Blast From The Past

4. ONLY TEARS

Laying on the bed with a face stained with tears, Ella was waiting for the beep she was hearing from her phone to be replaced by the sound of the only one who could understand her and make her feel better.

“Hello,” like a charm Ella’s mood instantly improved as soon as she heard his husky voice. “Ella?” his laced British accent voice resulted in her to start sobbing once again. “what’s wrong?” he asked alarmed. “Talk to me, darling.”

“I-I got into a fight with Blake.”

“Your brother?”

“yeah…” She sniffed. “H-he said some harsh words a-and…”

“Hey, hey calm down, darling.” He immediately tried to soothe her as she started sobbing again. “I am sure that none of what he said is right, he is just being a jerk.”

“The problem is that,… I think he is right. I-I think that I really have been a bad person lately.”

“No, you are not.” He instantly denied. For the short time Ella knew him, he was one to judge and make up conclusions in an instant without hearing any explanations or other people’s sides of the story. Unlike Ben who always put other’s people’s point of view into consideration and liked to take his time until he judges others. “Was that because of his new girlfriend again?”

“Yeah,” Ella nodded even though he can’t see her. “She is always the problem. I don’t like that she just squeezed her way into our group like that. My friends and my family, they all f*****g adore, Ms. Innocent-and-cute-little-Maya. She is so fake but no one can see it except for me.”

“I know, darling. She seems fake to me too even though I never saw any of them. And they are all just blinded by the new doll.”

“And you know what infuriates me the most?” She wasn’t waiting for his answer. She was frustrated and needed to let all that fuse out. “That Blake always, and I mean always takes her side. He can’t even give me a chance to explain and show to him how fake she is. Also, he f*****g can’t forgive me since what happened. He doesn’t seem to be trusting me anytime soon.” Ella huffs, upset at the last part. “He thinks that I am unstable at the moment.  I bet they all do.”

“Well, if they do then they are all assholes and don’t deserve a beauty like you.” His words didn’t make her completely feel at ease, yes they subsided the anger in her a little and she felt like someone was taking her side but still it hurts. It hurts that they accepted her that easily with open arms in their lives. She seems to be getting the acceptance and the joy from all of them even her own mother. And she doesn’t like to see her the center of their attention. Ella used to be their sun with her attractive smile that shines their lives and her energetic soul. But now? It was Maya, Maya and only f*****g Maya.

“And don’t get me started on my mother, ugh!” Ella groans. “She literally accepted Maya as her daughter-in-law when they haven’t even been dating for that long that whenever she calls me -before I started ignoring her calls- she keeps talking about Maya did that and Maya helped in that, Maya took me to my chemotherapy and f*****g angelic Maya! Then Blake comes and asks me why ain’t I calling our poor sick mama? I think that she even that sick when she has her pure angelic Maya around her. It was one of fate’s damn mistakes when mom and Blake met her at the hospital where she trains as a nurse.”

“Wow, darling.” He lets out a dramatic sigh. “The people you associate with are all a bunch of jackasses.”

“You don’t even have to tell me.” She rolls her eyes.

“Just don’t give a s**t about them. They don’t deserve you anyway.” Then he pauses. “why are you even there?”

“Because Jason’s and Mia’s family died in a tragic accident.”

“So?”

“I have to be here for them.”

“Why? don’t they only make you feel bad?” Maybe. She thought.

“I just have to be here for them. They helped me before when I was desperate…” she couldn’t deny their help two years ago when she almost lost her only family as well. “Also, Mia is my halfsister and they were the people who practically raised her when her mom died; so she needs me.”

“Hmm…” she knew that he didn’t like what she just said. But she felt obliged to be here. She couldn’t just stay in London when they were going through that mess. “They still have others. They won’t even notice your absence.”  Would they? Yes, they probably wouldn’t. As long as they had their precious Maya around them, why would they notice?

“You are right, as usual.” She huffs. For her ears, he was always right, his words were nothing but the brutal truth. “But I can’t just go now. I will come back with Jass on the time for the contest.”

“I miss you, darling.” Those simple words melted her heart. Forgetting all about her brother and the drama happened between them.

