Chapter Four - What's wrong with her?
Milo P.O.V -
I sat on one of the stools in the kitchen as Lucas placed a can of cider on the table in front of me.
"Are you alright?" He smiled sitting beside me.
"Uh." I frowned. "I don't know."
He bit his lip before sipping from his own drink. "This thing between us is over isn't it." He swallowed.
"Yeah." I nodded with a sigh. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright. We weren't a real relationship." He shrugged looking down. "Are personalities don't go together well either."
I laughed slightly glancing at him. "The sex though."
"Jesus christ." He groaned. "I'm going to miss it."
There was a few moments of silence as we tried to figure out what to say next.
"Lincoln." He suddenly spoke. "You're interested in him?"
I nodded slowly. "I think so, we haven't know each other for too long though."
"He's attractive." Lucas pointed out. "Like it's actually ridiculous how hot he is."
"Right!" I exclaimed with a smile.
"Well." He stood up. "I'm pretty horny so I'm gonna find a guy."
"Have fun." I said as he walked out of the room.
I sat alone for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do now. So what if I have a crush on Lincoln? That doesn't mean he even remotely feels the same way, I mean why would he?
"Hey." I looked to see Lucy walking in.
She placed a bottle on the counter beginning to pour herself a drink. "How's the party so far?"
"Pretty bad." I mumbled.
She looked at me confused. "This party look's good though?"
"Lucas and I just called things off." I told her.
She pouted slightly. "Oh, you two were pretty cute together."
"I'm not bothered anyway." I confessed. "Isn't that too much?" I looked at where almost half the cup was full of vodka.
She shushed me. "Why don't you care? Unless you like someone else?"
I rolled my eyes. "Let's just go see where Oliver is." I stood up.
She trailed after me. "Who is it?"
"It doesn't matter." I laughed slightly. "Look there's Oliver."
We walked over to where he was glaring at Wyatt.
"Hi." Lucy grinned at the sight of her boyfriend. She kissed his cheek before greeting Wyatt with a small smile.
He returned the expression although it seemed slightly forced. I looked towards Wyatt. "Where's Lincoln and that girl you two were with?"
"Oh their outside I think." Lucy answered. "I spoke to them on the way in."
"Was Lincoln okay?" Wyatt asked her confusing me.
"Oh uh." She glanced at me cautiously. "He seemed fine."
Wyatt nodded slowly looking to where Oliver had his arm around Lucy with a grimace.
I raised a brow at him, his eyes widened when he noticed me looking at him. I smirked slightly in realization, he looks jealous.
"Well." Wyatt coughed awkwardly. "I'm going to go find Lincoln and Cora."
He wandered off into the crowd of teenagers. Lucy and Oliver found a seat on a sofa, Lucy moved so she was sitting on his lap.
I rolled my eyes knowing it was time for me to walk away. I pushed through the crowds trying not to spill my drink.
A hand grabbed my shoulder turning me towards whoever it was. I looked at him confused. "Who are you?"
He ignored me. "Milo, you've seemed to have made a big impression on my friends."
"You're friends?" I asked sipping my drink.
He nodded slightly, his eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down. "I'm here to see why, I'm not very impressed with what I've seen so far."
"Oh?" I placed my now empty drink down before crossing my arms. "So you've come here to be a judgmental dick?"
"Pretty much." He clenched his jaw. "Need to make sure my friends are meeting good people."
"By the looks of it, it's you they shouldn't be friends with." I glared.
"Listen!" He snapped. "Lincoln seems to like you for some reason. I don't want you involving him in some high school jock crap and hurting him."
"High school jock crap?" I repeated slightly amused. "Hey if you don't like teenage drama then why don't you stop hanging out with people younger than you. What, is there no one your own age who will put up with your shit attitude?"
He growled grabbing my collar. "They like my personality."
I scoffed. "They're probably just too nice to tell you to fuck off."
"My mate loves me, I have no doubts about that!" He raised his voice his other hand clenching into a fist.
My face fell slightly. It was fun aggravating him but this guy looked a lot stronger than me and a punch from him would hurt like hell. Well I've committed to it now, I might as well face the consequences.
Mate? What did he mean by that? I mean, I know it's a term for a friend but the way he said it held a lot more meaning behind it.
