WALLFLOWER

Chapter Three: Michael

 

              Coming home from school my first day felt like a dream. Evan was in all of my classes, even though he was a year ahead of me in school. He was really friendly, and we grew to be good friends. I noticed also that the girl I drove to school, Izzy, I learned her name when Evan called her over to our table at lunch. I learned that she was a really good friend of his. Though by the affection they showed each other I assumed it was something more that. It was a weird pair, with Evan, the social prince, and Izzy the anti-social princess, how it worked. I was driving home when I saw them walking the opposite way, the way to the middle school. I shrug and hurry home.

                I park in the driveway, and head into a quiet house. My dad is not yet home from his shift at the hospital, and I have no practice with the team. I am on my own until my dad gets off. Not knowing what to do, I pull on some running shoes, to replace my converse ones, and head outside. I am about to start jogging when I hear raised voices coming from izzy’s house. I pause and see Izzy run out onto the front lawn. She would have only made it three steps if Evanhadn’t come out and caught her. He assisted her, well carried her to the car in their driveway, placing her in the passenger side before climbing in the drivers side, and speeding off in the direction of the hospital.

             Worried I knock on the front door. A young girl of about 14, three years younger than Izzy, answers the door. 

            "Yes?" she says," May I help you?"

           "What just happened?" I ask her. Fear trickles into her eyes.

          "Marci!! Door's for you!!!" She yells and runs off. A few moments later her clone appears at the door.

          "Hello, excuse Devi's rudeness. Don't worry, Evan has the situation under control." Marci starts to close the door.

          "Will Izzy be okay?"

          "You . . . know . . . Izzy?" She gives me a look, "No one, no one knows Izzy." She shuts the door in my face. I stand there stunned before I turn, and shrug, then start my jog. If no one around here knew what was going on, I would be the first to find out. I sigh and mull over my thoughts, all the useless ones being abandoned, for now.

~

             Sometime later I get back to my house , my father having just arrived. The aroma of Mexican Take-Out is thick in the air, as I remove my shoes before heading into the kitchen. My father is walking around the kitchen getting the two dishes ready while talking into the household phone.

           "Is she stable?"Pause, "when does Steve get off?" A shorter pause, followed by a sigh, "I will be there in three hours for Steve then. I will take my son for extra help if I need it," a longer pause, "Yes, Victoria, I won't be late." He hangs up and looks at me, while placing the food on the table.

           "What, wait, who was that about?" I ask taking a bite.

           " A new patient admitted an hour ago, an Isalee Turner, her brother Evan brought her in today."

           I choke on my food. Izzy and Evan, what was going on?! "Are you sure an Izzy was brought in?"

          "Yes, oh, and how was school today? Your first day at an American school." Father asks as he starts eating.

          "It was great. I met an Izzy and Evan Turner, and both are my good friends, though Izzy is often distant and out of it. I believe she is the same Izzy that was admitted today.

         "Hmmmmmm. . . .Really?"

         "Yeah."

         "Do you want to visit Evan when my next shift starts? Maybe keep him company?"

         "Sure, if you think it to be smart.Is he allowed to see Izzy yet?"

         "No, she has some serious injuries, and we don't want to risk anymore."

         "Alright. I am going to shower," I say leaving my mostly uneaten meal on the table. This was the first thing that had discouraged my eating.

  ~

         A shower, change of clothes and a car drive can clear some people's heads. Not mine. It just gave me more unanswered questions. Needing to mention that we got to the hospital rather quickly. My father scanned us past seven sets of doors very quickly, and then I saw Evan. His distant silhouette sitting alone in the waiting area, head in his hands, fingers grabbing hair, trembling as some tears slipped past his barrier of keeping them away.

         "Hey man," I say softly, and place my arm on his back, rubbing circles into it,  trying to comfort him, in this fragile state. Seeing him like this made me wonder if he had caused Izzy's injuries.