Party Boy Love Story

by Grace Wilkinson

"Now."

  I nodded as he led me towards the elevator, pressing the garage button.

  "Sir, I’m sorry."

  "Sorry isn't going to save her is it now?" He clenched his fists.

  We stepped out of the elevator and he walked over to his car, leaning against the hood.

  "My ex-wife warned me about you." he began, "Told me to keep you away from my daughter."

  I silently stood there.

  "Did I listen?" he spoke, "No."

  "Should I have? Yes."

  "I wasn't trying to hurt her and I put her in danger. I blame all of this on myself."

  He tightened his jaw and clenched his fists, connecting one fist with my jaw. I stumble onto the floor, taken back by what just happened.

  "What happens if she dies, huh?" he shouts, his voice echoing through the empty underground parking lot.

  I stood up and his punched me again, this time in the nose. I couldn't punch him back, though. That wasn't right.

  "I'm sorry, okay?" I shook, wiping the blood off my mouth, "I am so disappointed in myself. I worry about other people more than I worry about the girl I love and that's where I went wrong."

  Emily's father stood there for a few seconds, fake frown on his face. "You stay away from her. If she ever wakes up, you will never see her again." His fist connecting with my jaw one last time.

  I collapsed onto the floor as he walked back over to the elevator and the doors shut in front of him.

  Chapter 45

  Dylan's Point of View

  I walked back upstairs and met Jasmine in the waiting room. When she saw the sight of me her mouth hung agape.

  "Dylan?"

  "Her dad." I answered the question before she could ask.

  "And you didn't hit him back?"

  "Jas," I sighed, "I can't hit him he's a grown man."

  "So?"

  "I don't need to get myself more hated then I already am."

  The nurse at the front desk now approached me. "What happened now?" she asked, examining the stitches on my arm.

  "My stitches are fine; it's my face."

  The nurse nodded, disappearing behind the desk and reappearing with a butterfly bandage and disinfectant.

  "This will sting." she says, pressing an alcohol rub against my sore, cut skin.

  I clenched my fists and breathed through my teeth as she cleaned off the cuts. Emily's father's wedding ring had hit the skin by my eyebrow, causing my skin to slit open.

  The nurse placed the butterfly bandage over the cut above my eyebrow and patted my shoulder. "Try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

  I nodded.

  Jasmine collapsed back into the waiting room chair and I sat down next to her, holding an ice pack against my sore jaw.

  "I can't believe a fifty year old beat the shit out of you." She laughed for a split second, making me laugh.

  "I could have beaten his ass but I didn't want him to crack his back or something." I smirked, forgetting the situation we were in. For a few seconds, I forgot about what had just happened. I shouldn't be laughing. I should be disappointed in myself.

  "She'll be okay." Jasmine grabbed my hands and squeeze hard. She seemed to have read my thoughts.

  "What if she isn't? What if this changes everything?" I start.

  "It won't, trust me."

  I nodded.

  Jasmine looked down at the time on her watch. "I'm going back to my dorm. I’m going to come back tomorrow morning, though."

  "And skip class?" I added.

  She nodded. "Do you need a ride?"

  I shook my head before saying, "I'm staying here until she wakes up."

  Jasmine looked surprised, but nodded before waving goodbye and walking down the corridor.

  "Dylan?" I heard a voice call.

  I looked around at the scenery. It was the mountain top I had taken Emily after my mother died. She stood on a huge rock, holding her arms out and leaning her head back.

  "What are you doing?" I smirked.

  "I'm living in this moment." She smiled down at me, her skirt blowing up in the wind.

  The distant lights reflected onto her face and I could make out her clear skin and beautiful brown eyes. She was perfectly fine. Perfectly back to normal as if I had never gotten her hurt.

  "Dylan, I’m still here." She looked down at me, stepping off the rocks and walking over towards me.

  "What?" I ask, confused.

  "I'm not dead." she answered, "It will just take a while for me to wake up, that's all."

  I nodded, not even noticing the tears falling down my cheeks.

  "I'm sorry, Emily. I shouldn't have done what I did." I begged for forgiveness and she ran her hand through my hair.

  I couldn't feel her touch but I could see her caressing my cheek.

  "I can't feel you, Emm." I choked, "W-Why not?"

  "Because this isn't real, Dylan. This is a dream."

  I bit my lip.

  "Will I see you again?" I ask.

  She looks down at her shoes, "I don't know, Dylan."

  My eyes flew open and I took in my surroundings.

  "Sir?" I heard someone ask from behind me, I turned to see the same nurse sitting at the front desk.

  "Yeah?" my voice coming out dry and raspy.

  "I have some news."

  I lifted up. "Yes?"

  "She's still asleep but she hasn't lost her memory."

  I sighed with relief before asking, "Can I see her now?"

  The nurse looked down at a sheet of paper on a clipboard and nodded.

  "She's the third room on the right." the nurse yelled as I ran through the wooden doors.

  I sprinted down the hall until I approached her room. She lay on the bed with tubes attached to her body and IV tubes running from her arms. Tubes were inserted into the back of her head to take out the internal bleeding.

