47. Hospital Arguments-2

I hit my chest, trying to suppress the bubble in my chest as my tears prick at the eyelids. "I'm sorry, " I manage to say, choking on my tears. "I'm sorry for everything, Ashley." I fall to the ground, kneeling next to her, holding on to the edge of the table as my body falls. My eyes are fixed on the lavender furry rug, blurring as the minute goes by. Ashley's knees appear before my tear-stained eyes, and she wraps her arms around my shoulders. "It's not your fault." I hold on to her arms, squeezing my eyes shut. "It is. I'm sorry, Ashley. I should have at least been there for you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, " I cry, repeating the last sentence over and over again. ~~~~~~~~~~ A few moments after my tiny breakdown, Ashley and I sat awkwardly in the room until Elliot comes to save us from ourselves. "Who wants Taco Bell?" he announces as he enters the room, holding the bag up. And just like that, we become slightly normal again. "Who knows what has been going on in school?" Ashley asks after a while, laying on the floor, playing with a piece of cabbage from her third taco. "School. Just basic school stuff. Nothing's changed. Everyone and everything is still the same. Except for our grades, though. Those shits are going downhill, " Elliot explains, making a rainfall gesture with his hands and mouth. The room is silent after Elliot's words, each of us consumed by our thoughts. It's pretty fucked up how everyone could go about their day while Zyair was stuck bedridden. Stuck between life and death. "Have you heard from Gray today?" Ashley asks me, breaking the silence. Not only did Gray not visit Zyair the entire week, but he also hadn't been home. He disappeared the night Zyair's accident happened, leaving me with a note that read I'm fine, only. He also made sure to text me every day to remind me that he was fine. His daily texts was the only thing keeping me sane. I wasn't much worried because I knew he was with Aaron. They left the house together and Aaron regularly gave me little updates about how their day goes. "Do you truly believe Luca and his gang are responsible for Zyair?" Ashley asks me when I don't respond to her previous question. "I didn't think Luca was that cruel." "We can't be sure, " Elliot pipes. "It could have been a simple accident." "I doubt. Zyair's father has been searching for days to find the hit and run driver, but apparently, the plate number doesn't even exist, " Ashley says in a low voice, widening her eyes. "Coincidence? I think not." I sigh and rub my temple with my index finger. My worries increase at the thought of Gray going against them alone. This was not a fight we could win. And maybe he left because he knew that. "Do you think they are trying to take everyone out using the list?" Elliot raises his brow, a concerned look on his face. My mind drifts back to the day I got the message with a list of all my friends' names. A day I thought to be the best day of the year. The day Gray asked me out. "I think I'm getting scared," Ashley lets out nervous laughter. "A part of me wants to blame Gray, but the other part thinks he's just a victim like us." "Can't we report them to the police? Frankly, I believe we are too young for all these, " Elliot raises his hands defensively. I shook my head, biting down on my lower lip. "If the police was an option. Gray wouldn't have fled to London in the first place." "So, are we truly going to die? We just sit here and wait for them to pick next?" Elliot furrows his brows, scrunching his face angrily. "As opposed to what? Barging in and starting a war?" Ashley replies with a snort. "But we can't just stay and do nothing!" "Don't you get? There's nothing to do!" "How do you know that when we haven't tried, " Elliot's voice is low and disappointed. "There's no trying, Elliot. A rabbit can't beat a Lion!" "Pretty low of you to think yourself the rabbit, " Elliot shakes his head and stands, walking towards the door. "What did you just say?" Ashley rises to her feet, her eyes blurry yet burning with fire. "Take a look at Zyair, " she points to the bed. "That's what taking a stand did to him. Zyair knew something! He wanted to tell Gray something and look at what happened! So forgive me if I think myself a Rabbit! Forgive me if I want to give up!" Elliot's hand rests on the door handle, his body moving up and down as he heaves. "You can't give up what you never started, Ashley." And with that, he walks out of the room. Ashley falls to the ground, crouching and hugging her knees as she cried. I feel the tears drop from my eyes at the sight of her. What was supposed to be the best year of my life was slowly becoming the worst. Everyone was on the verge of breaking down. Some on the verge of death. My phone vibrates in my back pocket. I drag my eyes away from Ashley to pick my call. My body was numb with tiredness from crying and feeling downcast, but I managed to gather the strength to speak. "Hello, " I breathe into my phone. "Dove?" Aaron's panicked voice was enough to wake me up. I was certain his call had something to do with Gray. "Please go straight to the point, " I close my eyes with a shaky breath. "Is Gray okay?" Aaron doesn't answer, increasing my anxiety. "Aaron!" "I don't know, Dove. He's in there...and they are in there... And they carried a body bag out..." His words are incoherent, and his voice is shaky. "Where are you?" I ask. I break out into sweats, paralyzed to the spot as I try to keep calm. "I can't tell you. He told me not to tell you. He said to leave if he's not out in thirty minutes, but..." "How long has it been?" "Three hours."