I slowly opened my eyes only to be practically blinded by how bright it was. I let my eyes adjust and take in my surroundings. I looked around, very confused.
“W…where am I?” I asked myself quietly, looking around. I was in an all white room on a bed with white and slightly blood stained sheets. I looked at the I.V.s in my arm and everything that happened suddenly came back to me.
“Oh you’re awake,” I heard a voice say. I turned my head to see a young man with his back to me, looking out the window. His arms look to be folded across his chest.
“Um…yeah…” I said quietly, unsure of the whole situation.
“Do you remember anything?” he asked as he put his arms to his sides. He held a crinkled piece of paper in once hand, and his other was balled into a fist.
“Yeah…I remember…everything…” I answered as calmly as possible as I studied his incredibly familiar tattoos on his right arm. This can’t be happening. I’m still asleep. I have to be! This only happens in the fan-fictions I read online! There is no way this is real! …though the pain in my body is telling me otherwise…
“The doctor said it’s only a minor concussion and you’ll be free to go soon,” he told me. “You’re lucky to be alive is also what he said…”
He trailed off, obviously distracted by the thoughts he was having about everything that happened last night…or at least what I thought happened last night. I had no idea how long I had been out. I took a breath and spoke.
“It’s because of you, isn’t it?” I asked, staring at him.
“Yeah,” he answered. “I saw you give your VIP pass to that girl. After talking to her for a little while, I saw that guy follow up to you. The guys and I took a break to step outside and get some air…that’s when we heard noises…yelling…and I heard you scream…we ran to investigate…I was secretly hoping it wasn’t was I thought it was…but it was…it was you.”
“Thank…you,” was all I could say.
“Why did you give up your pass?” he asked.
“I wrote you a letter…” I confessed. “I lost it…and Derek found it. I panicked and made a last minute decision to give it to her saying I lost my only reason to have it to begin with.”
“Derek…that was his name? Who was he?” Austin asked, finally facing me. My whole body froze when I saw the look on his face. I’ve never seen that look on his face before. It was so…dark. He looked angry, disgusted, and sad all at the same time. I didn’t know what to say, so I just confessed.
“He’s my…” I stopped. “Was my boyfriend…”
“Really?!” he asked, shocked and disgusted. “Why would you be in a relationship with a worthless piece of shit like that?!”
“I…I don’t know…” I answered. I really didn’t. “I’ve been with him for three years…”
“Three years…and how long…” he swallowed hard. I could tell he was trying to stay as calm as possible. “How long has he been abusing you like that?”
“Basically the whole time…” I confessed. I didn’t know how to lie very well so I just told him the truth. “It’s been getting worse lately…more…serious. And he’s always paranoid that I’m cheating on him. I don’t have any friends anymore since all my friends were guys. He made me get rid of every single one of them. He got rid of all my ways of contacting any of them…he…he found the letter I wrote to you and completely lost it…”
“You mean this letter?” he asked, holding up the crinkled piece of paper. It looked extremely over-used.
“How did you…”
“He dropped it when he ran away…” Austin shrugged. “I read it already, if you don’t mind.”
“Well it IS for you…” I pointed out.
“True…” he agreed, staring at the words on the paper. “You know…this really got to me…”
“I’m sorry!” I blurted out, assuming he meant the worst.
“No it’s not like that!” he laughed. “I mean in a good way. I’ve read this so many times while you were out. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It means a lot…all the stuff you said. It makes me happy that I can have such an impact on someone’s life when I haven’t even met them. You really mean this?”
“Every word,” I nodded. “You’ve really done so much for me that I don’t even think the letter would be a good enough thank you. All of you have been such an inspiration to me.”
“I remember you ya know,” he said suddenly.
“Huh?”
“You’re the girl that was in front…before the show…” he said, holding the exact same look he had when he first saw me.
“Oh…um…no it must have been someone else…” I attempted to lie.
“You’re a terrible liar, Haylee,” he laughed slightly.
“How do you…oh right. I signed the letter…” I sighed sadly.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The look you gave me…you were…” I stopped.
“Disappointed?” he finished for me. “Yes a little. But only because someone as kind and beautiful as you doesn’t deserve to be in so much pain.”
“Thank you…but I’m not.”
“Oh you’re one of those…don’t believe anything good you hear about yourself?” he asked; I nodded. “Well you should.” He paused, taking a breath. “Please…excuse me.”
I froze as his warm and surprisingly soft hands grabbed my hand and arm. He raised my arm to his face, inspecting the uncovered cuts and scars.
“You…don’t go very deep…do you?” he whispered sadly.
“I…less obvious that way…” I replied quietly.
“I see…” he closed his eyes and took a breath.
My heart skipped a beat as he pressed his lips against my arm. Kissing the band-aids. He held there for what felt like forever. His lips were so soft and warm, almost soothing.
He pulled away as there was a knock on the door. It opened and four young men walked it. It was the rest of Of Mice & Men