Disclaimer;
Beyblade characters aren't mine and Kennedy belongs to ZexyMudpieConspiracy. Everything else belongs to yours truly :D
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Hold on slow down again from the top now and tell me everything Wings won't take me Now I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall Perpetual motion the image won't focus Wings won't take me Now I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall I count the times that I've been sorry Now I'm standing on the rooftop Now I'm standing on the rooftop (ready to fall) x3
I know I've been gone for what seems like forever
But I'm here now waiting
To convince you that I'm not a ghost or a stranger
But closer than you think
She said, "just go on to what you
Pretend is your life but
Please don't die on me"
Heights don't phase me
So take a step
But don't look down
Take a step
I think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
A blur is all that's seen
But here in this moment like the eye of the storm
It all came clear to me
I found a shoulder to lean on
An infallible reason to live all by itself
I took one last look from the heights that I once loved
And then I ran like hell
Heights don't phase me
So take a step
But don't look down
Take a step
I think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
I know, I know
Now my compassion slowly drowns
I know, I know
If there's a time these walls could guard you
I know, I know
Then let that time be right now
Now I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
I think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
Now I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
-Ready to Fall, Rise Against
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-Last Time-
-/In Riley's POV/-
All I know is that I was nearly poisoned today by people in my own class, and I feel horrible, dirty and useless. I'm going to go home now, away from everyone else for the rest of the day. I'll clean up, so it looks like nothing has happened, and I'll lock myself in my room and bleed away the pain.
And no one will notice a thing.
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Watch Me Fall
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Chapter 9
Don't Leave Me
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-/Riley's POV/-
I opened my eyes. I cringed; it's too bright! Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked around. This isn't my room. . . Everything was so white! Where am I?
That's when I noticed that I was lying down on a single bed, curtains around me drawn and an oxygen mask attached to my face. I tried sitting up. I abandoned that idea when a slight pain shot up my arm. What caused that? I looked.
My arm, no, arms, were wrapped in bandages from my wrist until my elbows. There, on my left arm, inserted inside my veins, was a single needle attached to a tube leading to a, a. . . I squinted. There was a machine labeled IV next to my bed. On my other arm, there was another needle and thin tube. But the liquid inside this one was a deep crimson color that I knew all too well. I already guessed that I'm in a hospital, but how did I get here and why are they giving me a blood transfusion?
A woman in a white knee-high gown walked in.
"Oh, you're finally awake!" she said with a large, forced smile. At least she's trying to be cheerful. "I'll just go tell doctor Kannan. He'll be here in a minute." And she left.
Soon after, a man in his mid-forties dressed in a long white labcoat came in. he looked at me and smiled. I didn't smile back.
I hate hospitals. It's too clean, too bright. Too. . . depressing, knowing that the person in the bed right next to you can die right before your eyes.
The man who introduced himself as Doctor Konnan told me that I wouldn't be able to talk for awhile. At least, I'd get it back in the next two days and that it would really hurt to use my voice for the next week. The whole time, he was trying to avoid my eyes.
"Here's a pad and pen. If you need anything, please press the little red button and write what you need on the paper so the nurse will know. Any questions?"
I ferociously nodded and quickly began scribbling. He took the pad once I was finished.
"How did I get here and why am I here?" he read aloud. "Well, with what I've been told, your parents found you on the ground when they got home and you had lost quite a lot of blood, little miss."
I took back the pad and scribbled another question. He read it over before answering.
"Well, your throat hurts because we had to operate and clean out all the poison. The swelling should go down after a day or so. Try not to speak until then. Your parents will come and see you soon."
With that, he left. For a bit, I just laid there, staring at the ceiling until I heard some more voices in the hall. Soon, two more people came through the curtains; my mom and dad. My mother's face was ridden with worry, as was my father's. My mom decided to break the silence first by asking me if I was okay. I smiled at her to let her know that I was fine. They spoke to me, I wrote replies back. After awhile, a nurse came into the room and told them that visiting hours were closed and that I needed my rest.