“I miss you too, Noah.” Just as she said those words, Jasmine’s ginger head popped out from the door. “I gotta go, call you later!”

“Yeah, bye, darling.” Then she quickly hung up, stuffing the phone between her crossed legs, as Jasmine entered closing the door behind her.

“Was that Noah?” Jasmine asked carefully.

“Yes,” Ella whispered embracing what’s coming next.

“Ella,” Jasmine sighs softly as she took place on the bed across from her. “I told you not to get close to that guy. I don’t trust him. Something about him doesn’t feel right.”

“And I told you, Jass, to not f*****g interfere. You don’t get to judge him when you have a fake b***h brainwashing y’all.” Ella hisses at her.

“Maya is not like that. You just have to get to know her.” Jasmine tried for Blake’s sake.

“No, thanks.” Ella crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

“Ella,…”

“Just shut it. I don’t want to talk about it, Jass.”

“You know? Since you started talking to Noah,…” She didn’t know whether she was supposed to tell her or not. But as her best friends, it was her duty to talk to her honestly. “You have been acting strange and dodging us.” Jasmine didn’t trust that guy. She feels as he isn’t good for Ella. He affects her life negatively, she even found her drinking liquor more than usual and literally all the time. She doesn’t leave the house without her tiny bottle of liquor. She knew that’s Noah’s effect on her and she was afraid that he might lead her to something worse. Jasmine didn’t tell anyone about Noah nor about the changes in Ella’s behavior, no one except Adrian who promised to keep it to himself. She knew that she shouldn’t hide something like that from them, especially from Blake and his mother who both are worried sick about her and started to catch on the signs. But she had to at least try with her friend before the situation gets out of hand.

“Whatever, Jass. Just get out if you have nothing else to say.” Ella looks away from her. already annoyed by her presence and her acting all cute and nice. She is getting tired of her, anyway.

“Okay.” Jasmine moves to stand up. “Just know I am here if you need to talk about anything.” Yeah, as if she would understand and take my side. Ella scoffs to herself.

After realizing that there would be no response from Ella, Jasmine sighs then makes her way out of the room.

Leaving Ella all alone with her twisted thoughts. Wishing to just get back to London already, to Noah who knows how to make her ignores and forgets everything.

^^^

“W-what?” Jason stuttered as he was in a position that he never thought he would be in. what do people do in situations like these, anyway? He doubts that there would be anyone prepared for this kind of situation.

“Oh my god! Oh my god! He doesn’t remember us!” Ben started panicking, gripping his hair as he managed to take slow deep breaths.

“B-but the doctor didn’t say anything about memory loss…” Mia mumbled as her tears were threatening to fall. The guilt that keeps consuming her that he is here in this situation is because of her.

“I will go and get that old man,” Adrian said determinedly, not liking the confused look that Rick is shooting them.

“Oh my god! Rick lost his memory.” Ben slid down on the floor, still gripping his hair. It seemed like he was hibernating.

Adrian’s hand stopped on the door handle when they all heard the deep and loud laugh. Ben stopped gripping his hair, lifting his head up slowly to find Rick laughing his a*s off on the bed with tears spilling out of his eyes due to the amused state he was in. Mia stood there with her mouth hung open and Jason blinking repeatedly not knowing what’s happening.

The room was utterly silent with only Rick’s loud laugh echoing through the four walls. The other four stood like the statue watching the scene, not even daring to let out a breath.

“Is that normal?” finally Adrian asked. He was the clever one among the group who is studying computer science, yet he wasn’t able to comprehend what he was just witnessing.

“I-I don’t know…” Mia replied, her eyes stuck to laughing Rick who kept laughing louder by each second if that was even possible. “Maybe he hit his head pretty hard when he woke up.”

“You guys… Y-yo—“ Rick managed to say between laughs. And they all froze once more.

“He is talking… to us.” Jason said breathless, a tear rolling down his cheek. He didn’t know how much he missed this dumbass’ voice until now.

“Your faces.., it w-was priceless.” Rick calmed a bit from his fit of laughter as he wiped away the tears. “oh god! I missed messing with you all.” Then he was truly crying.

