“Carry her to my car and lay her in the back on your lap.”
Atlas nodded and picked up Monique following his mother downstairs to her car.
“What’s going on?” Willie asked as they ran pass him.
“It seems like she fainted.” Atlas’s mom said as they got into the car and raced to the hospital.
Atlas laid her on a gurney and was told to stay in the waiting room while they took her to the back.
Atlas didn’t like the fact he couldn’t go in the back, but was happy his mom could since she was on call at the time.
He was scared, and mad at himself. He was certain this was his fault, even if he didn’t quite know how, but took hope in the knowledge that she had a pulse and was alive.
He sat in the waiting area for news of how she was doing.
“She is fine, Atlas.” His mother said as she walked over. “She has CAA, Coronary Artery Anomalies. Too much exercise can cause her to faint, which is what happened.”
“Can I go see her?”
“Sure, come on.”
She led him to her room, “I’m not going to ask what was going on, but she will be discharged soon.”
“What else could have happened?” Atlas asked. “Besides fainting, I mean.”
“Breathing problems, shortness of breath, chest pains, fatigue. Over working the heart does that, like exercising.” She explained. “It’s not something fatal so long as she takes care and doesn’t over exert herself or overwork the heart.”
Atlas nodded and knocked on the door.
“Her dad said he was on his way. That was him on the phone when you got here, so be ready to do some explaining.” His mom said before walking away.
“Thanks for the warning.” Atlas chuckled.
He walked into the room and was happy to see Monique was sitting up and seemed normal.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
He sat in the chair beside the bed.
“I guess I should have told you the other part. I can’t over work my heart. If my heart beats too fast it’s hard for me to breathe and I tend to pass out.”
Monique explained.
“My mom said you have CAA.” Atlas said. “We rushed you over.”
“Please don’t tell me you screamed and you’re mom saw us.” Monique said eyes wide.
“I got Trey to get her, and I fixed yours clothes.” Atlas said. He was still uneasy and nervous and knowing her father would be there any minute wasn’t helping the matter.
“I see. Even put my undies back on.” Monique laughed.
Atlas sighed, “They called your dad, and he is on his way. Once he gets here you’ll be able to go home I suppose.”
“Great, I’ll never hear the end of this.” Monique sighed. “Why’d they call him?”
“He is the only person that the hospital can discharge you to.” Atlas said.
“Couldn’t your mom?” Monique asked.
Atlas shook his head. “She was on call, so when an emergency happened she had to return to work, so she then became on duty.”
“Just great.” Monique said sarcastically rolling her eyes. “Now I have to explain all this to my dad.”
“Just don’t tell him what caused it.” Atlas said.
“I don’t lie to my father. I know when everyone else turns away from me he is all I’ll have.”
“I want you to know I’ll be there too.”
“That’s what you say now.”
“Monique?”
“You should go before my father gets here.”
“I don’t want to leave.”
“I’m sure Tutu is wondering what happened. Go let her know everything is fine and I’ll call when I get home.”
“Two hours, then I’m calling you.”
“Alright.”
Atlas felt weak as he got up to leave the room.
When Atlas was leaving the hospital he passed Monique’s father. While he may not know who Atlas was it was easy for him to identify Monique’s dad, Hispanic male in a suit rushing determinedly into the hospital and to the information counter.
~*~
“Monique, what the hell were you doing, what were you thinking?” Her father asked as he entered the room. He started to pace the floor in front of the bed.
“I just wanted to try it.” Monique said.
“Try what?” Her father shouted. “Try and give me a heart attack?”
“I had to at least once.” Monique turned away as she continued to talk. “I tried not to get over excited, but I did. The excitement mixed with being scared and confused.”
“What are you talking about, what did you do?” He asked.
“Atlas.” She said simply avoiding looking at him.
“You had sex?” He screamed.
Monique looked towards the door, her father at the foot of the bed.
“You fucked that boy after knowing him less than a month!” He screamed.
The nurse, Atlas’s mother, walked into the room.
“Sir, you can’t get her upset and overwork her heart. Plus, there are other patients.”
“Well, let’s see how you react when you find out your daughter had sex.”
“Is this true, Monique?” She asked.
“That would explain the racing heart.” She said.
She walked over to the side of the bed and lifted her head to look at her. “Your first time?” She asked.
Monique nodded, yes.
“And him?” She asked.
“His too.”
“How do you know?” Her father shouted.
“Sir, please.” The nurse said. “Monique, if you have any questions or just want to talk you can call me.”
“Overly helpful nurse.” Her father said.
“Dad, this is Atlas’s mother.”
“So, it’s your son’s fault!” He shouted.
“I’m sure it was nobody’s fault and that it was a mutual decision.” The nurse said. “Now please quiet down or leave. People are trying to rest.”
“When can she go home?” He asked.
“The doctor will recommend a couple days for observation, and then if everything looks good, she can go.” The nurse said. She kissed Monique’s forehead. “I’ll be talking to Atlas later.”
“Please, don’t embarrass him. He’s already very embarrassed.” Monique offered.
