Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover (part 19)
“Oo, you okay Soph?” Dylan asked, making sure that I wasn’t in any pain as I was clutching my arms together around his neck. The hospital had offered me a wheelchair but I thought since I would only be just resting my leg by sitting around on my butt at home for the rest of the night I kindly rejected. I thought it might have been a bit tricky getting the wheelchair up to Sian’s apartment anyways since he would be carrying me in the taxi, out the taxi, up the stairs, there really wasn’t any point so thought it would be best if I got it tomorrow in case I had to do anything by myself. That is if my friends would leave me alone. Don’t get me wrong, I love being around them and I wouldn’t have it any other way, especially since Dylan literally saved my life and I had gotten close to Sian these past few days. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with them now, since I realised it all could have ended tonight....
“Yea I’m fine, it’s okay, you can just plonk me on here”, I joked.
Dylan gently placed me on the sofa as we both let out a breath. “Cheers mate.”
“Is there err anything else I could help you out with?”
“Umm how good of a cook are ya?” I joked, trying to be polite about saying how hungry I was without trying to sound like I wanted to raid Sian’s cupboards.
“Not that good Soph, you know that”, he chuckled back. “I’ll go get us a take away. You ladies sit back and relax”, he winked.
Sian watched Dylan exit the apartment before sitting down. “I umm...this is a good time actually cuz I wanted to talk to you”, Sian said cautiously.
“W-what about?” I asked trying to mask my nervousness. My heart began to thud while Sian’s words echoed in my ears.
“H-how come your parents knew it was an attack? You never actually said”, Sian tried putting into words, narrowing her eyes but clearly looking hurt at the fact that she didn’t know what had happened yet my parents did and from the performance witnessed in the hospital from my family, showing that I wasn’t actually their priority Sian had as much right as they did to know.
“I don’t know”, I shrugged. “I umm I guess the hospital told them?”
“Okay”, Sian replied bowing her head. “Why didn’t I know then?” she continued with her head down.
“It didn’t come up did it, Sian. I thought Dil might have told you?”
“I was in such a panic and worry that I didn’t have time to ask.”
“There ya go then.”
“Soph”, she said lifting her head up, in a tone that begged me not to start. “Sophie. Sorry.”
“Well Sian, we aren’t exactly the best of friends are we?” I said by complete surprise, not knowing where that statement came from at all.
“Yea but I would have thought that our....thing kinda built these past few days”, she said gesturing between us, having a pleading look on her face.
“I actually said that to myself earlier”, I muttered, bowing my head this time.
“Well then why did you just say that we weren’t the best of friends? After me coming into the hospital before your parents, caring about you, going over our first texts, and you saying that you done the same thing....a bit out of order if you ask me Sophie”, Sian said, getting more defensive with every word.
“Ya what? Out of order? I think you’re the one being a bit out of order here Sian”, I blurted out, shooting my head up with a frown in place.
“I let you stay in my home Sophie and this is how you repay me? By saying that we’re not even friends? Nice one”, she finished with a harsh tone, getting up from the sofa and going into another room, hearing the door shut behind her. It wasn’t exactly a slam but it wasn’t a quite sound either.
“Sian, wait!” I tried shouting after her, realising that the door had actually shut after my words exited my mouth.
I let out a frustrated sigh and buried my head in my hands.
“I’m not hurting you. No way near as much as you hurt me!”
Fuck!
I found myself in a blank stare, shaking uncontrollably, wondering what the hell just happened to me.
“Sian!” I called out in a worried voice.
“Tea’s here!” Dylan burst through the door joyfully.
I gave off a sharp gasp as my head automatically shot to the door, enough to give anyone whiplash. I was still in a stare with my eyes wide and mouth open agape, still not able to stop shaking.
“Soph, you look froze to death, c’mere”, Dylan rushed to me, grabbing the blanket that was hanging off the back of the sofa and wrapping it around me while rubbing his hands up and down my arms in an attempt to warm me up.
“What?” I said a bit gormless.
“Looks like someone needs a good sleep”, Dylan chuckled, getting the completely wrong end of the stick.
“I was just looking for some pillows and a duvet actually. For the sofa. I’ll sleep on that tonight”, Sian perked up from behind us softly.
“No, no don’t be silly, I’ll sleep on the sofa, you guys can sleep on the beds”, the man kindly offered.
“Wh-why don’t we all sleep on Sian’s double bed?” I asked, not really thinking about what was coming out of my mouth as I looked round to the both of them. “I think I would feel better with people around me, ya know, I think I would feel more....safe”, I tried explaining myself reasonably.
Dylan and Sian looked at each other for confirmation as Dylan blew out a breath, enlarging his cheeks.
“It’s entirely up to you Sian, it’s your place. I wouldn’t mind if you girls wanted to sleep together and-“
“No, it’s okay. If it would make Soph-ie, feel better then that’s fine with me”, Sian smiled warmingly at the both of us. “To be honest, I think we could all use a bit of protection right now.”
“Weyy, don’t get too carried away there, Sian!” Dylan mocked.
“Oh shut it you! Ya know what I mean!” Sian giggled, throwing a pillow his way.
“Heyy, careful Sian, wouldn’t want us getting the wrong idea now do we”, he giggled back. “Grab something to eat, before Soph ‘ere eats it all. You must be starving”, he said, collecting the contense from the plastic bag.
“Actually I’m not that hungry”, I mumbled, shrugging the blanket off me and trying to get up from the sofa.
“Woah Soph, where du think you’re going?”
“Can’t I have a bit of privacy please? I said I’m not hungry”, I replied a little too harsh than needed be.
“Sophie, sit down. Please. You need to eat. I know it’s nothing proper but it’s something. You’ve had quite an evening”, Dylan encouraged in a sympathetic voice, holding onto my arms to help keep me balanced.
“Don’t you think I know that?!” I barked back.
Dylan and Sian both recoiled, not realising that I had an evil look on my face until I relaxed it and went limp. Just like the rest of my body did. It was like my whole body had literally turned to jelly and I couldn’t control it as I started to slowly descend like a dribble; going in slow motion, not quite sure where it’s going to go but you knew if you let it continue it would be a disaster.
I could hear voices calling out that seemed really loud and startles me a bit but I couldn’t do anything about it. I simply couldn’t respond. My hands dropped beside me, palm facing upwards. I looked down at it and tried wiggling my finger tips but they seemed to just curl in, like a bodily response. Or at least it looked like it, for my vision was beginning to blur and everything started to merge together. I looked up once more, with a light and dark figure crowding over me until they both became black and then darkness.
“Sophie! Sophie, talk to us!”
“Sophie, what are ya doing? Stay with us babe!”
My body had gone into complete shutdown.