Diamond

Chapter 7

Adrian's P.O.V

It's been a week since I last saw Michelle. At first I thought that she was seriously ignoring me that she would rather stay at her parent's house than come here and see me. But after some days when I was at campus, one of Michelle's friends came to me and gave me a teddy bear asking that I give it to Michelle and that she wishes her speedy recovery.

Before I could ask her what she meant, she left saying that she was late for class. I just looked at Gareth who was standing next to me and he was also confused. We walked to our cars and I was still confused about what just happened when Jared came to me and apologized about what happened to Michelle and that he hopes that it wasn't as serious as everyone has been making it out to be.

When I asked him what he meant he told me that he heard from one of Michelle's friends that Michelle got in an accident on Saturday. After he said that I felt my heart being strangled and I was frozen with shock.

How could I not have known that my own girlfriend was in an accident, and all this time I have been thinking that she was ignoring me. Whereas she was probably in the hospital fighting for her life. I started thinking about the baby and what condition they were both in.

I got in my car immediately and started driving only to realise in the middle of the road that I didn't even know where I was going or which hospital she was in. I turned my car and drove to her parents' house instead. It took some time to get there as I was driving in the opposite direction of their house.

I got there and the gate was closed but when the security guard saw that it was me, he opened the gate for me and I drove up to the front door. I parked my car, I didn't park it correctly I even left the door open and rushed to the front door and knocked. Well almost banging on it repeatedly until it was opened and it was one of the house staff.

I asked her to see Michelle's parents and she told me that they are not home and that they won't be home until very late. I asked her which hospital has Michelle been admitted to but she refused to give me the name, saying that Michelle's parents asked her to not give that information to anyone.

I told her that I am not just anyone as I am Michelle's boyfriend and she knows me because I have been coming over to her house for the past year. But she was very adamant about it and said that I should come by tomorrow morning to talk to her parents myself. After that she shut the door in my face, I refused to leave and started banging on the door demanding that she tell me but she threatened me saying that she will call security to escort me out of the premises if I didn't leave at that moment.

I refused and told her that I am not going anywhere and I will wait for her parents to come home. I went back to my car and moved it from the front door to a place under some shade.

I waited for hours for Michelle's parents to come home but it didn't seem that they were coming back any time soon. I left and it was already night time and I was hungry as I did nothing the whole day but sit in my car. I drove to McDonald's out of instinct and ordered a burger, fries and a cold drink. It's what Michelle always ordered and it is her favourite. Whenever we were out somewhere and it was late, we would stop at McDonald's and this is what she would want every time.

I drive to my apartment somehow hoping that when I get to the underground parking I would see Michelle's car, but no such thing happened as her parking space was empty. I got out of my car and made my way to my apartment.

I got inside and just threw myself on the couch feeling tired and defeated. After some minutes my stomach started grumbling, I got up and prepared the food. I finished all of it and went up to my bedroom. Closing my eyes I hoped that I would wake up the next day and go see Michelle in her apartment.

The next morning came and I decided that I wouldn't go attend any classes today. Without even showering or brushing my teeth, I left my place and went up to Michelle's apartment. I didn't even bother wearing shoes; I was in my pyjama pants and a black shirt.

I got to her apartment door and rang the bell but no one answered. I used the key that I had to her place and let myself in. I walked in every room but there wasn't even a sign that she was home, moving to her kitchen but there was not a single dish in the dishwasher or the sink.

I left after making sure that it was securely locked and went back to mine to get ready to go back to her parents' house again. I finished everything that I needed to do and then left.

When I got to their house it seemed that they were already gone. Something told me to go and knock again, and when I did, her dad was the one who opened the door.

I was relieved that he was there but the look he had on his face when he saw me made me want to go back to my car and wait to speak to her mom instead.

Michelle's father is usually calm and is the type of person who has an intimidating aura but once he starts talking to you, you become comfortable in his presence.

But that is not what I felt right now. It looked like he wanted to hit me or the very least shout at me. He has never looked at me that way before and I didn't even know what I had done.

I greeted him but he just nodded his head, he was wearing his dark navy suit with one hand in his pocket and the other holding the door. He looked at me dead in the eyes, I felt very nervous to be around him. Then I remembered why I came there in the first place. I asked him about Michelle; where she was and how her condition was, he just continued to look at me.

After some time he finally told me that she was in hospital, of which I already knew. He also told me that she hasn't woken up since after her surgery. He refused to tell me the name of the hospital she was in.

