked, “Umm nurse Joy is it possible to have Jason bring my homework here?” it’s a long shot but if I can avoid getting near him then happy days because I don’t think I can handle that fake b***h today.

Honestly, why is he with her, he seems nice and genuine, yet he stays with that toxic spilling hoe. But then again, he knows what she is like he’s even seen her full-on kick another girl in the stomach just for wearing the same dress. But not only was she wearing the same dress she was also in her eyes “poor” and that warranted a beating for not dressing as a poor person. Thinking about it maybe he really isn’t a good person unless she’s paying him to be with her.

“Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem. I will give his class a call now so rest up alright.” She said then closed the curtain. I exhaled deeply, closed my eyes then laid back down. Sleep dragged me under almost instantly. I did not know I was that tired but I’m not complaining. I embraced sleep with open arms and let it drag me down.