Chapter 11
ADEN
I pick up my iPhone to check the time. 6:00 is what the screen reads. Riley and the gang should be here soon. My stomach makes a makes a noise like an upset grizzly bear. They need to hurry up, I am starving.
I decide to scroll through my Instagram and see what is new to pass the time. It seems like everything on there is all of people’s summer vacations. There are pictures of people zip lining through the tree tops, pictures taken underwater on their snorkeling adventures, pictures of too good looking to eat food from little café’s in Paris. It makes me a little jealous that all these people are out having a good time when I will be stuck here most of the summer, maybe even longer.
“Did someone order pizza?” Ethan asks as he barges into the room.
“Yes! Finally!” I type enthusiastically.
“We have got a large 5 meat pizza right here,” Ethan says as he places the one box on the table, “And one large Hawaiian jerk chicken.” He places the other box down beside it.
“Missed me?” Riley asks as she hops over to the bed and gives me a kiss. As she leans in I smell her strawberry sugar body lotion she always wears.
“Always,” I type.
“What would you like me to get you bro?” Ethan asks.
“I will have one of each,” I type.
Ethan hands me a plate. The smell of the greasy pizzas fills my nose. I take huge bite and roll my eyes back in satisfaction. My hands are too greasy to type anything but my face probably shows how much I am enjoying it.
“We have a surprise for you babe,” Riley says.
Sam goes into the hallway for a second and returns with a cart full of plants. There are small trees and flowers, small trees with flowers in them and every color imaginable.
“Sam thought we needed to bring some color into this room of yours,” Riley says.
I grab a napkin to wipe my fingers off, then type, “Thanks babe I love them.”
“I will just set these over here for now,” Sam says. “I need to get some food in me right now!” She rolls the cart to the corner of the room and rushes toward the table with the food. “Now this is an excellent pizza!” She says taking a bite.
“I have some good news,” Riley says. “I am free to leave next week! I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again!”
“That’s awesome!” I type.
“I promise I will come every day to visit you,” she adds.
“You don’t need to come every day. If you can’t make it, no big deal. I am sure you will find yourself busy. Plus the hospital isn’t exactly the closest from your place,” I type.
“I will find the time,” I say.
“You do realize that you can’t exactly drive yourself around,” I type and point at the cast on her leg.
“I have already thought of that,” she states.
“Of course you did. You are always one step ahead,” I type and let out a little laugh.
“I looked into the bus routes and there is a stop that passes our street. I would only need to make one transfer in between to get here,” she says. “I will take Sam with me the first time, just to make sure I can manage getting around, but I am confident that I can do it. Physio will help my endurance and strength and I know I should be able to get around easier by next week if I keep up with my strength training.”
“Okay, but don’t over exert yourself now,” I type.
“Don’t worry, she is in good hands,” Sam says as she comes up from behind Riley and puts her hands on her shoulders. “I will be here to drive her too if she needs.”
“Me too,” Ethan says. “Riley is not the only one who wants to come visit you.”
I sit back with a smug look on my face. “I think I could get used to people fighting over me. It’s like I am a celebrity, everyone wants a piece of me,” I type. Everyone bursts out laughing.
“Can you pass me another slice of that meat pizza?” I type.
“Sure thing,” Ethan says, grabbing himself another slice while he is at it.
“Have you heard anything else from Dr. Harley since this morning?” Riley asks me.
“No just that I need to continue on with these tests to see if I can improve my speech myself. I have to do them every day for about 3 weeks.” I type.
“That would be great if you can improve your speech without having to go through the option of surgery,” Riley says.
“Ya, it’s great, but in some ways I think it would just be easier to operate and have it fixed almost immediately, then I wouldn’t have to wait. Do you even know how frustrating it is that I can’t even pronounce the simplest of words that a 2 year old would have no trouble saying?” I type.
“Just look at Riley,” Sam says. “She can barely walk down the hallway, but even after a day of getting around with them, she is showing improvement.”
“Sam’s right. You have only done this test once. It will only get easier the more times you do it,” Riley says to me as she takes my hand.
“That’s easy for you to say,” I type.
“Babe, just keep trying. I know you can do it,” Riley says to me, looking me straight in the eyes. “That’s exactly what you said about finals and tests in school. You got through that. This is no different.”
“Okay, I will keep trying, but that’s not going to change the fact that I don’t like it. Just promise me one thing,” I type.
“What’s that?” Riley asks.
“That you will still stick with me even if I don’t get better,” I type.
Riley gives me a serious look. “Why would I ever leave you?”
“That’s what I told him,” Ethan pipes in.
“Aden, If you think that Riley would leave you over this, then boy, you are crazy!” Sam says.
“I know. You know that I tend to over think things too much and construct the worst case scenarios in my head,” I type. “I know I have met the girl of my dreams and I just worry myself that it’s too good to be true. How could I guy like me be so lucky to have found a girl like you.” I look up at Riley and give her a smile.
“Thanks, I feel the same way about you,” Riley blushes.
“You two were truly meant to be,” Sam says.
“Same goes to you two,” Riley points out. “Can you even imagine our lives without each other?”
“That is a scary thought,” Ethan remarks.
“Each of us is so different, yet we all are friends,” Riley says. “It’s like all our personalities mesh into one unstoppable group of people.”
“We can call ourselves the unstoppable four,” Sam suggests.
“I think we need to work on the name,” Ethan says.
“I will get right on that,” I type. “I do have all the time in the world you know.”
“I am holding you to that,” Ethan says to me.
Sam gets up and wraps her arms around Ethan. “We should get going.”
Ethan looks at his watch. “Sam’s right, by the time we get home it will be late.”
“See you guys later,” I type. Riley yawns. “You should rest up too Riles.”
“I will give you a call tomorrow,” Ethan says as he and Sam leave.
“I will stay just a few more minutes,” Riley says as she hops up onto the bed with me and lays her head down on my chest. Within a few minutes she is fast asleep. I should probably wake her up, but she looks so peaceful. I close my eyes and wrap my arms around her. If this is what it is like going to sleep and waking up with this beautiful girl, then count me in. The day I can talk cannot come fast enough. I slowly start to drift off and sooner than I realize, I am asleep.