Third Person

"The surgery was successful." The surgeon's words rang out in the hospital waiting room. The hour and nineteen minute wait felt like hours of anticipation. The surgeon gave a small smile but it was obvious to everyone in the waiting room, there was a big 'but' coming.

"But," There it was. "She's still not awake." All of the smiles in the room immediately vanished as they heard the second part of the news. It has been two days since she was first shot and she has still been unconscious because of the initial amount of blood loss. If it wasn't for Blake and his idea to wrap her jacket around her waist, Rayland wouldn't be alive.

Even with this knowledge stuck on the back of his brain, he still blames himself. Why? He couldn't even tell you, he just always wanted to be there for her and he was there, just a little too late.

"Blake, you can't blame yourself for this." Micheal said to his younger brother, Blake sat in the chair with his mouth slightly agape. He never shared his concerns with anyone, especially his eldest brother about how he blames himself that his stepsister was in that hospital bed.

"What?" Was all he could respond with. Micheal smiled a bit.

"I know you better than you know yourself." He admitted, Blake couldn't even deny it.

When they were younger, they were the closest out of all of their siblings because of how similar they used to be. Ever since his mother's death and best friend's disappearance, he started to distance himself from everybody, including his big brother. And Micheal wasn't innocent either, he separated himself from everybody as well.

Even after all the years, Micheal always kept an eye on Blake. They didn't talk like they used to but Micheal could always read him like a book. After all, they were more similar than they thought. At least, they used to be.

He didn't respond, just looked at the front of the room waiting for the attention to shift from him and to his luck, it did. The surgeon who was still standing there cleared his throat and told them they could go back into the room. Everyone hurried into the hospital room except for Blake. Micheal noticed his absence and stayed behind as well.

"What's going on, bud?" He sat next to him, Blake scoffed.

"Bud? You haven't called me that since I was nine." Micheal had a guilty look on his face, realizing he messed up. He didn't have any words that would make what he did better.

"I don't think I've had a genuine conversation with you since I was nine." He was right, Micheal had a talk right before Francesca died. "Honestly, I don't think I've had a genuine conversation since I was nine." After he stopped talking for a couple of years, it was true.

"I want to change that, Blake. Just give me a chance." Micheal pleaded, Blake crossed his arms and rolled his eyes in response.

"Why wait six years? You feel guilty now?" He snapped.

"Yes, yes I do feel guilty now. You were my little brother and- and I let you down." Blake directed his attention to his brother after hearing the emotion in his voice. "But I am willing to make it up to you, just please let me."

"Rayland was my best friend." He blurted out, his brother wasn't surprised at the confession but surprised he confessed it in the first place. Micheal was going to comfort him but Blake continued.

"Ever since preschool, she was a pain in the ass but she was my pain in the ass... Okay that sounded weird but she meant everything to me and then- and then she left." He tried to hold in a sob but the tears started flowing.

"She promised she wouldn't leave, Micheal. She promised." Micheal took one arm and wrapped it around his younger brother's shoulders as he cried. He soothingly rubbed his shoulders as the tears were non stop dropping.

"The worst part is she comes back like she doesn't even know me. Was I not worth remembering?" If physically possible, Micheal held Blake tighter, hearing his brother say those words broke his heart.

"I know she's only been here for a couple months but I can tell she would never do something like that." He tried to convince him.

"Well I've known her for five years and you would think I know." He scoffed, Micheal only rubbed Blake's back.

"Hey, are you guys coming- oh I'm sorry for interrupting." Liam came out to the waiting room until he noticed the situation.

"We'll be in there in a second." Micheal waved Liam off and he hurried back in the room.

"Do you want to go back in?" Micheal asked, Blake thought for a moment and then nodded.

"You go in, I'll be there in a second." Micheal reluctantly nodded and headed inside while Blake wiped the tears from his puffy eyes.

"Hey hun, I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma." Dr. Hill came over to him, he glared at the woman who was eavesdropping on their private conversation.

"She didn't pretend to forget you, she- I really shouldn't tell you but she lost her memory when she was nine." She revealed, Blake stopped glaring and his eyes widened in realization. If what she's saying is true, he had been an ass for no reason.

"You are going to school and that's final." They grunted and groaned until they were almost dragged out of the hospital. It had been about a week since they were first there and the eldest insisted that they had to go back to school.

As soon as the brothers walked in and were immediately bombarded with questions by her brother.

"Where is my sister? I called her all week and she hasn't answered me, I'm worried." Ryan asked, he had been concerned all week about his twin. He could only assume he called and texted Ray at least a hundred times yet no one seemed to answer.

He could feel that something was seriously wrong.

