«Madeline's POV»

"The survivors of flight 7742 are Gary Clark and..." She trailed off and looked down at her computer. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Um, the other survivor isn't entered into the system. Either they passed, or one of our doctors forgot to include that they were in the crash in the description. Here, I'll call someone to figure it out."

She picked up the phone and dialed a number; I could feel panic flaring up in my chest. "Hey, Doreen. Yeah, hey. I was calling to see if there was another survivor of the plane crash. Yes...only Gary Clark was entered. Maybe we forgot to put the other name in the system. No, but uh... could you find out if there's another? Thanks." There was a pause. "Okay, thanks so much. I'll make sure to tell her." She hung up the phone and glanced at me nervously.

"Well?" I raised an eyebrow impatiently. "Aren't you going to tell me? Sometime this century would be nice."

"Okay, okay," She held her hands up, as if surrendering. "I don't suppose the name of your boyfriend is Flynn Chaste, is it?"

"HE'S ALIVE?!" I shouted in joy, tears streaming down my face.

A look of relief spread across her face. "Yes, he's in critical condition, but he's alive."

"Can I visit him?" I asked.

"He's not awake yet. But you can sit outside the room until he does wake up. We also ask that you wait for five minutes after he wakes up to see him. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am." I half-smiled. "What room is he in?"

"He should be located on floor six. I don't know which room, but I'm sure somebody will tell you."

"Okay, thank you." I grinned and ran over to the staircase. There was no way I was taking the elevator. What if it got stuck? It probably wouldn't, but you never know. I climbed all five flights to get to the floor he was on. I asked the first person I saw if they knew what room Flynn was in. They told me room 608. I rushed over to the door and sat in the chair strategically placed next to it. I placed my head in my hands and it finally hit me. He was in critical condition. I thought. What the hell is that supposed to mean? At least he survived. I needed to be optimistic about the situation.

I pulled out my phone and texted Grandma. He's alive but in critical condition. What does that mean?

Around ten minutes later--that were filled with me impatiently tapping my foot--she texted me back. Thats gr8! I looked up the definition of critical condition and it said vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits, patient may be unconscious, and indicators are unfavorable.

That did not sound too good. What are vital signs?

She responded, Vital signs are measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of a person, give clues to possible diseases, and show progress toward recovery.

K thx <3

No prob! xoxo

So that meant he would have a slow recovery--if he recovered at all. And he was unconscious, like the definition suggested. A random thought popped into my head. He was captain of the soccer team! How was he supposed to play? Never-mind, I think three months should be long enough to recover. Right? I hoped so. Then I got to thinking. I could imagine Flynn saying, 'Ooh, that's never a good thing.' That brought a slight smile to my face. But one thought made it slowly melt away into a deep frown paired with a look of terror.

What if he woke up and didn't remember me? What was I supposed to do then? I brought my legs up to my stomach and hugged them. I didn't know what I would do with myself. I believed that everything happened for a reason. I knew that Flynn didn't come into my life by chance. He was there to help me find myself; who I really was. To show me how to live life like a real teenager. To teach me not to grow up too fast. But most importantly, he showed me what it was like to fall in love. I couldn't lose him. Not now. I had to tell him how I felt.

Picking up my phone that was placed on the cold floor beside me, I flipped it open and typed out, i love the way u smile at me after one of ur ridiculous jokes and the way u pick me up when i fall down. i love how u stand up for me not only against meghan but my dad. my own dad. i love how u took care of lux when we brought her to daycare. i love how even after an argument u cared enough about ur mom to grieve as much as u did. i love how u think u can handle everything in the world. i love how u can hold ur head high in the worst of times. i love you. and i know u probably don't love me back but... i love you, Flynn Blaise Chaste. i really, truly do.

I read it over again and almost pressed send. After a few minutes of thinking it over, I decided not to send it. I held the backspace button down and sat there and pondered life itself. It wouldn't make a difference if I sent the text and he died. But I also realized if he woke up and read it that would be really embarrassing. I had to wait it out and tell him myself. Not through text. Text is the worst way to tell someone you love them. It's so, incredibly lame. Which is also why I made the decision to not send the text.

