2018

I slowly open my eyes and looking around, I see that I am at Tess' doorstep. Something was wrong, I could feel it in my gut. I was in the car a few moments ago.  Tessa opens the door even though I haven't knocked. 
She beams at me and hugs me. "Come on in," she says. I walk in but I notice that it is eerily different. Something is nagging at my gut. I follow her upstairs.
Opening her window, she holds out her hand. I just take it. Mentally my brain screams, "NO! NO! NO! DON'T. THIS IS THE WORST DECISION EVER. YOU SHITGOBLIN, YOU MUNDANE, STOP."

But, I am unable to speak anything and I automatically take her hand. I am scared at this point. We climbed on the roof but I now knew that it was all wrong. Tessa was scared of heights. I once asked dared her to come with me on the rooftop and she freaked out (we were playing truth and dare at Lizzie's house. Her screams give me nightmares [no offense to my sugar]. Protip: Tessa's sweet but do not. I repeat DO NOT ever ask her to come with you to a place of high altitude). 

My stomach was churning and I wanted to scream but nothing happened. I still climbed on the roof with Tess. She sat beside me and I put my arm around her. She looks at me and leans in to kiss me but I don't. Looking closely, I realize that she isn't wearing glasses. When I don't kiss her, she grabs my face and kisses me. I almost melt into the kiss. It's full of passion and burning desire. This was so unlike Tessa. Tessa is always shy to lean in first and the kisses are short and sweet. 

I close my eyes and I get the sensation of falling. Everything goes dark. I try to open my eyes but I can't. It's almost as if I can hear vague and indistinguishable sounds but can't respond. I lay still since there wasn't much I could do. I think, am I dead? I don't know. I try to recollect what happened when I was driving home. Nothing. It's a blank. Except for a light coming at speed towards me, I can't remember anything else.

Someone caresses my hand but I can't open my eyes to look at the person. I try to pry my eyes open and it is hard. My eyes are almost glued shut. I can't open my left eye. There is a bandage on it? (seriously, I don't know). I look up and I see my mom holding my hand. Her face is pale and her eyes bloodshot and baggy. My dad is on the other side. I try to turn my neck around but there is a bandage around my neck. It slowly dawned on me that I was in a hospital room. The lights, the curtain, and the beeping sound of the monitor came into focus.

My mom kisses my face and then it dawns on me that there's an oxygen tube around my face.
I ask, "Mom?" I am shocked at the raspiness of my voice. My throat hurts and it feels like I haven't spoken for ages. Her face is tear-streaked. She doesn't say anything yet but dad speaks up. 

He says, "Hey buddy..." I listen to him and his voice cracks. My dad is one hell of a guy. He can stay level-headed in the worst of the worst situations and his voice never cracks. Never. Hearing his voice crack sends chills down my spine.
I manage to rasp, "What happened?"
"You were in an accident. A drunk guy was overspeeding and he crashed into the car. The doctors said that it was a near-miracle that you got out alive. You've been out for three days. They informed us that you are in a stable condition and you'll be shifted into your room after 2-3 days."
I was shell-shocked. Everything was finally making sense. I open my mouth to say something when dad interrupts me by saying, "Don't worry, bud. I've got you. You need to rest. Your body needs to heal."
Mom interjects, "Also, your girlfriend Tessa is waiting outside for you but they won't let her in. They are only letting family meet you."
"Please. Let her come."
"No, Stevie. You need to rest."
I frown and roll my eye at this statement.
"Take care of yourself, sweetheart. Rest well," Mom says and kisses my face. I smile at her and dad wraps his arm around her shoulder and takes her outside.  

I can see Tess standing behind the glass door. She looks at me and waves. I know that look on her face. It's flushed and her eyes look tired. She's constantly biting her lip to prevent herself from crying. But, she's smiling. She's smiling for me. My Tess is doing her best to be brave for me. I lift my hand slightly and weakly wave back. I try to smile (or painfully contort my face). 

At this point, she's barely able to hold the tears back. A tear rolls down her cheek. The sight of her breaks my heart. The pain I feel in my chest is worse than anything I've ever felt. I can feel the tears stinging in my eyes.
I know that my Tess is as brave as hell. She's a fighter but right now, the only thing I want to do is to hold her close to me like I did all the other times. Let her cry, caress her hair, and give her butterfly kisses all over the face. I'd never let her go. I want to tell her that it's gonna be okay. That I'll bounce back and we'll be fine.
But I couldn't and that's what hurt the most. Because Tessa is at times afraid to admit her own feelings to herself. I can be there for her and tell her it's okay when she isn't okay. She has a heart that's too soft and compassionate. That's why she feels everything much more than others and becomes sadder.

She can't look at me any longer and she walks away, fiercely wiping her eyes with her sleeve after taking off her glasses. She covered her mouth with her hand. My throat hurts. Not because of the talking but because I was helpless to comfort the love of my life or my parents. All the fatigue is taking over my mind along with this mind-numbing heartbreak. I feel drowsy and in no time, my eyes close and I fall asleep to the steady rhythm of the machine showing vital signs. 

I can hear Tessa's laugh. 
I vividly remember the day I first saw her. It was 9th grade. A girl in a long t-shirt, jeans, and a jacket; her hair was in a bun and she had glasses. Her eyes looked dreamy and there was a tiny smile on her face. The brown eyes behind the glasses looked like they held an unexplored world of fantasy behind them. When I looked at her the first time, it wasn't like love at first sight. It was more like you, you're the one who is meant to be the only one. I wanted to know more and more about her. About the vivid world behind those big eyes framed by glasses.

'When I drift off to sleep, I'll just dream about you, Tess,' I thought before finally falling asleep.

A/N - So, Steve is alive. YAY! I am not that cruel. (I am looking at you, JOHN GREEN, RICK RIORDAN, AND CASSANDRA CLARE) Well, this was angsty but I am a sap for angsty stuff. Hope y'all are happy. *wink wink* Also, it seems that I have finally gotten out of my writer's block. I hope y'all like the chapter. Comment as much as you all want. Vote and share! 
Also, a question: Fav book series of all time? 
Goodnight People. Love y'all.

P.S. I made an edit by adding a paragraph. The inspiration struck me when I was watching Christopher Robin. God knows how.