lot of them from people I hardly ever talked to. I guess the cool thing around school was to be friends with the girl in the coma, at least that’s what my friend Dakota tells me.
Speaking of Dakota, he comes around a lot lately, sticks to me like glue. I’m not complaining. I like Dakota. I always have, always. It’s just weird to suddenly be getting such devoted attention from him. Until I had my car accident and went into that coma he treated me like a bud—like I was worthy of his friendship, since I’m part of his band, but that was about it.
But now, sometimes, I catch him looking at me. I would get psyched about it, only I’m not sure why he’s looking at me. Is it love? Or is he just worried about me? Probably it’s just the worried thing. Most likely. After all, even I’m worried about me, a little bit. Okay, actually a lot. See, since I woke from my coma I’ve been having super spooky dreams, terrifying. But that isn’t even the worse part. Not even close. The worst part is, I’ve been getting text messages. From a dead guy.
Seriously.
That’s why I came to school today. Even though Mom told me not to. She hasn’t let me come for the past two weeks, not since I woke from the coma. It’s because I’ve been really weak and frail and dizzy, all that sicky stuff. But see, Mom works and I couldn’t take another day of being home. Alone. It was too creepy.
But now that I’m here at school, I know I’m not up for it. Healthy people are loud. And the sun is really bright. I need to sit down before I collapse.
“Hey, Lexi —welcome back!” Lindsey Cole says.
“Thanks,” I murmur, but she’s gone, heading down the hall with a group of her friends.
Lindsey Cole. She never said a word to me before I went into that coma, but just now she acted as though we’re friends. See, it’s weird. But I can’t really get too into the weirdness. My head’s throbbing and I feel dizzy, like I might throw up. Ever since I woke from my coma I’ve felt like this, messed up. But whenever I see my doctor, I smile and tell him I’m fine, everything’s okay. I have to. Otherwise, he’ll make me go back to the hospital and I don’t want to go back there, ever.
Bzzz .
My iPhone . I feel it buzzing in my pocket. Meaning I have another text. That used to be a good thing, but not anymore. Now just thinking about text messages sends a chill through my body, makes me sweaty and shivery and sick. All of that, all at the same time. No way do I check it. No way. You wouldn’t either, if you were getting messages from a dead guy. You would probably trash your phone. That’s what I’m tempted to do, chuck it. Only, I don’t because, you know, there’s Dakota. The text might be from him.
You never know.
Still, I don’t check it. I’m too chicken. Maybe I’ll check when Dakota’s nearby. Or when he asks, “Why didn’t you text me back?” Then I’ll know it’s safe. Then I’ll look. But only then.
So, yeah, I ignore the text, but still, there’s no way I can go to class, listen to teachers … even pretend to listen. Just the thought makes me nauseous. I decide to sneak into the school nurse’s office instead. The nurse is never in there. She hangs out in the front office, filling out paperwork and … well, I don’t know what she else she does but she’s never in the room with the cot.
Standing in the crowded hallway, I’m torn. Go straight to the office, or drop my books off at my locker? Both are in different directions, both too far.
“I’ll take your books.”
Startled by the unexpected voice, I whirl around. Then my heart freaks, starts thumping crazy and painful against my chest. The guy—he’s a stranger … but not.
I gaze into his silver-blue eyes and they stop my heart, cold, dead. Not in a good way, not in an I-love-you way. But in a Yikes !- Scary!-I need-to-get-away way.
Trembling, I stumble back. The guy seems to notice. Notice my panic. He grins.
“Hi.” He