  I was disgusted with myself. I had done this to her. I was the one that caused her to look dead, pale and lifeless.

  "What are you doing here?" a voice interrupted my thoughts and I turned to find Brandon standing the doorway with a bouquet of flowers.

  "I just wanted to see her." I spoke.

  "You've done enough, get out." The look of disgust on my face made me feel even more disgusted with myself.

  "Please, Brandon." I begged.

  "Seriously, Dylan?" Brandon placed the flowers on the table next to Emily's bed. "You've ruined her. Ever since she met you she's gotten herself in nothing but trouble or danger."

  "I know but I’m going to change that-"

  "When, huh? When she wakes up?"

  I nodded.

  "What if she never does, Dylan?" Brandon finished.

  "Don't think about that." I shook my head.

  "Look at her." Brandon pointed towards her lifeless body. "Does this look like it's going to be okay?"

  "Stop being so negative!" I shouted, "I've known her longer than you have! Just because you're her god damned step brother doesn't mean anything!"

  He stayed silent, clenching his fists.

  "I've seen her sad, happy, completely and utterly in love and you've seen nothing. You hardly even know her, you just know her story."

  "Get out, now." Brandon shouted, pointing towards the door.

  I shook my head. "You can't make me leave."

  Just then, a doctor came running into the room. "Gentleman, I need you both to get out. This isn't a place to be doing this."

  And with that I walked out back towards the waiting room while Brandon disappeared into the elevator.

  Natasha now sat in a chair, running her hands through her hair. It looked as if she had been crying.

  "Dylan," she looked up, anxiously, "Is she alright?"

  I shook my head.

  "I'm sorry." Natasha begged.

  I didn't answer.

  "This isn't all my fault." she said.

  I shook my head. "If you didn't constantly get yourself in danger, half the things that have happened to Emily wouldn't have happened."


  Natasha stood silently over me with her arms crossed over her chest.

  "I've made a decision." I spoke, breaking the long silence.

  "What?"

  "I'm leaving the fraternity, I’m no longer friends with you or Max or Michael or anyone and I’m focusing on school."

  "But Dylan you have to be in the fraternity for your scholarship." Natasha mentioned.

  "I don't care. I’ll just pay for tuition if I have to."

  "So what does this mean for us?"

  "I'm sick of you. I'm sick of trying to help you and I’m sick of everyone!"

  I pushed my way passed Natasha and stormed into the elevator.

  Chapter 46

  Dylan's Point of View

  Another day passed and I awoke in the waiting room. My back ached from sleeping funny on two chairs. I looked over at the empty front desk across from me and stood up, walking towards the door.

  I approached Emily's room but heard someone speaking. I stood beside the door way and peaked my head in for a second.

  Jas was sitting next to Emily's bed with her hand wrapped in hers.

  I looked over to see if Emily had woken up yet but no luck.

  "I’m sorry for everything, Emm." I heard Jas speak.

  I stayed silent.

  "I'm sorry for ditching you all the time for Natasha and being an idiot. After all the times you made sure I got home safely I gave you nothing in return." She wiped the tears running down her cheeks, "we've been friends forever and I chose someone I hardly knew over you."

  She turned to see me in the doorway and her cheeks turned crimson.

  I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck, "sorry, I-"

  "-how long were you standing there?"

  "A few minutes."

  She looked down at the floor and shook her head, "I’m starting to think she won't wake up."

  I furrowed my eyebrows, "what why not?"

  "Dylan, she hit her head really hard and it's already been days-"

  "-Jas, it's a coma. She could be asleep for months and still live!"

  Jas looked down at the ground before standing up and walking out of the room. I followed behind her, softly calling her name. She didn't answer, though.

  She finally stopped at the elevator and I slipped inside with her.

  Her face held a straight look but after a few seconds she collapsed onto the tile floor and began to sob.

  "Jas?" I was surprised.

  "We got her into this, Dylan. If we hadn't taken her to parties and gotten her into trouble she would be fine right now."

  I shut my eyes and slipped down onto the floor next to her, kneeling down on one of my knees.

  "Let me drive you home." I offered and she handed me her keys.

  I recognized the small pink key chain and immediately knew that the keys didn't belong to Jas, she had driven Emily's car here.

  "I know what you're thinking." She began, "but I had to."

  I walked out into the underground parking lot towards Emily's car. I unlocked the doors and we both stepped inside. The scent of Emily filled my nose and it made a rush of memories fly through my head as I sat in the driver’s seat. I shook them away and started the engine. I looked up towards the rear view mirror and noticed a thin strip of paper hanging from a string.

  I held it in my grip as I remembered the day. The strip of photos was from the day Emily and I had taken photos in a photo booth and sneaked into the Knicks stadium.

  "What?" Jas asked next to me.

  I shook my thoughts away, "nothing, let's get you home."

  I started the engine and we drove back towards campus. The drive was short, until we stepped foot on NYU property. I was driving past the huge field in the middle of the dorm complexes when I noticed a group of kids. They were lighting candles and placing flowers down in the middle of the empty field. I slammed on the breaks and clenched my fists.

  "What the-?" Jas shouted but then noticed what I was looking towards, "-that."

