Chapter seven

7.
Sunday, I slept in, completely worn out from Saturday's workout. I mostly stayed in outside, doing even more homework until it was finally all finished, playing video games, watching TV, and reading. It was a nice lazy day, one I really needed. I was rested when I went back to school on Monday, but I was not prepared.
At lunch, I sat down in my usual spot, and noticed that R wasn't there. In fact, I hadn't seen him since 3rd period, when we had a class together. I was going to sit alone, I guessed. But I was wrong, because right as I bit into my sandwich, a voice from behind made me jump.
“Fine, make a pig out of yourself, Shane.” My name was said sarcastically, tauntingly. I turned around and looked up, to see whose face the voice belonged to, but I had already made a guess. And I was right. It was Sophia. She sat down across from me, crossing her legs and her arms, and frowning at me. She annoyed me so much, I swallowed, and had the nerve to ask,
“What?” And I also frowned back.
Her face softened a bit then, but her words were still a little harsh.
“You stood me up on Saturday. I guess you must be a jerk just like the other guys.”
Now that was just plain rude.
“I'm not a jerk, and you'd better watch who you're calling names, otherwise you'll deserve the name yourself,” I retorted. The look on her face was nothing but utter surprise.
“Okay, fine, I'm not really mad at you. Just kind of ticked off. I mean, you did stand me up. But I guess it's not that big a deal, since I'm talking to you now.”
“Good. But what do you want to talk to me about?”
She sighed and rolled her eyes, exasperated at me for some reason beyond my knowledge.
“Wake up and smell the coffee beans, Shane. I want to apologize.”
I was baffled. Confused. And also hungry. I wished she would hurry up and explain things so I could finish eating.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, never mind. Well... don't you see? I'm like you, Shane. I'm shy too. Well, not so much anymore, but I used to be even worse than you. But I got over it. I kept waiting and waiting for you to talk to me, but you never did, so I decided that I'd just up and talk to you. But I thought it would be kind of weird to just randomly start talking to you. Well, some people wouldn't think it's weird, but you would. I know you would,” she said rather smugly. She was right, but I resented the fact that she thought she knew so much about me. She continued, “So that's why I wanted you in office. I thought we could both get president and vice president or something, because then I could talk to you without it being weird. But that didn't work, and it wasn't until after I got one of the girls to nominate you that I realized of course no way would you let yourself be elected. I wouldn't have either, two years ago, or even last year. So, here I am, sounding like a complete creeper and freak, talking to you out of the blue. But anyway, I'm sorry for being the reason you have to do that stupid counseling stuff.”
Again, I was astounded and amazed. Her story seemed to make some sense, but not in the world I lived in, that was for sure. I was gaping at her in my mind, but my mouth must literally have been open, too, because she started giggling.
I shut my lips, but then opened them again to speak.
“Are you seriously telling me the truth?”
“Yes!” she said with so much fervor that I forced myself to believe her. But still, there were so many unanswered questions, that I couldn't even begin to voice. Besides, my stomach was rumbling harder than ever, and lunch period would be over soon.
“Um, okay then, but what does this mean? Because I'm hungry.”
She laughed lightly. “It means we're friends. Deal?”
“Sure. Deal...” She shook my hand, and then left me there, going off with one of her gal pals, leaving me with sandwich in hand and millions of questions in my mind. If I had been a more intellectual person, with a more serious brain, I might have been thinking “Life sure is a strange thing.” But really I was thinking “What. The. Heck!”
I managed to finish my food just before the bell rang though, so I tried to push all my questions about everything out of my head and focus on school. I succeeded, mostly, until that day's session with Mr. Quirk. That was when he brought up the subject of girls, and Kyle was right, he sure “ate that stuff up”. But I kept my patience, and was rewarded by getting let out 10 minutes early.
When I was walking home, a thought struck me with such impact that I laughed out loud, sarcastically if not bitterly. Going to these sessions might be harder than running for office! I gave another laugh, sharp and violent that it sounded more like a dog's bark than a laugh. But it was true. I walked the rest of the way home with a quicker pace, wanting to get inside and meld my brain with the TV or maybe the computer. I had had enough excitement for one day.
And thankfully, that was exactly what I did. My mom had gone to the store, thankfully, so I sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and an apple, watching all my favorite shows and even some ones that I only watched in secret and didn't let anyone know I liked, like iCarly and Drake and Josh, and other ones on the Disney Channel. I wasted away most of the afternoon doing that, and I played a few computer games, too, until Mom came in and forced me to start my homework. But I was okay with it, because I was actually just starting to get a little bit bored with the media.
“Okay, Mom.”
I was just walking past the phone when it's shrill ring penetrated my ears.
