Hope | ✔

Chapter 2: The questioning

"If you aren't nervous, do you really care?"

Jaimie-mae collapsed onto her bed after kicking off her vans and slipping off her sweater.

Her mind wandered to the boy who she left alone in the ambulance. They wouldn't let her get into the ambulance with him but after four tries and multiple 'you aren't family' she finally gave up.

She made up her mind that she would visit the hospital as soon as she could. Maybe after she got out of school.

After some thinking she realized that neither of them knew each others names. How was she supposed to find a boy whose name she didn't know?

She tried pushing the boy out of her mind and she lifted herself up off her bed and went over to the shower. As the water ran down her skin, she tried to wash away the images of the boys beat up body with the warm water and lavender soap; for relaxing. She was sure the image of his broken and bloodied body would keep her up all night, but she desperately needed the sleep. She was already exhausted from a full afternoon of work.

After hopping out of the shower, Jaimie-mae wrapped herself in a towel and went to the kitchen for a small bite to eat. It was quite late in the evening so she just decided to have crackers and cheese and a warm mug of citrus berry tea. 

After finishing her food she went back into her room, changed into a tank top and pajama shorts, then collapsed into her bed. She lay still there for what seemed like hours, but soon she was off to a restless sleep.

***

"I don't know if you noticed, but you're kind of late to school."

Jaimie-mae rolled her eyes at her friend, Kasey Haynes. "You don't say."

"I do say." Kasey studied Jaimie-mae's face "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Y- Kind of."

"Kind of? You know that sleep is really important when you are in your last year of highschool right."

"Yes. I've been told... multiple times. I couldn't help it. Every time i closed my eyes, that image was just right there at my eyelids."

"What image?" Kasey asked curiously.

Jaimie-mae wondered if she should tell her friend about the boy. She didn't even know if the boy survived or not. He could have died on the way to the hospital for all she knew. She really hoped he didn't.

She had big expectations for the boy in the jean jacket. She knew he was strong, he'd survive. If he didn't, she'd be extremely upset. She might not have had proof of him being alive but she had hope.

"Are you going to tell me? Or..." Kasey trailed off.

"Ugh. Its kind of a long story."

"We have time," Kasey pushed.

"Well. Last night after i was coming home from work. There was this car speeding and then i noticed this boy up ahead and he was running. The car literally collided with him and drove off. I went over to him and he was all b-bloodied and cut up. And his elbow was on a weird angle. And... i had to do chest compressions and i-i cracked one of his ribs." The sound rang in her ears as she relived the moment in her mind. She could feel her mouth get watery; the usual sign of when she needed to throw up. She didn't really have a weak stomach, but this was different.

"Ouch, brutal," Kasey said as she frowned. "I'm so sorry you had to see that. Did he... survive?"

"I don't know. I'm sure he did. But I'm planning to go to the hospital after school today since i don't have work."