Becoming the Luna

"I-I pr-promise." I stutter, the gravity of what I did finally hits me hard but I get the tears under control, with how much I've cried today, there was no telling if I wouldn't pass out from another sobbing fit.

The more I rely on Virgil for comfort, the more time I'll need to heal my sore and bruised heart, I know this but I'm too weak, I'm not strong enough.

"Ready boys?" My mom struts in with a shit-eating grin on her face, a very obvious proof that shows that she was actually eavesdropping.

"I'm driving!" Virgil tosses to her, his voice lighter and happier.

I smile at this, it is nice to be able to put smiles on the faces of the people you loved. I let out a small squeak when Virgil sweeps me off my feet and starts for the car, with how often he does it, I wonder how I still even get shocked.

"Alright, Virgil." My mom scolds, her ponytail tighter than the first time I saw her, I can't believe she had to interrupt her shopping just for me. "Hand over my child, you can't hog him and still want to drive at the same time."

Virgil actually looks torn but eventually lets me down, I scramble into the back seat so that my flushed skin can return to its original shade before it becomes permanent.

Virgil puts the car in gear after my mom settles in beside me and drives out the open gate, we didn't run the risk of anyone coming in because the picket fence wasn't much of a defense either, plus the grasses are synthetic, no wild animal would want to eat that.

"I'm sorry I had to make you cut short your shopping just because I wandered off.'

"You don't have to be, I came because I care for you." My mom says with an open smile, searching my expression with her eyes, whatever she finds must satisfy her because she pulls me into a side hug.

"The one you have to watch out for is Shana, she's in panic mode." My mom whispers conspiratorially to me and my heart sinks - I'm dead.

Shana was going to murder me as if nearly dying all alone, hot and sweaty on the forest floor wasn't enough for a day. I gulp and relax into the hug, closing my eyes, might as well enjoy the peace and quiet now before Shana shatters it with her overactive worrying and bright pink hair.

"What time is it?" I ask after a while of just leaning against my mom and enjoying the soothing rumble of the car underneath me.

"Almost 4 pm." Virgil answers from the front, his voice tight.

I gasp at this - four pm? Already? - Woah! Shana is definitely going to kill me.

I had no idea it was already so late, I've been literally gone the whole day.

"We're here." Virgil informs us and I lean forward so fast that blood rushes to my head and makes me slightly dizzy but checking for Dale's Escalade is more important than getting a hemorrhage.

I peek nervously around and sigh in relief when I don't see the unique black vehicle.

"Ready to go in now?" My mom asks in amusement.

I don't even have the mental capacity left to feel embarrassed. "Yes." I swallow nervously, praying for some miracle to happen that the doctors don't find out that I coughed up blood and probably ripped my liver, more ammunition for Shana.

Well apparently miracles do happen because minutes later a doctor is standing in front of us, in a heated conversation with my mom that there's nothing wrong with me which naturally she refuses to believe.

They take the discussion out of the hospital room or more like the doctor is trying to walk away but my mom sticks to him, I share a glance with Virgil.

My mom comes back looking gloomy and I get up from the bed I'm sitting on to hug her. "Hey, mom, it's a good thing that nothing is wrong with me."

"I know, I know." She sniffles. "I'm just so confused."

"Let's go home, I'm hungry." I beam at her, knowing she liked me eating.

She nodded seriously and takes my hand. "Come on Virgil, we're going now." She shakes her head at this point. "Now more than ever I want to see Shana do her thing."

I suppress a shudder, her episode will be bearable if it hits at home but here in the hospital in the midst of lots of people, it would be a disaster.

We make our way out of the hospital, I'd gotten exactly what I wanted not that I cared about the dance anymore, I just wanted to be done with my exams so school would be all over sooner.

We get to the car and Virgil gets in the driver's seat, I guess he's driving again, while we settle in at the back.

"Who is calling Shana to tell them that we've left the hospital?" My mom asks nervously and Virgil and I look away.

"Oh." She says as realization dawns on her that were both leaving this to her. "I see." She adds ominously and Virgil and I are scrambling to make excuses.

"I'm driving so my hands are busy Renee."

"Shana is going to scream for the duration of the drive then she'll continue when she meets me, hanging up on her when she's mad is suicide." I explain reasonably.

My mom still gives us the stink eye but pulls her phone out of her purse to make the call. 

It barely rings. "Hello, Shana." My mom speaks into the phone before putting on speaker phone so that Virgil and I could listen in.

"Renee?" Shana's desperate and slightly cracked voice comes through and I feel sad, what was k thinking? "Is he okay?" She asks quickly.

"Yes, actually better than okay. The doctors say they couldn't find anything wrong with him." My mom says in a peevish voice.

Shana gasps. "He passed out while walking, how is something not wrong?" She exclaims, sounding murderous. I'm doubly glad now that she didn't meet us up at the hospital. "We're going to the city then!"

It takes everything I have to keep quiet and not protest about this.

"I've already made arrangements to take him to the city but he says he wants to be done with his exams first." My mom explains.

Shana makes a noise like she wants to spank me for saying those words but it's true, I really want to write the exams.

"Is he there?" She asks in a visibly calmer voice but I'm not falling for that.

Swiftly I make hand movements to tell my mom to say that I'm asleep, my mom hesitates for a moment too long and I'm almost crying.

"Yes, he's asleep, probably exhausted." She adds with a weird expression, selling her lie.

"Oh okay, you're still staying at the hospital right?"

"No, that's actually why I called, the doctor said there was absolutely nothing wrong, he was never even admitted." She adds, shaking her head. "So we're going home."

"You are?!" Shana exclaims, rustling sounds coming through. "We'll get there first so we'll wait for you all." She said in an excitement-filled voice and I die a little.

"The key is…" My mom starts to say but Shana has already stopped listening.

"Dale step on the gas, don't caress it!" We hear her scolding Dale.

"I'm already going fast Ana, any faster and I'll get a speeding ticket." Dale's annoyed voice replies.

"Don't call me that and stop driving like a girl…"

My mom quickly hangs up before Dale's curse-filled reply fills the car. "Well, that was… fun." My mom mutters and the car goes silent.

Not the kind of peaceful silence that you can sit in comfortably or the boring kind that can be fixed with music, but the tense and heavy kind.

I note that no one has asked yet why I sneaked away from school and went tromping around in the woods all alone and I'm hoping no one does.

I try to sink into the backrest of the leather seats, I want to die from mortification. If they found out the reason for my dramatic exit I would run away for real.

If they found out that I nearly mortally hurt myself just because I found out that Elise was Virgil's girlfriend...but why would he keep it a secret though?

I muse to myself, risking a glance at his face which held a shuttered expression and I wonder what could be going through his head.

I risk a glance out the window and my heart shrinks, we were already in 5th Avenue which means we're only a couple of streets away from the house. I throw a glance at Virgil, how the hell did he drive so fast, or maybe it's not that quick but my nervousness keeps lying to me.

I sigh forlornly and lean back on the seat again, it was going to be a really long night.