Comeback *Book One*

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

*weeks later*

Today, I am finally coming home from the hospital. We are about ten minutes away from home and I can't stop shaking. Soon I would have to go into public and I was not looking forward to that.

Mom looks at me through the rear view mirror. "Want to stop at Wendy's before we go home?" I shrug and apparently, that means yes. My mom turns off the busy road and into the Wendy's parking lot. My eyes stare at mom. I thought we were getting drive thru!

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean? We are getting Wendy's."

"But, we have to go inside?" I jesture to the building and glance inside. At least a dozen people are there

Mom gets out of the car and opens my door. "I know, Alison. Sooner or later, you will go into public. And it might as well be sooner."

I take a deep breath before grabbing my crutches and stepping outside the car. I had no fake leg yet, just a big ugly stick thing that is attached to me. The doctors said it helps with balance or something. Slowly, I guide myself through the parking lot and into the red building.

Great, just what I need! Most eyes turn to me as I enter. I stare straight ahead as I follow my mom, and I cant help but glance around. Next to me, I see Drew and blush.

"Um, hey Drew." Wow, awkward. He is just about the hottest kid in school. Most, if not all the girls have a crush on him. He is super nice and did I mention hot. Drew is also a rider at a barn not to farm from Pink Blosson.

"Hi. I just wanted to say sorry. You know, about your leg. I heard about it earlier." I tilt my head. How'd he hear about it? "Oh um. I'm not like a stalker or anything." He lets out a nervous laugh and runs his tan hands through his dark brown hair. Swoon. "Here. It's in the paper." He hands me the paper. Apparently I am famous, making front page.

"Um thanks." He smiles at me before walking away. Well that is the longest conversation that I have ever had with him not talking about school stuff.

While standing in line, I look at the paper. The articles title reads 'Well Known Junior Equestrian Alison Michels Takes A Spill'. The article talks about how I would have been the best, about my fall, about my leg, blah blah blah. I snort and toss the paper in the garbage. That was that.

"Um..." I look up to see the Wendy's cashier person staring at my leg. When she sees me looking at her, she looks away. "Welcome to Wendy's, may I take your order?" I answer with a small vanilla Frosty. Even though it was only eleven in the morning, I needed something cold and sweet. Mom waited patiently and didn't order anything. She hands my mom the frosty. We slowly guide ourselves out of the building and Drew waves to me before walking out.

Mom grins at me and I know what she is thinks. "Soooo...Who is he?" Mom exaggerated the he a little to much.

"Mom.." I blush when she helps me into the car. "He is just a friend I guess."

"Ohhh okay..." Another exaggerated word phrase. Mom pulls out of the parking lot and I take big bites of the Frosty. The hospital food sucks majorly so I really didn't eat much there.

Mom opens the front door of our house. Our house is medium sized with three bedrooms and four bathrooms. We don't need much since it is only me and her.

"Yip yip yip yip!" My small Palmeranian comes streaking out of the living room. Her name is Maggie and she has been mine since my ninth birthday. When I was in the hospital, my mom would go home a few times a day to let her out and feed her. This is the first time in weeks that she has seen me.

"Hi, baby!" I try and reach down to pet her, but I almost fall. Mom catches me and picks up Maggie. I balance on my crutches and stroke my dog.

~

In my room, I take a deep breath. Everything is the way it should be. Dozens of ribbons and numbers hang on my walls and a bunch of photos. A photo of me leaping over a tiny X at my first horse show, holding the grand champion ribbon with Beau, and of me and dad. Countless of other frames photos line my off white walls. On my dresser I have large gleaming trophies that I have won at shows and dozens of Breyer horse and books that line my shelves, my favorite book being 'My Friend Flicka' and my favorite Breyer being Hickstead. Everything seems so familiar, yet so different.

~

I drop my crutch and try to walk without them. My physical therapist is working on helping me do this. I wobble and almost fall at first before sort of getting it. Everthing for me is so frustrating. I knew how to walk a few weeks ago, but now I have to be taught how to again like a toddler. I hate it.

Looking around my room for my phone, I can't find it anywhere. Not in my bathroom or my walk in closet, not anywhere. "Shit!" I curse aloud and Mom yells at me from the kitchen. My phone was ontop of my highest wall shelf where I keep my Man O' War, Seabiscuit, and Secretariat Breyer's. I grab my desk chair and awkwardly drag it over to the wall. I try and stand ontop of it but I always end up falling off of it. I try one more time and the entire shelf topples to the ground with a loud crashing sound. I curse under my breath as Mom comes running up the stairs with Maggie on her tail, and into my room. She frowns as she puts my shelf back in place and puts my horse models back too, then hands me my phone.

"Thanks, Mom." She smiles at me before walking out with Maggie.

My phone is my moms old Blackberry. It has a purple case with a horse sticker on it. Thankfully, my phone had a soft landing onto my plush carpet and didn't break. I jump onto my bed and turn on my phone. Wow. I have eleven missed calls and thirteen text messages. Most of them are from people at school saying they are sorry and I delete them. I don't need anymore sympathy crap. I'm tired of it. That leaves me with two texts messages, one from GiGi and one from an unknown number.

Curiously, I go to the mystery number and open the text. It reads: 

Hey. I asked Jill for ur number so she gave it to me! Hope u r doing better ~Drew

Since when did Jill hang out with Drew? I shake off that thought and add his number to my contacts and respond to his message. 

Ali: 

Hey Drew. Thanks for that. It was sweet ~Ali

I hit send before I can think about it and I open GiGi's message. 

GiGi: 

Heard u r home from the hospital. Call me and get ur sorry butt to the barn.

I roll my eyes and respond to her snarky message. 

Ali: 

Doc said if I am feeling better, I can try to ride but to take it slow. I want to c Beau today. Apparently he is back home at the barn? IDK I'll be leaving for the barn in a few minutes

I really didn't ask Mom about going to the barn but I'm sure she would let me. I look down at my clothes. A grey sweater and some old flare blue jeans. Good enough. I limp over to my closet and ten sit on my bed. On good foot, I put on a sock and pull on my paddock boot and a half chap. I obviously don't need to do anything to my other foot. I grab my phone and my crutches before leaving the room.

I take ever stair slowly with a lot of effort. Again, it's like I am toddler, relearning everything that I already know how to do.

"Mom I want to see Beau." I walk into the kitchen and stare at my mom impatiently.

She sighs, clearly not wanting to argue. "Honey, he is in pretty rough shape. but if you want to..."

"I do!"

"Then lets go."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I know her recovery is sort of quick ish but I don't want to spend chapters and chapters on some boring crap. Hope you enjoy so far EDITED Comment any mistakes Thanks(: