I feel someone next to me and Ollie’s holding two coffees and a bag.

“Brought you some food. Since you didn’t eat lunch.”

“Thanks.”

He hands me my macchiato and pulls out a sandwich.

“I uh...can I wait? I mean thank you, but...just pain makes me nauseous, so...”

He raises a sceptical eyebrow.

“Uh-huh.”

He sips his red-eye thoughtfully, watching me. I blush.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He smirks a little.

Okay?

“Whatcha doing?”

“Reading fan fiction,” I mutter.

He rolls his eyes.

“Don’t you have a shitload of work to do?”

“Yup.”

He sighs.

“Lemme guess-hella angst?”

“What else?”

I grin.

“You know it’s triggering. Why read it?”

“Why not? Makes me feel less alone, I guess.”

“Yeah, but are you sure you wanna get stuck in that mindset.”

“I won’t.”

Leave me alone

“You sure about that? Because-“

“Ollie please drop it.”

He raises a hand in surrender.

“Alright, fine.”

I can feel his eyes on me, but mine stay glued to my screen.

Four chapters in and god knows how many minutes later, we get called up. Ollie and I shoulder our backpacks and follow the nurse down the hall to a room with a table thingy and the x-ray machine overhead.

They all put on the heavy lead protective gear and it’s over in a few minutes. We go back to waiting, I go back to reading. Time ticks by and I get more anxious by the minute. It’s nearly six o’clock.

I’m so screwed.

We’re led into the exam room again, the one from before. Dr. Sloan meets us with the x-ray results and puts them up on a lightboard.

“Your hand is broken in three places, your joints have been all but crushed in three fingers, two of which are broken. There’s a fracture in your ulna.”

Ollie winces.

“Fantastic. You can fix it?”

She pauses.

“Did this happen at home?”

I try not to act suspicious. I always look like I’m lying when I tell the truth.

“No. I told you; I fell.”

“You don’t crush your hand falling, sweetie.”

Sweetie...huh

“Yeah, my friend stepped on it.”

I feign guilt, looking down as if this was the truth.

“She didn’t want to get in trouble though. We got in an argument and I got down to pick up my phone, but she stamped her foot-didn’t see my hand.”

I show her my already cracked screen, like it’s proof.

The doctor totally doesn’t buy it. But she’s got tons more patients to deal with.

“If you say so. Let’s get you bandaged up.”

A cast and splints are carefully applied to my hand and wrist by a nurse, and we’re out of there surprisingly quickly. Sloan bids us goodbye, and we’re out the door.

Ollie and I are walking down the street, towards our apartments. The sun has already set, and it’s almost seven.

What am I gonna do? Dad’s gonna kill me...

“My dad’s gonna kill me,” I blurt.

The fuck are you thinking?

He nods, like he was expecting this.

“Wanna crash at my place?”

I snort.

“Would your parents be okay with that?”

“Mom’s out of town and my Dad’s gonna be at the office all night.”

This could work.

I really don’t want to go home...

“Y’know, I just might take you up on that. You’ve done so much for me already, though..”

“Don’t mention it. You’d do the same.”

I grin, ‘cos yeah, I would.

“Can I stop at my place on the way there? Just gotta grab some stuff.”

“Thought the whole point of this was to avoid going home?”

“Fire escape.”

“Ah.”