Three days passed before the doctor came to tell me that I could go home. If you ask me, hospitals were stupid. If you didn't believe the patient was well enough then why would you discharge them? And if you essentially did believe it then what was with the requirement to have someone with you when you were discharged? Like I said, hospitals were stupid.

Dr Xavier, my doctor, was a nice person no matter how timid he was. The weird part was, looking at his above average build and his general aura when interacting with the nurses, I didn't feel like he was that timid in general. But for someone reason everytime he talked to me, he was especially nervous if his random stutters were anything to go hy. And if I didn't know that he was the one who performed my brain surgery successfully, I wouldn't let him and his clumsy hands anywhere near my brain. It was weird.

"So like I said", the man fumbled as his pen fell from his hand but he didn't dare get down to pick it up, "Take care not to disturb the wound and have the prescribed pills two times each day and you should be good to go."

And then he hightailed out of my room before I even got the chance to thank him for not giving me a hideous haircut for the surgery.

Weird.

Sandy had said she would be here with everyone at one sharp despite my repeated insistence that no one else needed to know. She however effectively shut me up by explaining in detail how freaked out they were over my sudden and unexplained absence and how they briefly considered going to the police since they didn't know how to contact my family. Won't lie, that brought tears to my unusually emotional self but I provided her with no further arguments.

It was two hours later that I found myself violently waking up as my door slammed open and crashed into the wall.

"What the hell Theo?"
"Fucking dumbass"
"This is a hospital bitch."
"I told you we shouldn't have brought him."
"And I thought having Alex as a sibling was bad."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean!"

Even through my violently beating heartbeat at the abrupt wake up call, I couldn't keep a small smile off my face. They were actually here.

Lexi was the first one to pull me into a hug and I melted into her embrace just as soon. Oh how I missed them. Soon I could feel various arms around me and even though normally this would make me want to suffocate, all I could feel was acceptance and I was glad I had run out of more tears to shed.

"You scared us", came a soft voice beside my ear and to my utter surprise it was the boy who till date I thought could only speak when he was about to flirt. For some reason, Alex saying those words made me feel even more guilty. This was a new feeling, I never had anyone who cared about me to the extent they do that it would make me feel guilty of all things.

"I'm sorry", was my weak response.

Michael was the next one to speak which was another surprise because over time I had realized that he was a selective mute and chose his words very carefully but today, "We are your friends Rebekah and we love you. The least you could've done was let us know through your family or whatever, what was going on with you. You seriously insisted we didn't need to come along? Do you realize how freaked out we were?"

His voice made my heart break.

"I'm sorry", why was my voice growing weaker? Hadn't I already cried enough?

"Rebekah", that was the first time Theo called me by my full name and the onslaught of tears brewing at the back of my eyes grew overwhelming, "I- I", he let out a mocking laugh which was so unlike him, "Everyone was freaking out over your absence and I couldn't even remember your bus stop because I'm asleep every time you come aboard. I couldn't even-"

"I'm so so sorry-"

"Do you even consider us friends?", came an angry voice from the person I thought I was closest to. Sandy glared at me while hugging a weeping Lexi. I'm the fucking worst friend ever. "It took us your absence to realize we don't know anything about you. What the hell Rebekah?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't. These people loved me. They cared for me. And I was the shitty friend who couldn't even bother telling them basic details about herself. I don't even know why- maybe it was because I never had friends before? I honestly couldn't predict boundaries and how far you could go. But these people-

"I really am sorry", I cleared my throat and sucked in the oncoming tears. I had cried enough. No more. "I- uh", how do I say it without making them suspicious? Hell I'm already suspicious enough, "I've never had a friendship like you guys have. I didn't know how to-"

I couldn't even complete a sentence. Stupid stupid stupid.

"It's okay", once again it was Lexi's embrace which comforted me while I tried to speak through.

"I didn't know", my voice was partly muffled by her shoulder but it was clear enough if everyone's faces were anything to go by. "I know it's not an excuse but I really didn't think I would- that you guys would- I-"

"We care about you Bekah", once again surprising me Michael spoke up with a small smile this time, "We care about you and we would have appreciated a please don't have a heart attack I'll be out of commission for a few days card."

Just because he didn't speak much doesn't mean Michael is not henceforth my favourite stand up comedian ever. Snickers could be heard all about the room and I realized absently that his small joke had brought down the tension in the room.

"I swear to God Bekah, I will learn how to fire a gun just so I can shoot you in your knees and bind you to one place", Theo aggressively stated and a small smile made it's way onto my face as I thought about little, pacifist Theo firing a gun of all things.

"I'll teach you", Sandy told Theo with a straight face and narrowed eyes. In turn my eyes widened. No way.

I nervously laughed, "Oh come on no-"

"I will", Sandy glared harder. What the hell?

"Sandyyyyy-", now her name was a whine. I had no doubts Sandy knew how to fire a gun and would teach poor innocent Theo to do so if she wanted to.

"No", her tone was of that of finality, "You have given me way too many heart attacks. I'm too young to die like this."

"But- but"

"Oh stop it you two", Lexi the absolute angel that she is intervened, "Sandy you will not do any such thing. Bekah's still in her hospital bed and you can teach Theo after she's completely recovered. Rebekah- stop whining."

Traitor.

But I could finally feel the tension in the room lessening. I knew I would have to explain myself sooner than later but they did not push me further and I wa severally grateful. As we laughed at random jokes and Theo's impression of a crying Dora, my mind felt at peace for the first time in days and I was thankful to the day mom decided to shift us to New York.

Maybe things would be better after all.

"Hey Bekah", Alex mischievously smiled at me and we all stared at him confused. "Since we're in a hospital and all. I kinda need medical attention quite bad."

"Huh?", was the only sound that escaped me. Huh?

"I hurt myself pretty bad falling for you."