I dozed off around four in the morning, with my phone still grasped in my hand; only to be woken up by it ringing.

"Hello?" I picked it up without checking the caller ID.

"Madeline Rose Schultz," Dad snarled. "I waited up all night for you to get your ass back home but you didn't. Where the hell are you?"

"I-uh..." I trailed off, wondering whether or not I should tell him. Thinking better of it, I just hung up. I was getting tired of sitting in the chair, so I got up to stretch and walk downstairs. But my legs ached from being cramped up in the small, uncomfortable chair so I decided to take the elevator. When I got to the first level, a different person was at the front desk. He was kind of hot... Okay, really? I reprimanded myself. You're here for Flynn. Remember him? The incredibly hot guy that you're in love with?

"Um, hi." I shyly walked up to him. "Can you tell me the conditions of Flynn Chaste?"

"Yeah, sure. You his girlfriend?" He asked, and I nodded. That was my standard response by now."By the way, my name's Luke."

"Madeline." I said.

"That's a pretty name." He remarked, and I blushed.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. Okay, by the looks of what they've entered into the system, he's in extremely critical condition."

They changed it to extremely critical condition? "Is there a time he's expected to wake up?" I asked nervously.

"That's the thing. He's not expected to wake up." Luke looked at me with sympathy clouding his face.

"They think he's going to die?" I asked, feeling tears beginning to form in the corners of my eyes; starting to blur my vision.

"Yes. He's expected to. I'm sorry. But just keep in mind all those stories about people being expected to pass, and fighting their way through it. If he really loves you, he'll get through this for you."

"Thanks, Luke," I addressed him. "Can I give you my number to call me just in case he does wake up?"

"Yep," He responded, and I recited my number to him. He entered it into the system and I walked out of the hospital to my car. I drove over to the Starbucks I saw on my way in, ordered a Peppermint Mocha, and took a seat.

A few minutes after I sat down, my phone buzzed with a text from Gaige. Are you with Flynn? Where r u guys?

I stared at it for a few seconds, and it dawned on me that Gaige didn't know what happened to Flynn. Call me, I texted him back.

i will in a few. i gotta get out of APUSH first. The response came back a minute later.

K, I texted back and checked my voicemail. There were fifty from my dad yelling at me to call him back and get home. I deleted all of them. There was no going back now. This was crazy. My life had changed so much in only two weeks. I took a sip of my mocha and waited for Gaige to call me.

Without warning, someone sat across from me. "I'm not a photographer, but I can picture you and me together." I looked up, and saw a cute guy sitting across the table.

"I have a boyfriend." I told him.

"And I have a girlfriend. Actually, I have two."

"Is this how you pick up girls? Because that valuable piece of information you just told me isn't exactly helping."

"Hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm Wade. And you are?"

"Not interested." I deadpanned.

"Playing hard to get, are we?" He raised a majestic eyebrow.

"Not as much as you're playing hard to want."

Wade threw back his head and chuckled. He was hot, and boy did he know it. But, Flynn was hotter.

"Ple-" He was cut off by my phone ringing loudly.

"Sorry," I smiled sweetly. "I have to take this." And with that, I sprinted outside.

"Hello?" I asked, after pressing the 'answer call' button.

"It's Gaige, stupid." His voice came crackling through.

"You sound like Flynn."

"Speaking of which, are you guys together right now?"

"Um, yeah..." I muttered, already feeling the tears beginning to form.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, probably hearing the undertones in my voice. "Where are you guys?"

"Weirton."

"Am I supposed to know where that is?"

"It's in West Virginia." I informed him.

"Ok. Why are you guys there?"

"Here's where the bad news starts," I said. "Like, really, really bad news."

"Hit me."

"Flynn's in the hospital."

"What stupid thing did he do now?" Gaige asked with a trace of humor in his voice.

"He wanted to see his dad, because, well... you know. So, he got on the next plane to Connecticut."

"Do you know the story of what happened with his dad?" Gaige asked me.

"No, do you?"

"No. I don't his dad was always a pretty touchy subject for him. I asked about him once, and he didn't talk to me for two whole days. And so we never mentioned him again."

