Nancy stood beside the hospital bed looking down at her best friend. Ayarr looked so pale, weak and lifeless, tubes and wires everywhere, multiple machines beeping around. Her head and hands were wrapped tightly in bandages and a neck brace around her neck. Her friend has always been a little fragile but seeing her like this, even unconscious lines of pain and sorrow marred her face, she looked broken both psychologically and physically.
"Fight this babe, don't let them win", she whispered "come back to us please"
"She will be placed in a medically induced coma until the swelling in her brain goes down" Nancy heard the doctor say to Mrs Clarice North, Ayarr's mom, "when the swelling goes down, then, we will know just how we can move forward". All Clarice did was stare at him with a numb look. Nancy wasn't even sure if she heard a word coming from the doctor's mouth. The poor woman had been called away from her job 2 states over, she had to take an overnight flight and just got to the hospital. She was probably still in shock.
Nancy couldn't imagine how she had felt when she got the call all of a sudden that her only child was in the hospital when she was supposed to be in school.
"Thank you doctor" Nancy said placed an arm around Clarice shoulders and drew her towards herself, please keep us updated on any new developments".
The doctor nodded and left. Nancy drew her to a chair and made her sit. The poor woman looked ready to collapse.
"What happened to my baby?" Clarice said in a whisper so low Nancy almost didn't hear her, "when I spoke to her yesterday she sounded so full of life, but now.... Now she looks..." she couldn't end the statement as she broke into tears.
Nancy grimaced. How can she tell Mrs Clarice anything when she herself haven't come to terms with what happened. She was still reeling from yesterday's event.
She and Ayarr haven't spoken to each other in three weeks but how will Mrs Clarice know when she has been away for the past month. How will she know that Nancy hasn't been around to visit Ayarr at their home or vice versa?. Nancy was still hurt, the ache was there but she has to put it aside for now because her friend needed her. She can't still believe Ayarr so readily spat on their friendship of more that 10 years all because of a boy. Just because she got drunk off the attention Matt was giving her.
Before Matt, they were just two best friends, it was they against the world.
Nancy wasn't really a social outcast but she wasn't at the top of high-school's food chain. She was part of some club activities and on the school's paper editorial team so she was a little known in some circles, she had a couple of friends.
Ayarr, on the other hand had been an outcast, a complete outcast.
Her social anxiety was through the roof.
She barely spoke to anyone, always stayed in the corner of classrooms and when she spoke, she spoke with a stutter. She had a developed a posture of curling inwards into herself like she wanted to disappear and that had given her mini hunch at the age of 18. All this made her a target to normal vicious teenage evil. And she had been nicknamed uggy as in ugly.
Till now Nancy hasn't been able to figure out what happened to her friend. Ayarr had always been just like everyday typical human until between the ages of 13 and 14, then she changed and started pulling into herself. Nancy had sworn to herself to never give up on her friend.
When Matt had suddenly started showing interest in Ayarr, Nancy was skeptical and wary. Not because she also believed the general consensus that her friend was ugly, she actually saw the cute innocent parts of her, but because guys like Matt couldn't be trusted.
Matt was the typical mediocre straight male that has been glorified just because of his ability to throw and catch a ball. And all that has fed into his ego which was the size of an elephant. Everything he did was to get more praises to feed that ego, he lived for it.Matt was one of those football jerks who dated the hottest cheerleaders.
Yeah she got to admit, he was a little easy on the eye, but what good is that when the thing between his ears was was as useful as a rock in soup, one can even hear if they listened closely, air whistle as it passes one ear and out another because of how empty the brain is?.
That was why she knew absolutely that something was fishy when he started smiling at Ayarr, taking time to talk to her, approaching her publicly, acting like a "prince charming", he even started defending her when anyone used uggy to refer to her, gave her unwarranted compliments. Then 2 weeks later came the grand gestures out on the field with flowers asking her to be his girlfriend with his 4 lackeys with footballs for brains as backup.
It had been the whirlwind romance of the school year, the prince and the frog. But Nancy noticed how her friend blossomed under his attention, she started seeing glimpses of the friend she used to know. Ayarr started dressing better, she started walking better, she even started socializing a little. Even when she hangouts to attend his matches or spend time with him, Nancy hadn't felt jealous, she was just happy for her friend, a whole lot worried about her, but happy nevertheless.
Nancy remembered the fateful day their friendship had fallen apart.
It was two weeks ago on a bright sunny day, 2 weeks or so into Matt and Ayarr's relationship.
After multiple tries, she finally managed to pull Ayarr away from Matt so they could catch up. They met at their previous lunch spot at the bleachers, away from everyone just like old times. Everything was fine and dandy until Ayarr started talking about Matt as usual and she mentioned how Matt's friends were reacting to her. How they ignored her and cold to her anytime she comes around them with Matt and how they always gave each other sly looks when they thought she wasn't looking like they knew something she didn't.