“R-Rick…” Mia gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand with tears spilling out of her eyes. Happy tears. “Oh my… Rick y-you…” she wasn’t able to voice her thoughts. She was beyond happy and astonished by all of this. Rick was awake, he remembers them and he is pulling up his silly pranks on them as before.

“I missed you guys.” Rick’s tears were rolling down his cheek as he felt the longing in his heart by just looking at his grown-up friends who all had something changed in their appearance. All he was accustomed to was the darkness luring around him for the past two years. That’s all he could see. He couldn’t believe when the doctor told him that he lost two years of his life, laying motionless on that bed. He missed two whole years without his friends, his only family. “I freaking missed you so damn much.”

“You bastard!” Ben said hoarsely as he jumped on his legs, running to Rick’s bedside. Engulfing him in a very tight and bone-crushing hug. “f*****g bastard!”  He squeezed his friend in his arm as they were crying.

“Indeed a bastard,” Jason mumbled as he too joined the hug, wiping his tears in the process.

“A fat-a*s bastard.” Adrian wasted no time as he as well joined the group hug, resulting in Rick to laugh through his tears.

“My a*s isn’t fat anymore, it’s boney and meatless,” Rick mumbled as he was crushed between these bulgy arms of his friends.

“god! How much I missed your witty and inappropriate remarks.” Mia chuckled as she wiped her tears away, just so that new ones replace them. She went and squeezed herself between them to join the warm and celebratory embrace.

“And here I thought you will stay glued there watching four hot guys hug,” Rick teased. “I know that would be a huge turn-on for you. It’s like live porn.”

The boys and Mia chuckled at that. “We missed you, bastard!” Mia kissed his cheek then they all cut the hug as it was bad for Rick to stay that long in a tight embrace.

“Watch it, Jason. Your girl might be falling for me now with that bushy beard and long hair of mine.” Rick flipped his hair as Jason grimaced with the smile never leaving his face. “Wait! You are still together right?” Mia and Jason exchanged a devoting look then Jason grabbed her hand dragging her towards his chest. He kissed her briefly on the lips as her tasty lips held a content smile. However, that wasn’t enough for her so she grabbed his face between her hands and smashed her lips on his. They kept invading each other’s mouths in front of their friends who stood there uncomfortable by the scene. “Okay, okay, we got it!” Rick waved his hands in the air disturbed by the scene. “you guys are in love. We all can see it, you horny dogs.” They broke the kiss as they managed to take in their breaths. “Now, fill me in on all that I missed two years ago!” Rick was in a hurry. He was up and wanted to resume his life normally. He wanted to be an adult living in the adult's world with his friends. And, that’s exactly what they did. His friends kept filling him in, they filled him in every single aspect that happened for the past two years. Each tragic situation, each breakup, each celebration, everything! They told him everything and he was affected the same as he would be affected if he was there with them and living the moment. He couldn’t believe he missed all of that. He was upset, yet he promised himself that he would make up for the lost time.

Mia, on the other hand, felt a sting of guilt. She was feeling guilty for hiding what happened to Jason’s family. The four exchanged a silent agreement that it isn’t time to break this kind of news to him as it was for the better. They will tell him but not now. Now, all he should be focusing on is getting better and nothing else.

^^^

“Adrian just called,” Jasmine announced as they were all gathered in the living room, watching a movie. Even Ella managed to swallow her pride and joined them.

“And? What’s that hospital visit is about?” Damon questioned.

“Rick,…” That was all needed for Jasmine to utter so that they could grasp it. “He woke up!” her happy tears stained her freckled cheeks as the room erupted in booming laughter and claps. Happiness filled the room. Finally, something to light up their lives for the meantime.

Maya didn’t personally know who Rick is but she heard a lot about him and she was glad that their friend is finally up from his coma. No one deserved to be stuck to a hospital bed for two years, wasting his youth life laying there motionless.

“Let’s face time them!” Jane suggested and they all agreed.

Jasmine complied and dialed Adrian who got the hint and handed Rick the mobile phone.

“Rick!” They yelled in unison and Rick laughed at his friend’s enthusiasm. He truly and utterly missed them.

 Here goes the waterworks. Rick mumbled to himself as tears started brimming his eyes.