by Kai Juniper
"She doesn't want to talk about it," Eve says, when I don't answer.
"I can." I get up, taking a deep breath. "He's really out of it from the drugs. He tried to talk but I think it hurts his neck when he does so he didn't say much."
"How'd he look?" Kendrick asks.
"Like he'd been beat up," I say, my voice cracking. "Really bad."
Danny brings me into a hug. "It's going to be okay. We're here for you."
I hear my mom behind me, clearing her throat.
"I'm Karla Turner, Brook's mother," she says to the other guys.
I pull away from Danny. "That's Josh and that's Kendrick," I tell her.
"We're on the team with Dean," Josh says. "The other guys will be coming later."
My mom smiles. "It's nice of you boys to show up. Don't you typically have practice in the afternoons?"
"We do, but Coach cancelled," Josh says. "We wouldn't be able to play when everyone's mind is on Dean."
Her eyes go to me. "Maybe I should head home. It's starting to get crowded in here."
"Mom, you don't have to leave."
"I have some work to do, and a few errands to run. I'll come back later and pick you up."
"Or I could take her home," Danny and Eve say at the same time.
My mom smiles at them. "I can get her. It's no problem."
"Mom, I'll walk you out," I tell her. When we're at the elevator, I stop and turn to her. "I want to stay."
"That's fine, honey. Just let me know when I should pick you up."
"I mean, I don't want to leave. I want to stay until I know he's okay."
"No. You're not staying here all night. And you're not missing school. Dean will be fine. He's being taken care of by very qualified people. Being here isn't going to help him. There's nothing you can do."
"But if something happens—"
"The staff will care for him. If something happens, if his condition worsens, they won't let you near him. He'll need to rest, and recover."
It's true, but I still don't want to leave him. If I go to school, I won't be able to concentrate. I'll just be thinking about Dean.
My mom smiles. "Those boys seem to really care about you."
"I don't really know them that well, other than Danny."
"Still, they showed up here for you."
"It's not for me. It's for Dean."
"I think it's both."
"Maybe." I look back at the ICU. "I should get back there."
"Eve's a good friend."
"Yeah." I turn back to my mom. "She's great. Way better than me."
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't been a very good friend to her. I spent all my time with Dean."
"And yet she's still here, supporting you. It's hard to find friends like that."
The way she says it, it's like she's talking about herself. None of her friends back home were people she could count on to be there for her when something bad happened. When she went through the divorce, her friends stopped calling and inviting her out. They didn't want to get involved in her messy divorce or appear to be siding with her when their husbands were still friends with my dad. I know they hurt my mom by being that way, and yet now that the divorce is over, she's calling them up, trying to restore their friendship. If I were her, I'd dump them and find new friends. Real friends, like Eve.
I haven't officially ended things with my friends from my old school. It just kind of happened. Nobody there talks to me anymore, and when I call or text, they don't respond. I'm sure part of that is because of Chad. I'm sure he said bad things about me and got everyone to take his side. I really don't care. I don't miss hanging out with those people, especially now that I've seen what real friendship is like.
People from my old school would never show up to the hospital to support me at a time like this. They'd call or send flowers but they wouldn't show up, and they definitely wouldn't stay with me, like Eve's doing. She's missing work for this, and time she could spend studying or doing her homework. And Danny and the other guys are missing football practice. They can't even see Dean and yet they're here for him.
Around six, more guys from the football team show up, along with some of the cheerleaders. By seven, the entire waiting area is filled with people from school, including Dean's coach. He's an older man with white hair. When I've seen him on the football field, he looks mean, yelling at the players and stomping around. But tonight he's much different, going around to all the players, reassuring them that Dean will be okay. I even saw him gather up some of the guys and say a prayer.
"How long are you staying?" Eve asks at eight-thirty.
"I want to stay all night. I don't want to leave him."
"You should go home and sleep. You can't see him until tomorrow."
"I know. I just don't like him being here all alone."
"He won't even know. I'm sure he's asleep. I need to head out soon. I can take you with me if you're ready."
"I'm not going to sleep tonight, knowing Dean's here and Jake's with his dad. What if he does something to Jake?"
"He would've already done it. He wouldn't take him if he was just going to hurt him."
"He might, if he wanted to hurt Dean even more."'
"Maybe. I don't know how psychopaths work. You could ask my dad."
"Why would I ask your dad?"
"He's a psychologist."
"Like a therapist?"
"He used to be. He did marriage counseling, but after his marriage failed, he decided that wasn't the job for him. Now he works at a mental hospital."
"Hey." Danny comes up to me. "Did you see this?"
He shows me his phone. On the screen is a news story with a headline that reads 'Local prison inmate escapes and is on the run'.