That latter part pinged a warning in Nancy's brain. She couldn't believe Ayarr wasn't more worried or bothered.
"Ayarr, don't you think there might be something fishy going on?" Nancy asked interrupting her.
"What do you mean?" Ayarr queried a little bit defensively, "Nancy please don't bring your paranoia into my relationship
They haven't just warmed up to me yet that's all", she continued, "I don't blame them though, they are probably still skeptical about bringing someone like me into their circle, that's all!" she snapped.
Nancy stared at her open mouthed, where has her sensible friend gone? She wondered, has she gotten so taken with Matt and moving up the ladder that she would throw down the opinion of her best friend like that without consideration.
" Babe, you know I only have your best interest at heart" nancy said trying to reason with her " I'm just saying you should be more alert, that's all. The way Matt came is suspicious and you know how those kind of guys are"
Ayarr looked at her with pure spite and anger in her eyes.
"You are just jealous" she spat out with menace. "Matt has already warned me about how other girls will become jealous of me and try to poison me with doubts and lies. I just didn't expect you to be part of those girls"
"what the!" Nancy shouted aggravated, "why would you think something as ridiculous as that? You know I've never been interested in shit like that, I just want to finish and leave this school!"
Ayarr stood up abruptly. "you were supposed to reassure me instead you are trying to root doubts into my heart about the person you know I love. Fuck you!" she yelled and stomped off.
Nancy sat on the bleachers flabbergasted and watched her friend walk away. She couldn't comprehend what just happened, like how did the conversation go haywire so fast.
That was the last time they spoke. Not for her trying on her part, she really tried to reach out and apologize multiple times but all her calls were rejected and her texts went unanswered. Even when she approached her in school, Ayarr had refused to leave Matt's side and replied her so coldly then walked away.
"Nancy??" Mrs Clarice called out, "Nance?! I've been calling you for a while now."
Nancy jumped startled "sorry Clarice, my mind wandered away" she apologized.
"Don't worry, Ayarr will be alright. Somethings just happened at school and she reacted without watching her way properly". she said as she hugged Mrs Clarice. "Excuse me for a moment I need to call my mom" she said she walked out of the room.
She walked till she got to another hallway and sat down heavily on a waiting bench, pulled out her phone and logged into the accursed website and scrolled till she got to the video that broke her friend. The comments under it were already up to hundreds and the reposts nearing a concerning amount. And surprising enough most were calling for the video to be taking down, some making mockery, judging or insulting Ayarr, few were condemning the boy that posted it, just obnoxious teens with nothing better to do. She clicked on the options icon and reported the video for what felt like the thousand time.
With the amount of girls and few boys that had been calling for it to be pulled down she was sure that the video will be taken down before noon.
The damage has already been done though because the video has been up since 2pm yesterday and it was already 10am the next day.
"oh Ayarr, what have you gotten yourself into" she moaned wiping the tears running down her face with her palm.
The whole of Rockpine High already knew of the video and the bet Matt made with his friends that he could get uggy to 'shine like a star' like they stated. The fools had proudly broadcasted it. Matt had been given a week suspension and Nancy was pretty sure it was because of Ayarr got into an accident that the principal suspended him if not nothing would have been done. As the principal stated in the school newsletter this morning it was just some boys that were having a "little misguided but harmless fun".
Matt wasn't even suspended from sporting activities, he gets to still come for football practice. The fool had dropped an "apology" video on Instagram and Twitter the night before like he was a celebrity or something talking about how sorry he is and he didn't know better, he was young and foolish and didn't know better and he didn't mean physical harm on anyone. He even wiped some crocodile tears. The video already has hundreds of likes and comments telling him not to beat up himself, he should learn from this mistake and use it as an avenue to grow and shit. The comments calling his BS were instantly deleted and the users blocked.
What incensed Nancy the most was when he held a moment of silence to "pray" for Ayarr and announced that he was opening a fund raiser to pay for her hospital bills and he will used the "cursed" money he got from the bet as the first deposit while wiping obviously staged tears but people were eating the crap up, even the school account reposted it.
"Just one apology and he is forgiven" she scoffed in derision.
Later that night he posted a video of himself partying on his private story.
Nancy had been in the restroom when the video was forwarded to her and she opened it. She froze for almost 10 minutes when she opened the link and watched it, she couldn't believe her eyes. By the time she gathered herself and got moving, she came out of the restroom to see her Ayarr running for the main entrance like the hounds of hell were after her and Matt standing there with his pack of idiots crackling like hyenas and she knew what he had done.
"you sicko!" she yelled and when he turned to her, she kneed him in the balls. Sue was just about to kick his head when he went to his knees holding his privates his face like a bloated fish, when his friends came to his rescue and pulled her back.