  "What the fuck? Half the people here didn't even know her!" I yelled.

  "They're everywhere, Dylan. People are making ceremonies to pray for her. It's weird. If I were you I wouldn't go back to class for a while, you're the talk of the school."

  I parked Emily's car in the front of her dorm and let Jasmine out.

  "When can I get the car back?" She asked.

  "I'll drop it off tonight or something."

  She nodded, "maybe you can even drive Emily home in it."

  I gave her a small smile, "let's hope."

  She waved and walked off towards the doors. I started the engine when my phone rang. I pulled it out from my back pocket and saw Max was calling me.

  "What?" I picked up.

  "How is she?" He asked, little too concerned.

  "Why do you care, huh?" I snapped.

  "Dylan, Natasha is going insane. She's over at the house and she locked herself in the bathroom. I don't know what to fucking do." I could hear him banging on the door on the other end.

  I groaned, "I’ll be right over."

  I drove down the street towards the fraternity house, thinking this would be the perfect time to grab all my things and just leave everything behind for good.

  I walked inside to hear Max upstairs banging on my bathroom door. Why did she go in my room?

  "Wow, can't believe you actually came, you know, since you're leaving and everything." Max stood against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

  "Shut up, Max. I don't have time for this right now." I said, reaching into my desk drawer, trying to find the key to the bathroom.

  I finally found it under a few old notebooks and unlocked the door to find Natasha leaning over the toilet, puking her guts out. Who knows how long she's been doing it.

  "Natasha!" I yelled kneeling down next to her and grabbing her hair into a ponytail.

  She finally stopped and looked up at me. Her eyes were bloodshot and covered in smeared makeup. Her skin was pale and no longer dark.

  "I killed someone." She whispered, crawling away from the toilet and pressing her head against the wall.

  "Emily isn't dead." I reminded her.

  "I know but I killed you." She sounded insane. What did she even mean?

  "I made you someone you shouldn't have become. I killed the real you."

  Max looked down at us with furrowed eyebrows and creases in the skin on his forehead, "Natasha," he began, "you need to go home; sleep."

  "I haven't been able to sleep since the crash."

  "I'll drop you off." I said, helping her off the floor and walking her towards the door.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly set Natasha down in a chair by the door.

  I looked down to see a text from Brandon saying to call him as soon as possible.

  I quickly dialed his number and called. He answered on the third ring.

  "Hello?" I heard him ask through the speaker.

  "Brandon?"

  "Hi, Dylan."

  "Why did you want me to call?" I ask.

  "I just wanted to let you know that Emily is being moved to a different hospital for more immediate care."

  "Where?"

  "Across the country." He answered, taking a deep breath.

  Chapter 47

  Dylan's Point of View

  I hung up the phone and called Jas as I raced out the door.

  She answered on the first ring, "Dylan?"

  "Jas!" I shouted as I raced down the stairs towards the front door.

  "Is she up, Dylan? Please tell me she woke up."

  I caught my breath as I slipped into the driver’s seat of Emily's car, "no, they're moving her to another hospital across the country."

  She was silent on the other end for a few minutes, "why?"

  "More experienced hospital I guess." I drove back towards the hospital.

  She was silent, "go stop them before she leaves."

  I nodded even though she couldn't see me, "I will."

  Th
en I hung up, throwing my phone on the passenger seat.

  Once I arrived at the hospital, I parked Emily's car and ran up towards the floor she was on. As the elevator doors opened onto the floor, I saw her mother and Brandon standing over Emily on a stretcher.

  "Wait!" I called, running towards them.

  Emily's mother looked up and narrowed her eyebrows, shooing Brandon and all the doctors away towards the other hallway.

  "I don't ever want to see your face again after this incident!" she walked straight up to me and pushed me out of the way.

  "I know. I don't blame you, but please, don't bring her across the country. All her friends are worried."

  "Friends? You and all your friends don't care about her!"

  I sighed and looked down at the ground.

  "She's going to a hospital in Chicago, Dylan. She needs more care and she needs it fast and they're willing to give it to her." She said.

  "How is she getting there?"

  "Helicopter."

  I nodded.

  She didn't even say goodbye, she walked away down the hallway and caught up to the doctors with Emily.

  I ran my hands through my hair as I made my way back inside the elevator and it carried me back down to the ground floor.

  I completely screwed everything up. If I could just go back to the beginning and make everything work out okay, I would.

  I drove back towards the dorms. I didn't have anywhere else to sleep and I haven't talked to the dean about the whole 'me leaving the fraternity thing'.

  As I pulled up, Jas was sitting on a bench outside the dorm complex. I got out of the car and walked over to her.

  "Jas?" I called her name.

  She didn't answer. She just sat there with her hands over her face.

  "What happened?" I asked, "Jas, talk to me."

  "Ethan." She cried, "He broke up with me."

  I was taken by surprised. I had completely forgotten about them dating.

  "Why?" I ask.

  "He said he doesn't like Natasha and if I’m friends with her it wouldn't work out."

  I sat down next to her and rubbed my hand across her back in circles.

  "Have you been inside yet?"

  She shook her head, "I don't want to go back in my room, it reminds me too much of her."