I take Danny's phone and read the article. It details the timeline, starting when Dean's dad went missing from work. It says the cops have been searching all day but haven't found Dean's dad or Jake. The article says a bus driver at Jake's school saw Jake in the parking lot talking to a man that matches the description of Dean's dad, and that Jake got in a black truck with him and they drove off. It doesn't make it sound like there was a struggle, but that Jake willingly went with him. The article goes on to say that other states are on alert, looking for the truck.
"It was on all the news channels too," Danny says, taking back his phone. "They're gonna find him. With it being all over TV and online, there's no way he's getting away."
"And when they find him," Eve says to me, "they'll lock him away for good. He's not getting out after this."
They're both trying to make me feel better but it's not helping. Because no matter what happens to Joe Sanders, Dean is still fighting for his life and Jake isn't safe at home.
"Some of the guys are heading out," Danny says. "Kendrick and I will stick around for as long as you need us."
"Thanks, but you can go," I tell him. "I'm heading home soon too."
"You need a ride?"
"I can take her," Eve says, gathering up the games and other stuff she brought. They turned out to be a good distraction and a good way to fill the time.
"You going to school tomorrow?" Danny asks.
"I don't know. My mom is telling me I have to but I'd rather be here."
"I can take you here at lunch. I have to go to practice after school but maybe Eve could give you a ride."
"Yeah, definitely," she says, glancing at me as she puts stuff in her bags. "I have to work but I can drop you here on my way."
"You guys are great. Thanks."
"No problem." Danny gives me a quick hug. "We'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
He goes back over to the other guys as people start to leave, clearing out the room.
As Eve finishes packing up, Dean's coach comes over to me. "Heading out?"
"In a few minutes."
He pats me on the back. "He's going to be fine. The kid's strong as an ox."
I smile. "Yeah. He is."
"Hey." He
walks down the hall a little, motioning me to follow. When I do, he says, "I told this to the players but I'll tell you as well."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"I don't want you bringing up football to Dean. If he asks, just talk about something else."
"I wasn't going to bring it up. I don't even know what I'd say."
"I don't either but when it comes time to talk about it, I want to be the one to do it. He's had his hopes set on playing college ball but that may not happen now. We'll have to see how it goes. He won't be finishing the season, that's for sure. But I'm working on some other options for him. They may not work out so I don't want anyone getting his hopes up."
"What options are you looking at?"
"Before this happened, I had scouts showing interest in Dean from all over the country, wanting to see video from the games. He even had a few offers. Now that this has happened, a lot of those opportunities may be gone but I still have scouts showing interest. We'll have to see how he heals and what happens with his knee. If his knee comes out okay, he has a chance of still getting on a team. It just won't be at a top school."
"So what do I tell him if he asks?"
"Tell him I'll talk to him. I've known Dean for years. We've had these discussions before, about his future, and staying on track to meet his goals. He knows I don't sugarcoat anything. I tell him like it is, and I'll do that again now. But I don't want to have that discussion until he's had more time to recover."
I nod. "Okay. Got it."
He smiles. "You've been good for him. I've seen him change a lot the past few weeks."
"What do you mean?"
"The kid actually smiles now. And he's got more life in him. He's not moping around, all depressed."
"He was like that before?"
"The kid's had a rough life. It's understandable. But you came along and gave him hope again. Even his teammates noticed. They wouldn't dare tell him that, knowing he'd probably punch them, but we all saw a change in him. I assume you two are dating?"
"We are, but we haven't told anyone. We were going to today, but then..." I look down.
"I think we already knew," he says, patting my shoulder. "Go home and get some rest. It's been a long day."
He walks off.
"Ready to go?" Eve comes up beside me, holding her bags of stuff.
"I guess," I say, feeling sad I have to leave.
"You'll only be gone a few hours. And tomorrow he'll be better. That's something to look forward to, right?"
"Yeah."
But what if he's not better? What if he gets worse? I wasn't allowed to see him again after that first time. The nurse said he needed to rest but she didn't say why. Was it because he wasn't doing well? I wish they would tell me more.
Chapter Six
Brook
When I get home, my mom's on the couch, her reading glasses on, computer on her lap.
"Hey, mom," I say, going to the kitchen. I've barely had anything to eat or drink all day. People kept offering me stuff but I didn't want it. I'm still not hungry but I'm thirsty. I grab a glass and fill it with water from the sink.
"Brook, why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" My mom gets up from the couch, meeting me in the kitchen. "I would've picked you up."
"You didn't need to. Eve gave me a ride."
"You want some dinner?"
"I'm not hungry. I just wanted to get some water, then I'm going to bed."
"You don't want to talk?"
"No. I'm really tired."
"How was Dean? Any update?"
"Not really. The nurses won't tell me anything. They act like I'm a little kid. You're the only one they would talk to."
"I could go back there tomorrow, see if they'll tell me more."
"Would you?"
"Of course. I don't know when I'll get there. It might have to be later in the day."
"That's okay. And you don't have to stay. I know you have a lot to do."
"I'll be there if you need me. I only left today because so many people kept showing up. I thought you might prefer to be surrounded by people your own age than your old mom."
