[Nona Larsen]

Jarvis is my guardian angel. I'm not joking. If it weren't for him, I'm not sure I'd still be here, boasting about surviving my stupidest decision so far. Trying to jump off that bridge wasn't worth it. It wasn't that high for starters. To add insult to injury, no-one would've mourned my death except me.

It's time for me to finally leave this hellhole behind. I have one more reason for being thankful to Jarvis and his family: they pay the bill. His parents are the ones covering the most, but he insists in giving his contribution as he sold several old items of his to raise a hundred dollars.

I ask him, "Did you really sell stuff for me?"

"Well, I couldn't let my parents carry the burden of this... let's say accident on their own. Actually, I planned to sell more stuff and raise the sum on my own," he explains. This makes me admire him even more. From the answer key to this, he's the one who has stood by my side in the most concrete manner.

"I guess your family found out before you try to sell, like, their jewels."

"Well, I considered selling one of Dad's old watches, but I wasn't sure he'd take it well." Wow, Jarvis was so determined to get me out of here that he'd take any length to raise money. If I had to start a business with anyone, it'd certainly be him, even though he doesn't think he's cut out for that kind of career.

He asks me, "So, are you ready to go?"

I shake my head. "Leave the hospital? Of course. But what comes after... it kind of scares me. I no longer have a home, do you remember?" This is actually a rhetorical question. I know he's aware of my disastrous family situation. I just don't want to burden him too much.

He excuses himself and reunites with his parents for a moment. I bet he's asking them to let me crash at theirs until I get back up on my feet. Meanwhile, I gather what I can from the drawer-my phone and a packet of crackers I was supposed to take as a snack but simply forgot.

When Jarvis comes back in the room, he does so with a beaming smile. "You can stay with us, Nona. I talked to my parents. About school... We'll discuss that when you're better, okay?"

"Deal." I let him help me getting dressed; then, I wait for my assigned doctor to clear me so that I can finally leave the hospital behind. I don't look forward to coming here ever again. 'No more stupid shit, Nona. Get it together.'

***

When Jarvis lets me stay on his bed, I remind myself I have to pay him back for his generosity. He also finds some extra pillows for me to keep my injured leg comfortable. "When I fully recover, I'll give you back the royal treatment, tenfold if needed."

"Wow. I'd lie if I denied I'm looking forward to it. But, for now, you're the one that matters the most. Don't forget that." He winks, which makes me burst into laughter.

"Be careful." He sounds dramatic when he's worried. Even his glance makes him look like a decadent hero from a gloomy romance. The more I think of it, the more I laugh. I don't know if I find that genuinely hilarious or ridiculous.

"Anyway, Jarvis, it took me a while to answer your calls. Sorry for that. The message I sent you... It was a way to make up for that." I sigh deeply. "What matters is that you came, right?"

"Right." Jarvis might be relieved, but I still wish the original text messages I wrote were sent correctly. For some reason, they didn't go through. Oh, fuck the hospital's signal. It was shit-without WiFi, I wouldn't have been able to even open WhatsApp.

Out of curiosity, I ask him, "Is there anything more I need to know?"

He scratches his chin as he sits on his red rug with his legs crossed. "Yeah, there's a lot you need to know. But you won't like it." His tone turns grave as he warns me. It doesn't look like those wankers are simply gossiping about me behind my back. It must be something worse.

"I'm ready. Bring it. It's not like I care about those fuckers."

"Are you sure?"

I insist. "Just tell me. It's not like I can smash their skulls on the concrete."

"Well, since you left school, their pathetic crusade against you hasn't stopped at all. It turned worse instead." I try to at least pretend to be surprised, but can't. It's so obvious. They know I'm no longer there to confront them, so they feel emboldened; as such, they spew even more shit.

Jarvis continues. "They also started fabricating outrageous allegations against you. Look!" He shows me a bunch of screenshots from his phone, depicting degrading posters and notes where I pass off as a bully and an abuser simply because... I dared to stand up for myself.

I shake my head. "They're just a pack of rabid hyenas. They take advantage of my absence to retaliate on my image even further. What they said in my face isn't enough." Honestly, I regret leaving school. Because of that, I passed off as a quitter, someone who wasn't willing to fight through the injustice.

I shouldn't have left Jarvis to do all the dirty work by himself. Now, he is the one who's being targeted. For what? Just for defending me. He has been with me through the hard times, something my fake ex friends failed to do at the first hint of struggle.

I definitely have to pay Jarvis back. He deserves it. Not just credit for his good deeds, but more concrete actions. This means I must make sure I keep my promise. I'm a woman of word and want to maintain that reputation, not pass off as someone unreliable like the idiotic gossips out there do on a regular basis.

Jarvis changes subject. "So, I'm thinking suggesting takeout dinner or something like that. How about pizza?"

I rub my hands against one another in delight. "Pizza? Don't tell me twice-I haven't had one in, like, six months." In secret, too. I don't mention that, though, because Jarvis doesn't need to listen to my grievances over that other bunch of traitors: my family, or so I used to call them.

Instead, I just exclaim. "Great! I hope your parents are okay with it, because I'd like to try that new place that's all over Instagram. What's its name indeed? Bopping Pizza, right?"

A quick check on social media confirms my information. In fact, Jarvis states. "Yeah, it's correct." Then, he adds, "I haven't tried it yet. Mom and Dad aren't the types to try new things easily; with you, though-"

I cut him off. "Do you think I'm the ticket for your parents approving everything?"

"No, but-"

"I'm joking, silly!" Jarvis facepalms as he fails to catch my attempt at being funny. Maybe I have a bad sense of humor, or he isn't good enough at catching jokes. Who cares, though? He's laughing right now! This leads me to follow along, to the point that Mr. and Mrs. Harding rush to the room, asking if we're okay.

Since Jarvis takes quite a lot of time to regain his composure, I step in for him. "Oh, yes, we're okay. We've just thought that having pizza tonight might be a good idea. I also know an amazing place we should try."

The Hardings don't need to be convinced. They easily accept our proposal without rebutting it. Oh, how good it is not to fight with parents over ideas... The more I live through this, the happier I am that Jarvis has a way healthier family than I used to.