"Oh. Okay, anyway he decided to get on the next plane to see his dad. The plane crashed. Flynn is one of two survivors. Although, I learned this morning that he is in extremely critical condition and," My voice cracked, and I sobbed. "He's not expected to live."

"WHAT?" Gaige yelled in shock. "I'm coming up there!"

"No, you're not. You are going to stay there and gather the work that Flynn is missing and get his house ready for when he comes back." I said, trying to sound calm. "He IS coming back."

"There's no way I can just stay here!" He complained.

"You have to. Flynn will fight for us. He can't leave. He's got a great best friend. A best friend that has helped him through everything. A best friend who needs to help him out by staying at home and believing that he can make it through this." I preached.

There was a moment of silence. "You love him, don't you?"

"I think so." I murmured.

"That was a yes-or-no question."

"Yes," I answered firmly, entering the hospital. "Happy now?"

"No," He said, and I could just picture him stupidly smiling at me. "Say it in a sentence."

"I, Madeline Rose Schultz, maybe-sort-of-kind-of love Flynn Blaise Chaste." I grinned.

"Close enough," Gaige said. "I've got to go. I've been gone from APUSH for at least ten minutes." And without even saying goodbye, he hung up.

"Madeline Rose Schultz." A voice said from behind me, and I spun around to face them. "I like the sound of that. You know what would make it sound even better?"

It was Wade, the guy from Starbucks. "Are you stalking me?"

"That depends on your definition of stalking."

"Are you following me?"

"My parents did always tell me to follow my dreams."

"Oh my god, just get away from me!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, hey," Luke walked over, putting an arm around me. "The lady said to leave her alone."

"Oh, are you the boyfriend?" Wade asked Luke.

"OH MY GOD BOTH OF YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed. After two days of holding my head high and stuffing the tears in, I was done pretending that this was okay. I told these two guys that I had a boyfriend, but they were both clearly hitting on me. Luke knew that my 'boyfriend' in the hospital, and Wade was just an idiotic pain in the ass. The tears starting slipping out before I could build up my walls again. Screw it, I thought. I didn't even care if they saw me break down.

"Wait, Madeline!" Luke called after me.

"I don't want to hear it!" I cried and ran and ran until I couldn't anymore. Without looking where I was, I collapsed onto the ground and bawled my eyes out. About an hour later I woke up to my phone vibrating. I hadn't even realized I fell asleep.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw that it was a text. From an unknown number. I checked the message and it said, Hey. It's Luke. I'm sorry for earlier but I think this will make you feel better. Flynn's awake.

What?! I shot up off of the ground in an instant. Only for my head to feel excessively dizzy. Was he serious? They didn't expect him to make it, yet here was waking up a day later. It was seriously a miracle. But I didn't know how serious it actually was. They hadn't let me see him yet. It was then that I realized that I was hopelessly, miserably, and entirely lost. When I was running, I just took random turns and cut through entire neighborhoods--not to mention backyards. I had ended up at an old park under a tree. Walking over to the sign that proclaimed the name of the place. Freeland Park. Easy enough to remember.

I texted Luke back. I may or may not be lost. How do you get back to the hospital from Freeland Park?

The response was immediate. Idk, I just moved to Weirton. How did you get there anyway? I know it's like a half-hour walk from here though.

I ran. Can you get directions? My phone is useless. I asked him, hoping that he would help.

Yeah, I just printed some out. I can come pick you up if you want. He offered.

K, thanks. When will you get here?

There was a pause in which I assumed Luke was getting in the car. Then he texted back, In about ten minutes.

I laid around on the ground by the sign for the whole amount of time it took him to get to the park. I stared up at the clouds and the little leaves that were left on the trees. I was overly ecstatic. He was awake! I would be able to talk to him and see him. Registering the fact that Gaige needed to know, I took out my phone and told him. I waited for a response but it never came.

"Hey!" Luke called out from a toyota camry. "Get in loser, we're going shopping."

"Did you just make a Mean Girls reference?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, I did. And no, we aren't actually going shopping."

"Okay, good." I joked. "Ain't nobody got time for that."

We drove along the road, radio blasting to Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora.

I sang very off-key along to the chorus.