"You're not old," I say with a smile. I finish my water and put the glass in the sink. "I'm going to bed."
"Before you do, I need to tell you something. Well, two things, actually."
"What?" I ask, standing across from her as she sits down at the counter.
"Chad called. Earlier tonight, around seven. He called my phone because he said he couldn't reach you. He said you blocked his number. Is that true?"
"Yes, because I don't want to talk to him."
"Brook, he's a friend of the family. He's been in your life a long time. Don't you think blocking him is a little extreme?"
"No. I don't want to hear from him. He hurt me and I don't want him calling me."
"What if he needed to tell you something? Something about one of your friends?"
"Then someone else can call me. I only blocked Chad, nobody else. So what did he want? Why was he calling?"
"He didn't say. He just said he needed to talk to you. It sounded urgent. I really think you should call him."
"Mom, trust me, it's not an emergency. Everything's urgent to Chad, assuming it's about him. If it's about anyone else, he doesn't care." I walk past her. "I'm not calling him back. He can go to hell."
"Brook! Don't talk that way." She follows me to my room. "Just because you're not dating him doesn't mean you two can't be friends."
"Why would I be friends with him? We don't have fun together. He never listened to anything I said. He put me last all the time. None of that's ever going to change."
"It might be different if you two weren't dating and truly were just friends."
"If he treated me that badly as a girlfriend, he'll treat me even worse as a friend." I go to my dresser and pull out a t-shirt to sleep in. "Why are we arguing about this? I told you it's over with him. Why won't you just accept that?"
"I accept that you don't want to date him, but I know, deep down, you still care about him, even if it's just as a friend. If he called, it's because he really needs to talk to you. Are you really just going to turn your back on him?"
"Yeah, actually I am, because that's what he did to me. He didn't care about what I was going through when you and Dad got divorced. He didn't care that I had to move and change schools. He just went on with his life and acted like I didn't exist. And now HE'S the one who needs something and he expects me to be there for him? Sorry, but he'll have to find someone else."
She sighs. "I understand you're upset, but maybe just think about it. Just because he didn't treat you well doesn't mean you have to do the same to him."
She closes the door and I quickly change into the t-shirt and climb into bed. I grab my phone and search for any new stories about Joe and Jacob. I find lots of articles but they all say the same thing, stuff I already know. I called the cop several times from the hospital but he didn't pick up or return any of my messages. He probably doesn't want me bothering him now that I'm done giving him information.
My phone rings and I see Jane's name on the screen. It's late and I'm not in the mood to talk but I answer anyway, curious why she's calling.
"Hey, Jane."
"Hey. You weren't asleep, were you?"
"No. I doubt I'll be sleeping tonight."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Um, yeah. Have you seen tonight's news?"
"Daddy had it on but I wasn't really watching. Why do you ask?"
"Never mind," I say, not wanting to get into it. Jane won't care. I told her about Dean weeks ago but I doubt she remembers. I don't even think she was listening.
"Is it about that guy who goes to your school?" she asks. "I saw some story about this football player getting beat up by his dad. I think they said he went to your school. Do you know him?"
"Yeah, that's Dean. The guy I told you about?"
"You did? I don't remember you mentioning him."
"I told you all abo
ut him. I was tutoring his brother, Jacob. The kid that's missing?"
"I kind of remember you saying something about tutoring. So anyway, how's everything else going?"
That's it? She's not even going to ask about Dean? How is it possible we were ever friends?
"Jane, I need to go. I've been at the hospital all night and I'm really tired."
"Hospital? What happened?"
I sigh. "Dean. My friend? He's in intensive care. I've been there all day and just got home."
"Why would you spend all day there? I thought you barely knew the guy."
"Seriously? Jane, I told you all about Dean the last time we talked. I told you how I was going over there every day. How I thought it might turn into something."
"Like what?" She pauses. "Wait—are you saying you're dating this guy?"
"Yes. I thought you'd figured that out the last time we talked. You acted like you did."
"I was joking," she says with a laugh. "You said all that right after Fiona saw you on the street with him. She told everyone at school how you were hanging out with this dumb jock, so when you told me about him, I thought you were just playing along. Pretending the joke was real."
"Fiona told everyone she saw us?"
"Yeah. Everyone was laughing about it, trying to imagine you with this huge football guy, which is totally not your type."
"I wasn't joking. I really am dating Dean. That day Fiona saw us, Dean and I were just friends, but it was becoming more than that. And now it has. We're dating."
"Yeah, that's funny. What's really going on? Are you just trying to make Chad jealous? If so, it worked. You should've seen him when he heard that rumor about you and the football player. His pale face actually turned red." She laughs. "Everyone told him it wasn't real. Eventually he calmed down."
"Why would he care? Isn't he dating Tamara?"
"She left for a job in LA. Her agent called and lined up all these auditions and she ended up getting a part on some show that's on one of the streaming networks."
"When did she leave?"