Feels Like Forever

Alan's POV
"We came as soon as we got your call." My mum explains as she throws her arms around Austin's dad.
His eyes were red and bloodshot and his body was visibly shaking. My dad walks over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders once my mum lets go.
"She's going to be OK." My dad soothes. "She's not one to give up that easily."
Mr Carlile forces out a stifled laugh and stares at the ground, not blinking. He looked lifeless. Suddenly he shudders and pushes my dads arm off of him before turning around and scanning the room.
"Austin." He mumbles before turning to me, a desperate look in his eyes. "Alan can you go to the restrooms and check on Austin please. He's been gone a while and I'm sure he'll be more likely to speak to you than he would me."
I nod and make my way down the long corridors, my long strides soon turning into a jog as I search aimlessly for the restrooms. I was worried about Austin and his dad and I was worried about his mum. I know Austin is nervous about moving away to college, it's why he always avoids the conversations about it. He'd never let on to me that he's worried about it though. He prefers to stay strong around me. I'm not sure if that's because he's worried I'll think less of him if I saw him break down or if it's because he thinks it'll trigger me. In all honesty, I feel 100% better. I don't get the urges to cut myself anymore and, even though my mum suggested I start therapy again, I genuinely don't need or want it. I'm fine. It was just one little slip up that will never happen again. I've tried telling this to Austin but I don't think he believes me. I knew that the last thing Austin needed right now was this. He had enough to worry about as it is and I don't know how much more he can take until he breaks.
I finally see a door marked 'restrooms' and quietly make my way inside. There was a row of five toilet cubicles, all of the doors opened except for the last one. I walk over to it and begin to hear muffled sobs coming from inside. I gently knock on the door and wait for a reply that never comes.
"Austin?" I say.
"A-Alan." He chokes.
"Yes Austin, it's me."
The cubicle door swings open and Austin pulls me inside, immediately locking the door again and throwing his arms around me in a tight hug. He rests his chin on top of my head and I feel his body shake against me as he cries.
We stand there for a few minutes, maybe hours. Me rubbing his back and him tightening his hold of me, as if silently begging me not to leave him.
"S-She had a heart attack." He whispers into my hair.
"I know Austin." I reply. "But she's going to be alright. I know she is."
"I fucking hope so. I can't fucking lose her Alan, I can't." He cries.
"You're not going to lose her Aus."
***
"Mr Carlile?" A doctor asks as he walks out of the room that Austin's mum was currently in.
Austin and his dad both stand and are directed down the corridor by the doctor so that they can speak in private. I sit on one of the uncomfortable, plastic waiting room chairs, tapping my foot and biting my fingernails, with my mum and dad either side of me.
"Austin is a good kid." My dad says.
I turn to him, looking confused and my mum just smiles at him.
"I'm sorry I wasn't very... thrilled about you and Austin at first Alan. It was just hard for me to accept the fact that my only son is gay. I was being selfish, I know. Once I got over the initial shock though, I realized that your happiness is all that matters to me."
I smiled and rested my head against my dads shoulder. "I know, dad. I love you."
"I love you too, son." He replies before kissing the top of my head.
***
Austin and his dad emerge from down the corridor and both my parents quickly run to meet them. They stand and chat with Mr Carlile while Austin jogs towards me.
"She's OK Alan! She's awake!" He shouts and picks me up, spinning me around in a bear hug.
"That's amazing news Austin." I smile at him. "I told you she was going to be alright."
"Yeah." Austin lets out a sigh of relief. "She has to stay in hospital for a few days while they do some tests and stuff but apart from that, she seems to be in the clear."
"I'm glad she's alright." I reply.
"Yeah, me too." He sighs. "I better go back and check on my dad. I'll see you at school tomorrow, Alan."
He hugs me tightly and I breathe in his usual but wonderful scent.
"I love you." I whisper into his hoodie.
"I love you too." He whispers back before kissing the top of my head and walking back inside the hospital.
I was relieved that Austin's mum was OK, we all were. But I couldn't shake the feeling that Austin was still worried. I mean, he had every right to be, they still needed to do tests on her so everything isn't confirmed yet but there was something else up. The past few days he's been... off. As if he's always on edge and paranoid. I have a feeling that it might have something to do with the whole moving away to college but I can't bring that conversation up because he never lets me.
I decide that I have to talk to Austin. Not right now obviously since he has enough to handle already but sometime this week when everything's settled down again. Maybe I could try at Shayley's party? I'm sure Austin will probably drink there, and even though I know it's bad to take advantage when someone is drunk, I know he'll tell me the truth with a bit of alcohol in his system. I'm not trying to be the annoying, clingy boyfriend that needs to know everything that he's thinking, I just want to know what it is that's worrying him so much. And I also want to know what's going to happen to us when he moves to college because we both can't keep ignoring the fact that we're going to be 2400 miles away from each other.
2400 miles.
2400.
Shit.

Notes

When I uploaded chapter 16, I had 7400 views. When I checked again the night afterwards, I had 17000. I got TEN THOUSAND VIEWS IN ONE NIGHT! Honestly, when I first saw it I thought my laptop had glitched or something (I may or may not have cried happy tears). You guys are incredible and, as always, thank you so much for your comments.

- Georgia x