"I'm gonna love ya

Until you hate me

And I'm gonna show ya

What's really crazy

You should've known better

Than to mess with me, honey

I'm gonna love ya, I'm gonna love ya

Gonna love ya, gonna love ya

Like a black widow, baby!" I slammed my hand down on the dashboard in accomplishment. I didn't really know that rap part, but apparently Luke did because he bursted out in song.

"This twisted cat and mouse game always starts the same

First we're both down to play then somehow you go astray

We went from nothing to something, liking to loving

It was us against the world and now we just...

It's like I loved you so much and now I just hate you

Feeling stupid for all the time that I gave you

I wanted all or nothing for us ain't no place in between

Might, might be me believing what you say that you never mean

Like it'll last forever but now forever ain't as long

If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be stuck singing this song

You were different from my last but now you got it mirrored

And as it all plays out I see it couldn't be clearer

Now sing!"

We both laughed and he raised one hand as if to wave to all his fans. I already felt much better. I was ready to see Flynn. I was ready to make it through this. We could do it. We were the unstoppable Team Chatz. We could make it through anything. And that was exactly what we were going to do. Luke and I pulled into a parking space and I jumped out of the car and sprinted into the hospital. There were no words to describe how I felt right then. I bounded up the stairs all the way up to the sixth floor. I darted down the hall to room 608. I was about to open the door when the lady from the front desk yesterday stopped me.

"There are still doctors in there," She notified me. "They're coming out in about five minutes if you want some alone time."

"Okay, I'll wait," I agreed. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem," She timidly smiled. "I don't think you got my name yesterday. It's Alice."

"Mine's Madeline." I smiled back. "It's nice to meet you. You were very helpful yesterday."

"It is my job." She joked, really smiling this time.

"Well, you're good at it." I said gratefully.

"Thanks," She said abashedly. And as she began to blush, the door beside us swung open and three doctors walked out. "That's your cue."

I jumped, filled with nervous excitement. With purpose in my step, I strutted into the room. When I saw him, my heart dropped. He had bandages wrapped all around the top of his head, he was wearing a neck brace, he had breathing tubes, both or his arms and his left leg were in casts, and he had burn marks on his cheek. I don't know what I was envisioning, but it definitely wasn't this. I don't think I even thought it through. I just wanted to see him. I forgot that he was even hurt; my judgement blocked by excitement. How stupid. I sucked in a deep breath, and tried not to let the worry show.

"Hey Flynn!" I exclaimed, smiling brightly.

He looked over at me with blank eyes. "Who are you?"

My worst fear had just come true. This could not be happening. Was this permanent? I HAD JUST FALLEN FOR HIM! ARE YOU SERIOUS? A million thoughts ran through my head as my eyes began to water up. You will not cry, you will not cry, you will not cry, I repeated over and over in my head, trying to force myself to believe it.

And just as my resolve began to crumble, Flynn exploded into laughter. "Oh my gosh! I totally got you! Hey Madeline!"

I gaped at him. "You...are INFURIATING!"

"I know you are but what am I?" He grinned, or tried to. Instead he ended up wincing.

"Are you okay?" I asked, rushing over to the bedside.

He got a wicked glint in his eye, which is how I knew one of his favorite things was going to come up in the conversation. "Yeah, but my doctor said-"

"That you were lacking Vitamin Me?" I cut him off with a smile.

"Nah, that you should probably be kept in captivity before your ugliness starts to spread."

"Now that's the Flynn I know and love." I turned as red as a tomato, realizing my slip-up.

"I know, I know. Everybody loves Flynn." He said, smiling angelically.

"Flynn?" Alice poked her head in. "You have more visitors."

"Who is it?" He asked, turning to me. "Is Gaige here?"

"No," I said. "I'm just as confused as you are."

"I'll just send them in." Alice decided, and held the door open. A man who looked exactly like Flynn and a blonde woman walked in.

Flynn's face paled; anger and pain clouded his eyes. "Dad?"

A/N: SHIZ ABOUT TO GET REALLL

guys the only reason this is updated today is bc of my awesome wattpad buddy, SparkleyEyesHailey who is btw hella rad so u should go thank her. okay?