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When I woke up, it took me a little while to remember where I was. Then everything came flooding back. What's going to happen to me now?
My curtain opened again. This time, it was my parents. They both had solemn looks on their faces. Apprehension and anxiety flooded through me. I looked at them, wondering what could be wrong. Before I knew what was happening, my mother engulfed me in a huge hug. I felt my shoulder getting wet and I knew she started crying.
"I-I, we. . . we were s-so, so very worried about yooooouuu!" she sobbed hysterically.
"Um . . . mom, it's okay. . . I'm fine. . ." I tried to convince her, still somewhat under shock from her outburst.
After a bit, my mother calmed down enough to leave a little room for my father to come and give me a big hug as well. After that, they stayed awhile until another came in. He asked to speak in private with them. I wonder why he doesn't want whatever he's saying to be heard by me. I far as I know, it's not like I'm dying or anything. . .
My parents came back into the room. My mother somehow looked even more shocked, borderline traumatized, then before. They just stood there until my father cleared his throat. He looked at me intensely before stuttering out "Riley, w-we h-have to. . ." he paused, rubbing his temples. "We'll come back to. . . to see you later." He turned and my parents both left me alone again, wondering what was wrong with them.
Questions played my mind until I eventually fell back asleep.
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A sobbing little girl and a little boy with flaming red hair and blue eyes sat at the foot of their friend's bed, where their blue-haired friend was laying, his leg in a cast."Oh Kai! This is all my fault, I'm so sorry!" cried the little girl.
"Riley, it's not your fault. . ." the redheaded boy tried to explain.
"Yes it is! Tala, if I didn't make him climb that tree, he never would have gotten hurt!"
"Riley, don't worry about it." said a younger-looking Kai. "It's not your fault. . . It's Tala's." he added with a smirk
"Hey! That's not true!" shouted an insulted Tala.
"Yeah, it wasn't his fault!" said Riley, defending her friend. Kai's smile grew wider.
"It was the stupid cat's fault for getting stuck up there!" shouted Tala.
"It was not! That squirrel made Ginger chase it up there!" shouted Riley.
"So," interrupted Kai. "It's the squirrel's fault for not wanting to get eaten?"
"Of course not!" said Riley and Tala simultaneously.
"So it's no one's fault then!" stated a smiling Kai.
Riley started laughing along with her two best friends.
They always knew how to make her feel better.
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I was sleeping, yet conscious at the same time. I could hear noise all around me
"Riley? Are you in here?" whispered a voice
"Shh! She's probably sleeping!" hushed another.
I decided to open my eyes and 'awaken' to see who my visitors were.
Kennedy and Rei!
"Riley!" Kennedy squealed and she gave me a huge hug. "How are you feeling? Are you alright? The doctors wouldn't tell us what you had, is it serious? Is there anything I can do to help? Can-" Rei clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Kennedy, you'll just end up giving her a headache!" he said. Kennedy got free and stuck her tongue out at her brother. That made me smile a little. I laughed, but it was instantly replaced by a pained cough. They stopped their little fight and turned to me.
"Riley, are you okay?" Kennedy asked me, a dead serious look on her face all of a sudden.
I nodded and gave a small smile to her to convince her that I'm fine.
"The doctor wouldn't tell us what was wrong. Is it serious?" continued Kennedy.
I paused, then shook my head. No, it wasn't serious. I'm still alive, aren't I?
"What happened?" asked Kennedy in a calm voice. I cast my eyes downwards. Kennedy was leaning on the edge of y bed, worry written all over her face. Rei, on the other hand, was still standing in the doorway. I've never seen him look like that; his eyes were so dark and fury was written all over his face. Why?
Why wasn't Rei saying anything? Why was he so quiet all of a sudden?
His silence was starting to make me anxious. I scratched at my arms absentmindedly.
Rei started stepping forward. I raised my head to look him in the eyes.
"What happened to your arms?" he said in a low growl. I looked away.
He grabbed me hard by the shoulders.