“Well, his father isn’t around to give him the talk, so the job falls to me.” Atlas’s mother patted Monique’s hand and rose from the bedside to leave.
As she approached Monique’s dad near the door, he muttered angrily, “His dad ran off, I bet. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d do the same to my daughter.”
Atlas’s mother stopped short, turned and slapped Monique’s father in the face so hard that his head spun, and forced most of his upper body to follow.
She dragged him by the jacket of his suit into the hall and closed the door.
“My husband died, he didn’t leave us. We got married when I was almost seventeen, he was nineteen. We struggled, but we were responsible and worked hard, and Atlas is just the same. He is a good boy, your daughter is lucky to have him.”
“Every mother thinks their son is good.” He huffed.
“And every man with a daughter thinks all boys are bad.”
“Because they are.”
“Well push her away from this sweet boy. In her rebellion I wonder what she’ll date next.”
She then turned and walked away.
“You just keep that boy of yours away from her, and I’ll be telling security to watch him as well.”
He huffed and opened the door peeking into the room. “Call me if anything changes. I’m going home. I’ll be back in a couple hours to check on you.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Monique yelled at the closing door, “Don’t bother coming back!”
~*~
It had been three days. She hadn’t had her cell phone, hadn’t been allowed to see Atlas, and her father hadn’t been speaking to her; althou
gh the satisfaction of her father not talking about it only lasted till they arrived at home.
“I got the job, we will be moving in august.” Her dad said.
“So, can I have my cell phone battery back now?” Monique asked.
Monique’s dad took the battery out his jacket pocket and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” Monique said rudely putting the battery back into her phone.
“You’re never going to see him again.” Her father said calmly.
“Yes I am.” Monique replied.
“Why, so you can keep having sex and going into the hospital till one time they can’t revive you?”
“Well maybe if you stop trying to keep me in this little bubble I wouldn’t have been as scared and wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital.” Monique said and looked pointedly away from her father.
“You’re my child; it’s my job to protect you.” He tried to stay calm.
“It not that big a deal, dad!” Monique shouted. “I’m sixteen, not six. Those were your words.”
“I don’t want to hear this, Monique!” He shouted back, “We are leaving tomorrow, go pack your things.”
“If it wasn’t Atlas, it would have been someone else.” Monique grunted.
“You barely knew him!” Her dad shouted back to her as she started up the stairs, “You met him four weeks ago and you give it up like that? What is that saying about the rest of your life?”
“It’s saying I can wait, some girls give it up the first night knowing nothing about the guy.”
“Well those girls aren’t my daughter.”
“Well, I wish I wasn’t either!”
Monique ran to her room slamming the door and locking it. She pulled her suitcase out of the closet and started to throw all her clothes into it.
When she was done with the first drawer she sat on the bed.
“I screwed up; I should have waited till after we moved out here.” She said softly to herself.
Her cell phone started to buzz, she had it on vibrate.
“Hello.” She said dully as she answered the phone.
“I’m sorry I got you in trouble.” Atlas said softly on the other line. “I just finished talking to my mother. She said you went home today”
Monique found herself smiling when she heard the voice, “It’s not your fault. Hell, I wanted to as much as you did.”
“But your father, he hates me now.”
“Actually, he never was very fond of you.” Monique chuckled. “Sorry I couldn’t call you while I was in there, by dad took the battery out of my phone.”
“Yeah, my mom told me. She also told me I wasn’t allowed to go visit you.” Atlas’s voice got sad. “It’s my fault. I almost lost you, I still might.”
“No, it’s my fault. I should have been more careful.”Monique started giggling. “I’m not used to you being so serious. You’re depressing me.”
“Or, you could have at least warned me.” Atlas laughed. “But hey, it’s something to remember.”
“Yeah, a memory.” Monique’s voice went sad. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”
“I thought you had two more weeks.” Atlas asked.
“My dad got the job. He will be transferring in August.”
“So you’re coming back?” Atlas asked. “We will be going to school together. Well, for a year at least, then I graduate.”
“Maybe, right now, with the way my dad is feeling, I might end up in an all girl school, either out here or living with my grandparents.” Monique sighed. “I screwed up.”
“You didn’t do anything.” Atlas said. “Hey, I have an idea. If your dad puts you in an all girl school pretend to be a lesbian, then, to get you away from girls he’ll put you in the regular school.”
Monique laughed, “He’d probably like if I was a lesbian. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about me getting pregnant.”
“I think I’d like it too.” Atlas joked.
“You shut-up!” Monique said blowing raspberries into the phone.
“You know I’m joking. Besides, if you were a lesbian you wouldn’t want me.” Atlas said.
“And what make you think I want you now?” Monique asked.
“Because now you’ve had a sample, and you’re going to be addicted.” Atlas chuckled.
Monique laughed, “You’re so dumb. I think you had a sample of me and now you’re addicted.”
“Do you think your dad would feel better if I come apologize tomorrow?” Atlas asked.
“Yeah,” Monique said sarcastically. “Hey sir, sorry I popped your daughter’s cherry, but I plan to stick around if that makes you feel better.”