"I swear I'd kill you!" she screamed as she struggled against the hands holding her back.
"she trusted you! She finally let her guard down and allowed someone into her cocoon!"
For a second she saw regret flash across those swamp water colored eyes that everyone seem to like so much but then it was gone and he smirked.
"Atleast she got to ride the A train" he jeered gesturing to his body. "she should be thanking me, I made a star out of garbage, now she's popular and can even start a whole new career from this" he said and his band of merry fools laughed uproariously.
She saw red and was about to go for his face with her nails extended when the yell "watch out!" rent through the air from the packing lot then a horrible screech of a car trying to brake quickly and then a thud of something hitting the ground. Students started screaming outside and yells for someone to call an ambulance could be heard Ving from outside.
"somebody has been hit" someone echoed.
"uggy was hit?" She said another say
Nancy felt ice run down her veins. She stood and ran for the doors. Pushing people out of the way violently. When finally got outside she saw her friend on the floor with blood pooling around her head like a gory headdress and the way her legs were twisted was not right. She fell to the to her knees, her strength gone, her lungs closed up, breathing became hard.
"No" , she whispered "Ayarr!"
Her legs regained their strength and she ran towards her friend and fell to the ground beside her prone figure. She could hear the sound of siren of an ambulance approaching.
"Ayarr, babe?" she said in a trembling voice thickly laced with tears, "open your eyes for me".
Weirdly Ayarr had a smile on her face.
"what in heaven's name could you be smiling about at a time like this" she wondered incredulously.
"Ma'am please we would need you to move back", she heard a gruff voice say and suddenly hands pulled her back. She looked up to see a paramedic in scrubs and a mask.
She sat mutely on the ground as paramedics surrounded Ayarr.
"wow this is one happy unconscious girl" a paramedic said and the rest looked at the absurd smile on Ayarr's face and chuckled. Even Nancy let out a small giggle.
A neck brace was placed around her neck and an oxygen placed over her face. She was then lifted onto a stretcher and carried into the waiting ambulance.
And it drove away.
"Everyone get back to your classes!" Nancy heard the principal yell and the teachers started ushering the students back indoors.
Nancy stood up from the ground and started heading back to class. She looked up and saw Matt standing by the steps looking like a flogged puppy.
" Nance, I swear I didn't want something like this to happen" he said soberly.
"oh so physiological and emotional harm is OK to you but physical mishaps aren't?!" she yelled. "Rot in hell" she said as she stomped away.
"Hey! He wasn't the one that pushed her in front of the incoming vehicle or anything", one of his lackeys shouted at her retreating back defensively.
Nancy gave no indication that she heard him, she just kept walking. She picked up her phone scrolled down her call logs, called her mom and narrated the events of the day to her trying not to break down into tears.
"wait right there sweetie, I'm coming to get you" her mom said and hung up the call.
Twenty minutes later her mom Green sedan pulled up the edge of the parking lot. Her mom's pet shop wasn't far from Rockpine High. Nancy got into the back seats.
"did you get permission to leave early honey?" her mom asked turning to face her daughter but all she got was loud sobbing.
"OK let's go home, freshen up and rest. Tomorrow early in the morning we will head to the hospital to see Ayarr" she said as she turned forward, "I have called the hospital and Ayarr's in safe and competent hands".
She started the car and headed home.
******************************************
Suddenly noises drew Nancy from her little pity party. She stood up from the hospital bench and headed towards it curious. The saw the noise was coming from Nancy's hospital room. She walked fast towards it.
In getting there, she couldn't believe her eyes, there stood Matt with two of his friends in their football jackets. He held a very large bouquet of flowers and one of the guys held a phone recording a video.
"Hey!" Nancy yelled, " don't you there turn this into a circus show you freak"
Matt turned with a soft smile to her, " I'm just here to pay my respects, I know I messed up big time, please let me do this little thing, I know it's not much but please" he said softly like he was about to cry. Then he faced the camera "that is the friend of the beautiful soul I hurt with my callous actions yesterday" he said towards his invisible audience "I understand she's trying to protect her friend so I won't pester them" then he placed the flowers slowly into Mrs Clarice arms who just stared in confusion.
Immediately the camera panned away he gave a signal for them to end the recording, collected the phone
" did you catch everything?" he asked the boy as he scrolled through his phone.
"bye Mrs Clarice, I'm so sorry about your daughter I wish her speedy recovery", he said distractedly as he walked to the elevators and was gone in an instance.
"that boy is a psychopath" she thought to herself.
"Nancee, who was that?" Mrs Clarice asked.
"come in Clarice" Nancy said gently guiding her back into the room. "there are information I need to let you know", she said as she closed the door behind them.