"Who did that to you?" he said a little louder.
His hands still on my shoulders, he looked away and muttered "You did that to yourself, didn't you. . ."
He looked me in the eye. I've never seen anyone as angry and him, fury flaming in his eyes. His grip tightened.
"Didn't you?" he shook me. "Didn't you?"
"Rei? What are you doing to Riley?" shouted Kennedy as she barged into the room, her arms full of the drinks she had gotten us. Rei instantly let go of me, and ran from the room. Kennedy looked at me, her eyes falling to where Rei had been looking previously; my arms. She gasped, dropped what she was holding and ran after her brother.
What? What's wrong? Why did they just run out like that? Rei only saw bandages. The cuts weren't even bleeding! How could simple bandages affect him like it did? Why was he so. . . so angry? But more importantly;
How did he know?
These questions kept on playing and replaying in my head, as well and the look of anger on Rei's face and the horror on Kennedy's. My parents came into my room, both wore a solemn look on their faces.
"Riley, you're going to leave the hospital today." Said my father. The only thing is his face was dark, not happy like this news should be.
Concerned, I took my pad and my pencil and wrote;
What's wrong?
They didn't have the time to answer. An older doctor with graying hair and thick glasses came in, holding a clipboard. He grabbed the notebook from my hands and read the note I had written.
I don't like this man. He's so…so arrogant, he looks like he thinks he's so superior to me.
Okay, so maybe I'm not a doctor who saves lives, but I'm still human! Stop looking so condescending!
"Miss. . . Riley Stone, is it?" he started, looking at through his thick glasses.
I nodded my head in response.
"Well miss Stone, you have a problem. A bigger one than just sitting in a hospital bed."
I arched an eyebrow. A bigger problem that being poisoned? What is he talking about?
I looked at my parents. My mother looked away, her face with a look of her heart being ripped apart.
"Your parents have informed me of how they had found you when they got home from work the other night; unconscious in a pool of your own blood, cuts of varied depth all over your arms."
I looked down as I felt the blood drain from my face. No. . . this can't be happening. . .
"-And poison was found. You apparently swallowed it."
A memory of kids teasing me. . . calling me a cockroach. . . spraying me with insecticide.
My throat hurt as I felt the bile raise at the mere thought.
The doctor took off his glasses.
"May I ask you a question?"
I slowly nodded.
"Are you suicidal, miss Stone?"
My jaw dropped. I violently shook my head.
"Everything points to the contrary. And that's why your parents called on me. My name is Henry Simmons, and I'm head of Simmons Rehabilitation Center. You see, Miss Stone, you have a dangerous addiction that you need to realize." He paused. "Cutting yourself. You will spend a couple of days in my Rehabilitation Center to cure of this." With that, he left.
I glared at my sheets.
To. . . cure me? To cure me?
"Honey. . . " started my mother. "You know we love you. We're doing this for your own good. We hate to see you hurt!"
"Riley, we've packed some of your things for you. Now, here are some clothes; please change into them so we can leave for the Institute. We'll be waiting in the lobby." Said my father before placing a small package of clothes on my bed and turning to leave the room with my mother, leaving me alone in this white room, feeling more lonely and left behind than ever.
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Note;
I'd like to apologize to everyone for breaking my promise. I told you all that I'd start writing again once my June exams were finished with because if I didn't study my rear end off, I'd be in serious trouble (well, I passed everything and I don't have to do any re-writes. Yes!) So therefore I've got some good news, but also some bad news. Good news first; I'm going to post either Watch Me Fall or Half The Sugar Twice The Spice faster than I've been doing. Bad news; the other story will be put on hiatus for a bit. I'm doing it this way for you guys, so please don't hate me too much. Look, my logic is this; it takes me a really long time to update a single chapter of either of my stories. Therefore, to quicken everything up a little, I'll devote all of my attention to one story so the updates should go twice as fast. I'm not sure which story I'll put on hiatus, so your vote might help support the story you want to see more of. Your vote really counts!