Chapter Twenty-Three:

After climbing up the tree and slipping through my window, I wasn't expecting what I saw on the floor of my room. It took me a moment to realize what had happened, but when it all clicked, I immediately stepped into action.

"Lindsay!" I called, grabbing her and shaking her. She didn't respond and simply flopped around limply in my grasp.

"Fuck!" I yelled, noticing her blue lips and fingertips. She didn't have much time left.

The adrenaline kicked in and I lifted her into my arms. She was heavy, but not unbearably. I realized I had to take her downstairs and fear began to rise inside me. My father was home and I had no idea if he was drunk and passed out or not. Realizing I didn't have time to worry, I pushed my bedroom door open, hearing it creak with lack of use. I squeezed my eyes shut for a second before slipping silently down the hallway and the stairs.

As my luck would have it, my father was passed out on the couch, a bottle of whiskey slipping out of his hand. I whispered a silent thank you before snatching the car keys and racing out the front door.

I laid Lindsay in the back seat, hearing a horrible gurgling coming from her. She wasn't okay. I needed someone to sit in the back with her while I drove.

Suddenly, the blond hair of a certain British boy came into sight and I felt my heart leap with relief. I raced over to him, grabbing his hand and scaring the living shit out of him.

"Mi-cool! I have great news!" He said excitedly while I dragged him towards the car. He didn't even bother asking what was going on, he was so excited.

"Okay, great. But it needs to wait. I need you to get into the backseat and do rescue breathing on Lindsay," I told him quickly, jogging to the driver's side door.

"Wot?" Gavin asked, clearly confused. I heard an undertone of disappointment in his voice and I felt bad for disregarding his excitement. But then, I remembered my situation and how little time Lindsay had.

"Get in the fucking car," I growled, watching him immediately nod and slip into the backseat.

I backed the car out of the driveway, not even bothering to check if there was anyone coming. I sped down the street, not bothering to stop at the stop sign either.

"Do you remember how they taught us to do rescue breathing in health?" I asked him. Gavin slowly nodding, seeming unsure. I sighed and explained the process to him, watching his eyes light up as he remembered. He bent over Lindsay, tilting her head back and pinching her nose. I stopped watching as I saw how close I was to the side of the road.

Focusing on driving, I made a mental map of where the hospital was. I figured if I continued at this pace, we'd be there in less than five minutes. But there was a stop light right before the hospital that I couldn't exactly run unless I wanted to get ticketed. So when that light came up, I stopped and tapped my fingers nervously on the steering wheel. I noticed how shaky I was and I realized how scared I was to actually lose Lindsay.

Lindsay was the only person who knew my situation better than anyone, including Gavin. She had lived in it with me, seeing the monsters that my parents really were. She stayed awake with me as crashes were heard in the basement, alluding towards a fight. She saw everything and she understood the danger I was in at all times.

Finally, the light turned green and I made a left turn into the hospital parking lot. Barely making it into the spot, I flicked the car off and jumped out, watching Gavin stop his rescue breathing and jump out as well. I grabbed Lindsay and heaved her into my arms, carrying her into the hospital. As much as my legs screamed at me not to, I ran as fast as I could towards the building.

Running inside, all the attention was immediately on us. Three teenagers, one passed out cold in another's arms, must have been quite a sight. A nurse rushed over and realized what had happened and she brought a wheelchair over, letting me set her in it. I watched as she raced down a hall with Lindsay and through a set of doors that said 'no entry'. Another nurse approached us with a clipboard.

We gave the nurse our information as well as Lindsay's. She thanked us and told us we could take a seat, telling us the doctor would return when the narcan took affect. Gavin and I nodded and sat down, watching as the many heads turned back to what they had been doing previously.

Taking a deep breath, I finally looked at Gavin. He was looking at the floor, seemingly deep in thought. As my adrenaline came down, I felt a pain in my shoulder, realizing I must've pulled a muscle or something.

However, I also realized Gavin still seemed excited, despite our situation. His eyes were still alight with a newfound hope, and I couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. But I remembered how excited he was to tell me, so I figured now was as good a time as ever.

"So... what's the great news?" I asked, watching him turn towards me with a huge smile.

"Meg lied to me, Mi-cool. She was never pregnant," Gavin said excitedly. I was confused at first. Why would he be excited?

"Aren't you mad? She ruined your life, Gavin," I reminded him.

"Well, of course I was mad. Hell, I shoved her so hard in the hallway. But then I realized... I'm free. I'm not going to be a dad. I'm not going to be a dad," He repeated, like it was just now sinking in. I smiled, feeling happy for him. He was so excited about all this I couldn't help but smile for him.

"You're smiling, Mi-cool," Gavin said, his voice getting even more excited. My smile disappeared after and Gavin frowned. His frown made me laugh and he smiled again, laughing along with me.

Maybe it was just the idea that Lindsay was going to be okay, or that Gavin truly made me happy just from his own happiness, but I was realizing something I had never felt before.

I was falling in love with Gavin.

Now, I'd felt love before. I loved Brandon with everything in me. He was my protector, my savior, my brother. But this love... it was different. I wanted to grab Gavin and hug him, while telling him how much he meant to me. I wanted to stay awake at night, listening to him breathe while he slept in my arms. I wanted to kiss him with such passion that he was left breathless.

And, as amazing as this was, I think he felt the same way.
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Oops. I told y'all updates would be regular, didn't I? Well, yeah sorry, they probably won't be... ever. So, this story is almost over. Just a couple more chapters. Kind of sad but hey, then I can work on something else, right?
Thanks for reading.