“I got it!” Picking up the telephone and holding it to my ear, I continued on my way up the staircase.
“Hello, this is Shane.”
“Hey buddy, what's up?” I would know R's voice anywhere, but it sounded different when he had said that sentence. Strained, somehow. I paid it no mind.
“Going up to start my homework. I've been watching TV all day...”
A chuckle flowed through his lips. “See that new episode of Hannah Montana?”
I started to protest, but he knew me too well.
“I know you watch it, Shane. Heck, I've watched it with you at your house. And I can practically hear you grinning on your end of the phone.”
“All right, so I did watch it. But only because she's good-looking and you know it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“So, anyway, where were you today? I never even saw you after Social Studies.”
There was a pause, a gap in the conversation. I was about to ask if he was still there, when I heard him take one deep breath, and then he plunged in.
“That's what I'm calling about. I'm in the hospital. I'm okay, except for a little tired. It's my mom. Something's wrong with her, they still won't tell me what. I just thought I should tell you. See, I got a call after Social Studies, and it was Bryn. She sounded really freaked out, and told me to come home right away. Saying that Mom was having all these weird flu symptoms, but I guess they were worse than the flu. I mean, I knew that she's been sick for several weeks, but I thought she was getting better. Bryn said she was coughing up blood, though. So I went home, after getting permission, of course. And when I got home an ambulance was there with Mom inside it, and Bryn was really stressed out, calling Dad on the phone to tell him.
“I've been here ever since then. Lemme tell you, man, hospitals might not look that bad from the outside, but I'm dying in here. Bryn left in her car as soon as we found out Mom was 'stabilized' or whatever, Bryn's never been very good with handling pressure... well, Dad says he's spending the night here, but I'd rather die than do that. So I was just hoping I could bum out a night over at your place.”
To say that I was literally speechless at that moment would not be an exaggeration. In fact, it might be lacking in something. Also, words cannot describe how I was feeling. I don't remember it very well, either, except I know that I was feeling pain, and also guilt. Pain for R, guilt for myself. I guess my mother walked into my bedroom then, which shows in what a catatonic state I was in, I didn't even hear her knocking. Apparently R was also saying my name over the phone, but I didn't hear that either.
Mom took the receiver from my hands and started talking into it. I simply sat down on my bed, hands outstretched, palms up. Nothing to give. I couldn't even help my friend by saying that he could spend the night here. My mom had done that for me, because she had taken the phone downstairs again to put it back in it's wall bracket/charger. My thoughts drifted, and eventually I got my voice back. But Mom hadn't returned, so I had nobody to talk to. I hear one car drive up, Dad. Then I heard a car leave just minutes later. What was wrong with me? I wondered. GET UP , DUMMY! You can't be all comatose when R gets here. He's gonna need your help! I yelled at myself, using that little voice in my brain. Finally, my legs started moving, and, working together with my arms, pulled me up off the bed. I padded my way down the stairs, and automatically into the kitchen, where I found my father cooking some dinner. He looked back, hearing my footsteps, and smiled.
“Your mother told me about your friend's phone call. She's gone to pick him up from the hospital now. I'm cooking dinner. Care to help?”
I nodded, saw some food on the stove that needed to be stirred, and proceeded to do so. My dad was chopping up onions, concentrating on his work, and letting me do the same. But he started talking after a while.
“...Do you want to talk, Shane? As I said, your mother told me about it.”
I sighed, weighing my options. I could get everything off of my chest by telling it to my dad, or I could continue to keep it stored up inside of me. I went with the former.
“Dad, I feel so useless. I kind of feel like a failure now, actually. I don't know what happened to me back there, when I was on the phone with R. But I couldn't even hear anything! I just feel so stupid, I mean, I couldn't even help my best friend. MOM did.” I sighed again, dejectedly. But then my dad made me so thankful of him and his wisdom, when he was done talking, I went over and gave him a semi-awkward man hug.
“You know son, everybody will feel like they're a failure at at least one point in life. Most people have many of those points, though. And trust me, you're not a failure. All of us are prone to shock. And you will still get the opportunity to help your friend. In fact, I think he'll need you now more than ever. So you can't go wallowing about in some depression about something that's not even true. You're still yourself, a fine young man. And I believe you're exactly the right person for R to talk to right now.”
After I stood back up from leaning down to the chair he was sitting in to give him a hug, I told my father,
“You know what, Dad?”
“Hmm? What?”
“You're smart, but you're pretty cool for a dad, too.” He laughed, and finished up chopping the last of the vegetables.
“And what makes you say that?”
I called the reply over my shoulder as I was on my way out to set the table.
“You called him R instead of Rupert!”