I explained to him and I didn't know that Michelle was in an accident all these days and that I only found out yesterday. But that was a mistake because he said that I didn't care enough to know that she has long been in the hospital. I tried to talk to him again but he just said that he was leaving for a meeting in town, after that he shut the door in my face.

Literally in my face because I was standing so close that when he closed the door it actually hit my nose. I was glad that he didn't slam it shut.

I was determined to find out where she was at and if he didn't want to give me that information I was going to follow him. When he went out with his driver I followed him but it turned out that he was right and he did in fact come to his offices.

I drove off and went to Jared's place hoping he would know any information about Michelle but he was also in the dark, all he knew was that it was a private hospital, and with Michelle's parents having shares in multiple private hospitals, she could be in any one in the country, probably they took her to a specialist.

Jared and I spent the day calling Michelle's friends hoping they would know the hospital she was in, but they said that they only delivered her 'get well soon' gifts at her parents' house and have no idea where she was.

~~~~~~~

It has now been a week and there still is no news on where Michelle was. I keep going to her parents' house hoping they would tell me or if they would tell me her condition but I always find her dad there. I know that if I find her mom she would would tell me something, anything. I am even afraid to ask about the baby's condition as I'm not sure if they know anything.

Right now I am parked in front of my home, my parents' house. All these days I have been on constant stress worrying about Michelle and the baby's condition, and having no one to talk to about this is making me lose my mind. Every day I went to her home I would bring different types of teddy bears along with balloons and some fruit baskets. One of the house staff would just take them and shut the door without answering any of my questions.

I decided to finally tell my parents about the pregnancy and about how I selfishly told Michelle that she should abort the baby, and how I said that she is on her own if she chooses to keep it.

Every part of me knows that it is my fault that she was in that accident. I'm very sure that if it was not for our argument then she wouldn't have been in that situation. Michelle is an excellent driver so there is no way that she could end up in an accident.

With a big sigh after gathering all of my nerves I get out of my car and walk towards the front door. I ring the bell and let myself in.

It wasn't long until the housekeeper came to the entrance corridor.

"Good day, Mrs. Garth," I greet her with a hug.

"Hello Adrian, it's been such a long time since you were home," she says as she hugs me back.

She is like a second mother to me she has been working here before I was born. Whenever my parents went for their business trips, she would take care of me.

"I was here last month,"

"I'm still not used to you being away from home," she says.

"Where are my parents?" I ask her.

"They are upstairs in your father's study. Do you want me to tell them that you are home?"

"No, that is okay I will go to them," I tell her then start making my way towards the study.

Each step I take makes me more nervous about what I was going to say. My parents' reaction can go either way, but I am prepared for the worst... I think.

As I go over what I was going to say, I start thinking about the first time I saw Michelle. We were both freshmen in high school, we were not close but then one day my friends and hers started hanging out together and that is how I got to meet her.

The first time I saw her, she was sitting on the benches under the trees. The way the sunlight hit her caramel skin made it glow with her hair flowing freely framing her beautiful face.

Back in high school I was the guy that all the girls wanted, I had the looks, the personality, I was the captain of the basketball team and I could charm anyone. Every day when I walked through the corridors, girls would greet me, some would even offer me food that they have bought just for me. I didn't even have to try and yet girls would flock all around me trying to get my attention.

It was just something that I was used to, so when I met Michelle for the first time not only did her beauty blow me away, the way she carried herself made me want to follow her around like a puppy.

I will always remember our first conversation. After my friends and I sat down on the benches, we all started talking but she was focused on whatever she was drawing, it was like the rest of us didn't exist to her. Back then some of her girl friends tried flirting with me of which I shut down immediately, but my eyes couldn't stop looking at her.

I was staring at her like a creep when she looked back at me with an annoyed look in her eyes.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked me.

It took me a moment to realise that she was talking to me, even after I couldn't form a word so I just shook my head indicating a no.

"So why have you been staring at me for the past 10 minutes straight?"

After she said that everyone looked at me waiting for my answer. No one has ever made me that nervous. I cleared my throat before answering her.

"I... I was just wondering what you were busy doing?"

"I'm trying to perfect a drawing but it's proving to be hard when you are busy staring at me like a weirdo,"

I was shocked that she called me a weirdo. I mean she wasn't wrong I was looking at her like a weirdo but for her to straight up say it, I was not expecting that. I'm used to girls fawning around me wanting to get my attention, that what she said caught me off guard. And I'm guessing it showed on my face.

"What? Are you shocked that there is someone who doesn't worship the grounds you walk on like everyone else in this school?"