“Yeah, make jokes. Also, technically we didn’t do anything” Atlas said. “Anyway, you must want to go, you aren’t thinking of any ideas.”
“I’ll think of something later, something that will work.” Monique said.
“Call me and let me know in the morning, if not I’m coming by before work.”
“Ok. Love you.” Monique said.
“Love you more.” Atlas replied.
~*~
The next morning her dad didn’t go to work. He was packing; all the bags were at the door when Monique went to the kitchen for breakfast.
“Are you done packing?” He father asked.
“Almost.” she said.
She grabbed a blueberry muffin and a glass of milk and went over to sit on the couch.
“Our plane leaves at nine, so we’re leaving here for seven.” He explained and returned to his room.
Monique just nodded. She glanced at her phone to see the time, it was just about noon.
She was supposed to thinking of something, but couldn’t.
She heard a knock on the door and went to answer, not caring that she was still in her pajamas, not that the v neck shirt and navy shorts looked like pajamas.
She opened the door and was surprised to see Atlas standing there.
“What are you doing here?” She asked.
“I’ve come to talk to your father.” He said.
“I told you I would call when I thought of something.” Monique sighed.
“I think it would be best if I talk to him, man to man.” Atlas said.
“Well, I don’t!” Monique shouted.
“Well, I do.” Her dad said walking behind her. “I respect the fact you came to talk to me.” He said then turned to Monique. “You go finish packing.”
Monique sighed and walked away.
“So, care to explain why you put my daughter into the hospital?” He asked. He opened the door wide and invited Atlas in. Taking a seat on the couch, Atlas followed the example and did the same.
“Sir, I know nothing can change what happened, and that nothing I say will make you forgive me.” Atlas said.
“That is true, but coming here like a man is a good start.”
Atlas smiled, “I know we’ve only known each other for a few days, just a little over a month, but since I first saw her it was like a was drawn to her, even though her words were more stabbing than inviting.” Atlas chuckled.
Atlas sat up straight on the sofa looking Mr. Evans in the eyes as he spoke.
“Sir, I would never want to hurt Monique. I love her; I’ve never felt like this before.”
“Then why would you make her do something that would hurt her?”
“I’m a young boy, and you know how that is,” Atlas paused, “but I’m not sure you know as much about being a young boy who’s always working and never doing anything but what’s expected of him. Being teased by my friends for still being a virgin, more so since all my time is spent with a girl now. Monique didn’t want to, I respected that, and then, when she did and I had to respect that as well. We didn’t do it though, she passed out and I was scared not knowing what was going on. I was lucky my mother is a nurse and was home at the time.”
Monique’s dad looked Atlas in the eye, “Look, I know how friends can be with teasing. We did it to a friend of mine back in high school. We ho
oked him up with a hooker a week before graduation so he wouldn’t have to graduate a virgin, but we never stopped to think if he knew anything about sex. He didn’t know about condoms, put it on wrong, it ripped, and he got an STD. Three years he died and me and my friends were the cause. Instead of just enjoying our friendship, we wanted him to be a dog like we were.”
“Sir,”
“No, it’s alright. It’s not you.”
Monique’s dad chuckled, “Kids always experiment when they are little, but if we move here now I have to wonder while I’m at work will she be at school, or at home with you. Will she get something, or will she pop up pregnant?”
“Honestly sir, after this last experience, I’m sure I can wait till we are of legal age to do anything. I thought I would be in the hospital after all that.”
“I’m not sure she’ll wait.” Monique’s father sighed heavily, “In fact it’s highly unlikely.”
“Monique isn’t one who can be forced into anything. She’s strong minded, a strong girl. She reminds me of my mother and grandmother.” Atlas offered.
“She is,” the older man replied. “You seem to be a decent young man, tell your mother I am extremely sorry.”
“Thank you, my mother and grandmother raised me well.” Atlas said proudly.
“Yes they did. She is a kind woman, even after what I said and did she still came to sit with me every evening in the waiting area. She told me everything that was going on with Monique and she spoke of you, all good things. She even brought me dinner once, and coffee in the morning.” Mr. Evans smiled.
“She is a wonderful woman.” Atlas smiled, “As Monique will be one day.”
“So until that day, keep it at kissing.”
Atlas smiled, “Of course. Never will I do anything that could cause me to lose her.”
“Good man. Now you have to go and we have to finish packing.”
“Would you like me to help?” Atlas offered.
“You go on to work, but thank you again for coming over and talking to me.”
“So, you are coming back?” Atlas asked.
“Yes.” Mr. Evans said.
“Then, I’ll be waiting.” Atlas said.
“Hold on.” Mr. Evans said and went over to Monique’s room and knocked on the door.
“Yes, dad?” She asked as she opened it.
“Go say goodbye to your friend, we won’t be back for a month.”
Monique smiled and hugged her father, then walked over to Atlas. “I know you’re going to miss me, but I’ll be back.”
“Yes, and when y’all do get back we will throw welcome home party, since I couldn’t do a going away party.” Atlas said. “You know my family loves you.”
“So, Atlas, what would you do if I wasn’t going to come back?” Monique asked.