Chapter 5

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*Leo's POV*

I couldn't take my eyes off of him. The damage he had sustained far out weighed mine and was made clear by the cuts and now forming bruises that blotted and covered different parts of his face. His right eyebrow had a small slice cutting through it, making the obviously well taken care of form seem distorted and covered in dried up blood.

I couldn't stop sneaking glances at him from the corner of my eyes. He just laid there, staring at the wall in front of him. Never moving, not even an inch. If I hadn't already known better, I would have sworn he was dead.

It felt strange being in the same room with him. The only sounds that went through the air was the soft breathing that pushed itself from our lungs. I wasn't sure if I should try and talk to him. I mean, he had the nickname Mute for a reason, but something in me still wanted to try, I just couldn't find the courage to do so.

Before my mother and his father were removed from the room for yelling, I found out his name was Shylo, and that he had lived here all his life. Long brown hair fell from his head and rested on his shoulders, covering part of his face from my view, but it never once stopped me from trying to see what was hidden from me.

Given the situation I felt strange saying that he looked really good. I mean, I never really had an interest in guys before, but even now with the cuts on his face he still looked beautiful. Even now as the thoughts went through my head I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of them. Here I am checking out a guy whose dad had just hit my car in the hospital.

Taking my eyes from where he was laying and looking around the room, I found the book my mom said she had left for me on a tray next to the bed I was set on. Reaching over to grab it proved harder than I thought it would, due to the sharp pains that soared throughout my body at the smallest movements.

Picked it up and lying back down, I had to catch my breathe before I could read anything. I had to hold it in to keep myself from groaning pain. I had no idea how long I was going to be in here, but because of the damage the both of us had sustained, I figured it would be at least over night.

'Oh joy.' I thought to myself. 'That means I've got to eat the nasty hospital food.'

Aside from the Jello, they never had anything good before. I mean, I didn't make it a habit out of going to the hospital, but I had been to them enough times to know the food sucks. I didn't want to think about it any further so I decided to just try and read, hoping the book would take all my pain away as usual.

The copy she had left I finished a few weeks before we moved here in the first place. I still enjoyed it, but it wouldn't have hurt her to grab another one for me. Then again, I never really like it when she tries to buy my something to read. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate when she does, but she always ends up getting something I would never really read, or something that's just so terrible I have to struggle to get through it.

I wanted to focus on what I was reading. To just get lost in the words that sat before me, but for some reason, with him being in the room I couldn't. Normally I never had trouble ignoring others, I did it often at just about every school I had ever been too, but I just couldn't with him here.

Turning my head to the right a little bit, I caught sight of his eyes looking over at me. Then just as quickly as they came into view, he jerked them back, making me question if it had really happened at all.

"So...uh, sorry about the car crash." I stated dumbly, trying to ease the tension in the room.

My voice cracked a little bit towards the end of the sentence, making me feel even more awkward trying to start a conversation with him. His head turned slightly in my direction, while he raised his cut eyebrow but didn't give me a response.

I felt silly. I mean, he got his nickname for an obvious reason and here I was ignoring that and trying to talk to him. I could feel the blood rushing to my face, causing an almost burning sensation to take hold. Turning my head back over I just decided to read a bit more and attempt to ignore his presence, and surprisingly, it worked this time.

By the time I had set my book down for a rest over three hours had gone by already and Mute was passed out in his bed. I figured he had the right idea on getting some rest, but I wanted to try and move around a little before I did. If I went to sleep now, my body would only ache more the next time I woke up.

It was a fight to get to my feet. Pain seeped into every movement I made, making me gasp in pain while trying to hold my breathe. I was getting better though. After what felt like an hour of trying, I could now make it from one end of the room to the other without almost falling over.

The room itself wasn't that big. Just the standard size hospital room with two beds in it. I did have to move mine out of the way a bit before I could make the distance complete, and I think that's what hurt my body the most. After I did that the walking came a lot easier.

Hearing his blanket rustle a bit, I stopped moving and turned my head in the direction his bed sat. Since the sun had already set and the lights were off in our room, I couldn't see him very well, so I just assumed he rolled over and went back to sleep.

After yawning several times I decided it would be best if I followed his actions and tried to get some rest myself. Walking over to my bed, I climbed in and started to pull the blanket over myself but stopped short when I felt something move.

I felt something slide across my chest sending a mixture of pain, and confusion throughout my body. Feeling around, my fingers grabbed hold of something and it wasn't until I looked down that I realized I had a hold of Mute's lower lip.

Jumping back and almost falling off the bed a mixture of coughing and apologies flooded from my mouth as I rushed over to where my bed actually was. I cursed myself over and over for forgetting that I moved it and doing something that stupid.

I heard what sounded like a sigh from his bed then him rolling over to go back to sleep. I felt like such an idiot! Why the hell would I forget that I moved my bed, and end up climbing into his? My heart was still racing from the adrenaline that flowed through me thanks to my stupid encounter, so I tried to do a few breathing exercises to help me calm down, and after a while, they finally started to work.

I could feel sleep trying to take hold and I was beginning to welcome it. Anything to get this day to end would more than acceptable. Though I had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow, I still wanted it in exchange for everything that has happened today.

*

"Leo, you've got to wake hon."

Rolling over and ignoring the sounds that interrupted my dreams, I tried to go back to sleep. The voice kept saying the same thing over and over and it was starting to give me a headache. I just wanted more rest. I mean, I had just survived a car crash, I think an hour or so of more sleep is deserved.

Though I had to fight to get my eyes open, I finally sat up and looked over to my mom who was standing next to the bed dressed up in what was no doubt her work work clothes for the role she was playing now.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked, rubbing her hand over my head.

Brushing it away and telling her I didn't have a fever and that I was a little better, she told me that I would be getting released today and could come home whenever I wanted. Smiling as the words came to my ears, I told her I was ready now.

She had to help me off the bed at first. After walking around the room a few times to prove to the nurse that I was okay to go, I grabbed the book that my mom had brought me and looked around the room once more.

Mute had been checked out an hour or so before I was. His dad sounded less than happy about having to come back here to get him, but never once did he throw an insult my way. Probably because he thought I was sleeping, but I was thankful none the less.

We decided to stop by a fast food place for me to get something to eat. After picking up our food and driving back to the house, I mumbled a cure under my breathe as I dropped my soda trying to get out of the car. Rolling my eyes and picking up the empty cup, I walked inside and set everything on the table before throwing it away. Mom had to go back to work and asked if I could pick up Chloe from school.

I told her I would try but if not that I would call and let her know so that she could. I asking her to leave the keys to my old car, but stood there staring at her like an idiot when she said no and walked out the door. How the hell was I supposed to get her then?

Walking back to the dinning room and sitting down to eat, I saw another set of keys on the table next to the book that she had brought me to read. Smiling at the idea of what car I might be driving, I found myself zoning out as the fantasy's passed through my head. Then, something caught my attention.

Something snapped me out of my imagination. Though it was pretty small, subtle even, it stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I always took good care of my books. I never let anything happen to them, yet somehow, a small corner of one of the pages seemed to stick out a little, hinting at a tear. Picking the book up as quickly as I could to examine it for damage I held it in front of my face then watched in horror as a piece of paper fell out.

Setting the book down and picking up the paper, I sighed in relief when I noticed it wasn't the same kind of paper. Though I was unsure of how it got in there, I figured my mom had just left me a note when I wasn't looking until I opened the paper up.

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