"Uhm..." I was about to stay that people don't worship me when she cut me off from speaking.

"Whatever... Just stop staring at me it's making me uncomfortable and most importantly it's rude,"

After she said that she went back to her drawing but this time she put on headphone and listened to music or whatever it was.

I continued to look at her like a weirdo until Jared started talking to me to get me to stop looking at her.

Michelle was not like anyone I have ever met, she seemed to be annoyed by my mere presence even when we were surrounded by our friends. I asked her why does she seem annoyed by me and she said it was because of the way that people treated me, like I was some kind of a Greek mythological god in school that was praised all day long.

It seemed to go on like that for almost a year, but as time went on she started to be less annoyed by me that she said that she could now at least stand me.

After a year I took my chances and asked her out on a date, she flat out told me 'no thanks, just because we're now friends don't mean that I want you in any way other than that'.

In honesty I was hurt by that, not by what she told me but by the fact that she rejected me, my pride was hurt as this was the first time I asked a girl out and she refused. But I did not give up, I continued to ask her out on a date, asked her to be my date to school dances, even to prom and all her responses were the same.

"No thanks!"

"No thanks!"

"No thanks!"

It wasn't until the start of our junior year did she finally say yes, I was shocked that it took some time for it to register in my mind and when it finally did I cheered so loud that people looked at me like I was crazy.

But she knew exactly how to stop me from screaming, all she said was 'stop screaming or I'm rejecting you again'. And that is all it took.

You would think that with her finally agreeing to go on a date with me she would be okay with being my girlfriend, right? NO. It took me more dates and a lot of asking for her to finally agree to be my girlfriend.

It was when we were officially a couple did I see that Michelle is one of a kind girl. You can never know what to expect with her, she will not do something just because people are doing it, she will stand firm in her decision on anything and no one can change her mind or try to pressure her on that.

Underneath all of that she is the most caring, loving, passionate person who will do everything for the people she loves.

She is a diamond and she knows it, the best part was that she brings out the best in others, always making them want the best for themselves so that they too can shine in their own unique way.

All of this made me fall for her even more after we were a couple and I never looked at any other girl or considered being with anyone else other than her.

Thinking of what I said to her about the pregnancy makes me hate myself. She deserves better and not some i***t like me.

"Why are you standing there looking at the ground?"

A voice pulled me away from my thoughts I looked up to see my mom holding open the door.

I looked inside the room and saw my dad sitting one leg on his desk and the other on the floor while he was holding some files. When he looked up and saw that it was me, a smile took over his face.

"Adrian, son, you're home!" he came and pulled me into a man hug.

"Hi dad," I say with a deep sigh, mom turns me around and holds my face.

"What's wrong my baby?" she asks me.

"There is something I want to talk to you guys about. Can you both please sit down," I gesture to the couch in the office.

They both sit down and look at me in anticipation, taking in a deep sigh I finally say.

"My life has changed, and it all started almost two weeks ago..." I began telling them what has been happening in my life, from the time Michelle went to the doctor and we found out that she is pregnant, to when I told her to get an abortion and why I suggested the idea, to when I thought that she was ignoring me but then later found out that she was in a car accident and how I have been going to her home every day trying to find out where she was but her father hasn't told me anything.

After I finished telling them everything I continued to look at my hands, too afraid to see the looks on their faces. They were quiet for some time until I spoke.

"You don't need to tell me what a mistake I had done. The past week I have done nothing but regret my decision... and now I might be too late to fix everything."

Mom stood up from her chair and came to me, she pulled me in her arms and gave me a hug. At that moment I didn't know that I needed it.

"Oh my baby, you have gone through so much alone. It was foolish of you to suggest such an idea to Michelle, but seeing that now you have changed your mind means that you had grown from the past week. Thank you for telling us, your father and I will be with you every step of the way moving forward," she says holding my cheeks in her hands then gave me a peck on my forehead.

"Thanks mom," I looked at my dad waiting for what he would say.

He stood up and came towards me and my mom; he put one hand on my shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Yes son, we are here for you and your new family," he says.

"Thanks dad... *sigh* I just wish I knew how they were both doing,"

"Well tomorrow I will go with you to her house, her father won't be able to turn you away when I am there," mom says to me.

"Are you sure?" I ask her.

"Well I would like to see him try to turn us away... Plus your father will be coming with us,"

"I will?" he asks looking at mom, and all mom did was just give him one look.

"I... I mean YES we will go there as a family," dad says to her.

"See, there that's settled, now come let's go have something to eat," mom walks out the study holding my hand dragging me to the kitchen like I was a toddler.

I was glad that I told my parents, now I have the support that I needed.