The feeling was confirmed when the brothers walked in with bags under their eyes, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes without Rayland. Their tired eyes were enough to explain that the situation wasn't as tedious as he thought.

Ryan waited for a response but it never came. The boys didn't intentionally ignore him, they just didn't feel like talking to anyone especially after the eventful week they had.

"Guys, please. I just want- actually nevermind. You don't even care." He walked away defeated until voice stopped him.

"Wait." Jaxon called out, feeling bad for the concerned brother. Ryan halted and slowly turned around to face him, waiting to hear the bad news he knew was coming.

"She's in the hospital." Ryan was about to ask why but Jaxon continued. "She got shot."

"Huh?" Ryan questioned, he wasn't expecting that. Shot? Maybe she was sick or visiting someone but shot was out of the question.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're lying." He violently shook his head, denying that those words ever came out of Jaxon's mouth.

"I'm sorry. We would've told you-" Jax couldn't even finish his sentence before Ryan darted out of the main door, his vision blurry from the tears in his eyes. He swung his backpack from behind his back and rummaged through the front pocket of it.

He panicked as he couldn't find the phone and dumped the whole front pocket of his backpack out on the ground. As students walked in the school building, they gave him weird glances but he was too busy trying to find his phone to notice.

He finally found the phone and quickly dialed his mother's number, he silently prayed that she would answer.

"Ryan, aren't you supposed to be in school?" The motherly voice rang out.

"I need you to pick me up." He shakily pleaded, tears were now running down his face.

"Why, are you alright?" Lana questioned.

"I will tell you in person, just please pick me up." She had never heard her son talk like this so she knew it was serious.

"I'm on my way."

As soon as he stepped foot in the room, the tears came back in his eyes. He finally got his sister back after eight years and there was a possibility she could be gone again. He could barely even think about it.

He cried in his mother's arms for hours, nothing that happened could take away the pain he was feeling. She was his light, his noise, his color. And he couldn't live without her again.

(Reference from prologue)

Third Person

"Rayland, let's go. We're leaving now." She heard her father's voice call from downstairs. She immediately hurried so he wouldn't become mad, even though it was pretty much inevitable nowadays.

"Where are we going?" She timidly asked, he just glared and dragged her arm out of the house. His grip was so tight, she knew it would create black and purple bruises. He threw her in the front seat of the car despite her height and age and quickly sped out of the driveway.

"Where are we going?" She asked again, he ignored her question and pressed his foot down on the accelerator. She started to become more nervous because he was swerving through lanes, trying to avoid traffic. He was going thirty miles above the speed limit.

"Can you slow down?" She regretted it as soon as she asked because she felt a blunt force that pushed her against the car window. It created a small gash on her temple that started to bleed.

"Don't say another word, brat." He slurred, obviously drunk. Now she felt even more concerned because her father acted irrational when under the influence. "I can't wait to get rid of you." He mumbled.

His parents were once like him and that was his inspiration to get a wife, have a family, and treat them the opposite than his father treated him. Once his family split, so did his promise.

"Dad, there's-" She tried to point out something but he interrupted her.

"What did I say? Shut up."

"Look out!" She shouted but it was too late. A giant truck swerves in front of the car causing Raymond to yell profanities and drift into a ditch.

Raymond was dead.

Rayland stirred, she opened her eyes as she heard ambulance and police sirens. The car was sitting on the edge of the three-foot ditch, one false move and the whole car would tip. The front and left side of the car was completely damaged and she was now thankful about her father's irresponsibility. If she was in the back, she would've joined him.

She tried to open the door but as soon as she touched it the car completely flipped over, she was now upside down in the ditch.

All while the radio still played.

"You can't think like that, you have to be positive."

"How can I be positive when she is dying?"

"You have to try."

"What if she dies?"

"Then I look pretty good for a dead bitch."

Get Well Soon Cards:

We love you honey, like you were our own. We are sending you thoughts and prayers for a safe recovery. - Alonso Family [Sofia, Alejandro, Weston, Valentina]

We miss you, Ray. We hope you get justice against that bastard that hurt you. Everybody is hoping for your recovery, we love you Stingray. - Matteo, Myles, Max, Aria, Weston, Alexander

Hey nugget, remember us from lunch? Again, we're sorry how Blake acted. After you recover, we want to be your friends, not just people you were forced to hang out with because of your stepbrothers. Hope you get better soon. - Nasir, William, Dion, Ace

I know you may still be mad at me but just know that I never wanted this to happen. I wanted to come in person but I just couldn't, not until you were awake at least. I will tell you everything when you're ready. I'm sorry and I love you. - Lana

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2051 Words

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