Get A Room!

~:*:~ Sixty-Six ~:*:~

Bright

Word spread fast about Jedson's misfortune. The videos of me running across campus in a panic and then of Jedson being pulled out of the freezer had already went viral online. After Jedson was rushed into the emergency room that morning, I just collapsed in a chair in the waiting room and cried as I watched the videos over and over again, purposefully torturing myself for what I'd done.

The initial comments were pure speculation; people were wondering such things like if Jedson accidently locked himself in before calling me to save him, if someone was trying to hurt me by hurting Jedson, or if this was some hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community in retaliation for Jedson's public love confession. I wasn't to blame until some clever internet troll used his lip-reading skills to decipher my apologies to Jedson. Suddenly everyone was putting the story together perfectly. I had locked Jedson in the freezer, I left him there all night, and then I came running to his rescue. All they needed now was for Jedson to confirm this series of events, and then I would become public enemy number one.

If they didn't already hate me for stealing the Freshie King's affections, then they surely hated me now for almost killing him.

I hadn't realized how much time had passed until Leona suddenly sat down beside me early that afternoon. I looked around the waiting room to see Chace, Ian, and Nate had followed her to the hospital. I mentally chastised myself for not calling her earlier; Jedson's best friends should have heard the story from me, not through idle gossip like everyone else. I was supposed to call Leona when the nurse was calling Jedson's parents, but I was too lost in my own misery.

Even Paxton showed up a minute later with coffees for everyone, though I'm fairly certain Paxton's presence had more to do with supporting Nate's nerves and concern for his best friend.

Leona grabbed my phone out of my hand and set it aside before I could fall back into the whirlpool of internet gossip.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" She asked soothingly as she squeezed my hand.

"I'm not the one in the ER..." I replied pathetically.

"You can tell me about him in a minute. Right now, I'm asking you how you're doing."

The waterworks started all over again. Leona enveloped me in a strong embrace before I mumbled into her shirt, "I didn't mean for this to happen! He wasn't supposed to get hurt-... it's all my fault! I just left him there... and he was nothing but sweet to me-... I was just scared of-... I couldn't tell him that I lo-... I'm so sorry!"

I was getting slobber, snot and tears all over her clothes, but she still refused to pull away. Leona just let me vent out all my feelings and jumbled thoughts. She rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head like my mother often did when I was in crisis and in need of her tender, loving care. This calmed me down considerably.

When I was done with my outburst, I pulled away and tried to wipe her clothes clean of my embarrassing bodily discharges. She still didn't seem to care for her own state, focusing her attention on wiping the tear streaks from my cheeks.

"He kissed me..." I explained once I finally had my story in order, "... and he said he loved me. I was scared and I just couldn't face him, so I locked him in the freezer so I could think. I was only going to leave him in there for a few minutes until I could make up my mind about my feelings for him, but then he just kept talking and confusing me-... so I left. But I thought I'd taken care of Jedson by secretly sending a senior to his rescue!" I let out a huge sigh and dropped my head into my hands before concluding, "But I gave the senior the wrong room number. I only realized my mistake this morning."

She continued to rub my back slowly.

"He was so cold, Leona... and the blood..."

"Have the doctors told you his prognosis yet?"