Just Another High School Story!

-2 weeks later-

Ethan woke up in his hospital bed, his eyes taking much more time to adjust than they should, he felt like his whole body was broken, and like someone had just stitched him up so that he could be a whole person, he felt like his limbs would fall apart if he moved.

He couldn't remember what happened immediately, but then, in the empty hospital room that had been industriously quiet, a cry of pain was heard. All the events that had occurred two weeks ago, rushed to him, Leah was dead, she had fallen off the cliff, it had happened right in front of his eyes, and he hadn't been able to protect her, to do anything, after having promised her protection and love forever. Was that all a nightmare, something that he could forget?? NO. The look in Leah's eyes when she had fallen, even though it was dark, her eyes were shining, she had barely said, "I love you" before disappearing from his sight, he had wanted to fall down after her, but he couldn't. The pressure that had caused him to pass out, was now more comprehensible. He was aware of what he needed to do. He took off his IV, and ran off quickly before the hospital staff could notice a patient was missing, he ran straight up to the rooftop, if he hadn't appeared in her life, starting from the beginning, she wouldn't have been ruined, if he hadn't reappeared in her life, she'd be alive, the fact that Leah was dead, it was all because of him.

He did not want to live a moment more, not without her, he closed his eyes, and as he stood on the edge of the rooftop, he looked down, and remembered that this hospital was the same one Leah had tried to kill herself in, it was the same hospital where they had met each other and he'd confessed his love. If, back then, he had even the slightest idea as to what the future held, he'd have let her do it... dying the way she did, left him in pain, it was unfair, he understood now why she had given up hope, he closed his eyes, and prepared to jump but before he could, he heard a voice... the voice that he really wanted to hear, it was Leah's voice, at first he thought, maybe, he was already dead, maybe he was seeing her ghost but then he opened his eyes, and saw her, in a wheelchair, with an IV, all taped up... alive, tears ran down his cheek and he would never feel what he felt in that moment ever again. He felt like his dead soul had been brought back to the realm of the living, because she was alive. "You can't die before me. You promised to be by my side forever." Leah stated, as tears started falling down her cheeks too, tears that told the story of a struggle that had tired her soul out, she didn't want to fight anymore, she wanted to relax a little, let Ethan hold her, like he had said he would, she was in a lot of pain, but her countenance naturally made her bear it well, with no signs of pain on her face, Ethan could easily tell that she was hiding her pain for him, he went closer to her, slowly stepping off the ledge, and as he closed the distance, Leah watched him, she had felt so afraid, she had woken up moments ago, she was out here to get some fresh air, but her heart felt like it would explode, she was worried that E might die because of her, the doctor had told her that E had suffered such a shock, had been traumatised by what he'd witness to the extent of falling into a coma, and when she had seen him, as she had demanded to do so immediately, right after she'd regained senses, she saw him lying on his bed, lifeless, soulless, her capacity to take pain, and deal with it had been far exceeded.

She couldn't even think properly anymore, her lover was on a hospital bed, because of her, a girl was currently facing investigation, and being called, 'a crazy bitch' because of her, she was broken from top to toe because of Mindy, she had never wanted to do so much in ten lifetimes, but it had all happened in one night, she didn't know what she'd do if something happened to Ethan. She didn't even properly tell him that she loved him, she didn't get to apologise, it was like there was a deep pit in her stomach, someone was digging further, her hollow heart felt dead, it was like a heart that had stopped beating, therefore, uncertain of the situation, conditions, consequences, she came up here, she recalled the time when she'd wanted to die, and how Ethan had saved her, had she even thanked him enough, would she not get a chance to say goodbye, or how much she loved him, how much she wanted him, how much she owed him... nothing?? That was when someone walked up, Leah hadn't been able to see him properly, since she couldn't turn her head or neck, fixed in place by her plasters, and wheel chair, she turned around slowly, but she knew it was him... the love of her life, she heard his silents sobs, and so she turned around complexity, really fast, he was in pain, and that was when she'd spoken, and now he was near her.

She touched his cheek to make sure he was real, even if it was just a hallucination, she wished it could continue forever, she did not mind being in a wheelchair forever, what truly terrified her was that her love would not be able to talk to her, to see her, she wouldn't be able to be her best self towards him, give him the love he so deserved. When Ethan reached her, she broke down, and the utter despair that she'd tried to hold in, tried really hard, all her walls broke down, she started crying like a child, like a child who had lost everything they owned, she cried her heart out, something she had not dared to do, even when she had felt like giving up, and giving in to bulimia, she said, "I was so scared. I thought I lost you..." and then she cried again, and her tears, like pearls slid onto Ethan's cheek, his gown, as he was holding her in his arms, and Ethan's tears fell onto her cheek, he said the same thing, "I thought I would not see you ever again. I thought that after all that we had been through, our story came to an end without ever having begun properly, without having its happy ending. I felt like I... like I died in that moment. Leah, don't ever leave me again... please..." and he cried too, not like he had before, when she had been on the rooftop, trying to do what he wanted to, trying to make sense of it all, no, not at all, he cried like he was really being reborn. Some years ago, Leah had pondered the question as to what is love? She wanted to know the answer, she had searched everywhere, dramas, songs, lyrics, poetry, literature, Beethoven's melodies, the Moonlight Sonata, Chopin nocturne op.9 no.2, she had searched and searched relentlessly, but she did not find the answer, her heart told her that one day she would.

She would find out when she wasn't looking for it, and she really did, she had found the answer when Ethan's hot tears fell on her skin, when she weeped with joy and sorrow at the same time, when she felt the power of Bach and Beethoven at the same time, when her heart which felt empty was alive and beating again just because she saw him... 'what is love?', she asked herself again, "A beautiful star that falls into your hands of its own will, rather than plucking out stars for you, that someone makes stars fall on their own, rather than promising the moon, he promises miracles, he promises security, his words become music, like piano keys being pressed softly and with force, sometimes, that someone who embodies love for you, makes you feel all the hotness of fire, and the coolness of the snow, he makes things that you didn't know existed, visible, a heart that beats for you, and a melody that is just yours... that is love." She answered herself, and wiped her tears.

Without wasting her time, she immediately started kissing him, she kissed him like there was no tomorrow, she kissed like how she would have if that day had not gone so horribly wrong. She kissed him like he was going to disappear, their lips met, her full of haste, his full of happiness, his calm crushing her concern, the lovers were finally one again.