"I'm sure you're mate loves you." I told him. "Probably because you begged and whined like the bitch you are until they had no choice but to go out with you."
And there it was, his fist smashed into the left side of my jaw. Some blood spilled from my lip.
"You said Lincoln wanted me to be his friend?" I licked my lips. "Won't this piss him off then?"
"I make a habit of pissing him off." He lifted his fist to punch me again went someone grabbed it.
"I don't think so." Nate narrowed his eyes at him.
"Three against one." Oliver spoke from my right, a grin spread across my face.
"I could easily beat all of you." He spoke through gritted teeth.
"Buy you won't touch them." Lincoln appeared seemingly from no where gripping the guys forearm in warning. "Will you?" His voice daring.
He growled once again releasing my collar. I grit my teeth turning away from him before glancing at Nate.
"Thanks." I mumbled to him.
I walked off hearing Oliver following after me. I entered the back garden taking a seat on the grass, I placed my head on my knees.
"You alright?" Oliver sat beside me.
"I'm fine." I grumbled.
"Why were you two even arguing?" Oliver's voice was filled with curiosity.
I shrugged. "I don't know, he said something about protecting his friends from me."
"His friends?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah, Lincoln and Wyatt." I explained.
"Oh." Oli nodded. "There's something about them I don't trust."
I laughed slightly. "You just think one of them will take Lucy from you."
"Well yeah, have you seen them?" Oliver frowned.
An image of Lincoln popped in my head. "Yeah I have." I smiled slightly.
Oliver rolled his eyes opening his mouth to speak when Lincoln ran out of the house with a panicked expression.
"Milo, Oliver. It's Lucy." He called across the garden.
I jumped up racing into the house before Oliver could even process what had been said. Lincoln showed me to a bedroom where Lucy was lying on the bed.
"What's wrong with her?" I sat on the edge of the bed beside Wyatt who was watching her with concern.
She was staring at the ceiling with vacant eyes, her body not moving.
"We were talking and then she just collapsed." Wyatt was breathing quickly in panic.
She laid in the hospital bed not moving, her eyes were only closed because the nurse had to do it himself.
"I'm so sorry, we couldn't save her." The doctor told us while I watched the nurse putting away the heart monitor.
I gulped as my eyes welled up. "We have to take her to the hospital." I choked out.
Wyatt nodded in agreement beginning to lift her up.
"Stop touching my girlfriend." Oliver exclaimed as he finally entered the room.
"Shut the fuck up Oliver." I snapped at him. "We have to take her to the hospital."
Once he noticed my serious expression he nodded moving to help Wyatt.
"It's fine I've got her." He told Oliver who sighed stepping away.
***
"So when you get here she's in room 117." I said my goodbyes before hanging up the phone.
"Who was that?" Lincoln asked sitting down at the table placing two cups down.
"Lucy's mum, she's on her way here." I mumbled holding my head up with my left hand.
He nodded pushing one of the cups towards me. "That one's yours."
"I'm not a fan of coffee." I told him.
He smiled lightly. "It's hot chocolate."
I picked it up taking a small sip. "Thanks."
"No problem." He drank from his own cup. "How's your face?"
I was confused for a moment before I remembered getting punched. I reached up touching my cut lip. "Oh, it's fine."
There were a few minutes of silence both of us deep in thought.
"She'll be alright." Lincoln reassured me.
I just nodded. "I'm going to call my mum and tell her where I am."
I stood up pulling my phone out of my pocket. Lincoln frowned. "Yeah, I should probably do the same."
I walked away while scrolling for my mothers contact. She picked up the phone instantly.
"Milo! Where have you been? You know the rules you do not come home late from-" She began to ramble, scolding me for staying out after curfew.
"Mamma." I cut her off. "We had to take Lucy to the hospital."
She immediately stopped a small gasp escaping her lips. "What happened? Is she alright?"
"Uh, she was talking to our friend when she just collapsed." I explained briefly.
"Are her parents there?" She asked, I heard her moving around.
"Not yet, I just called her mum." I wiped my eyes before a tear could escape.
I heard her sigh. "I'll be there to pick you up soon."
"Thanks mum." I hung up the phone.
I returned to the table where Lincoln was sat. "My mum's going to take me home."
"Oh, okay." He nodded. "It is getting pretty late."
We sat in a comfortable silence until my mum phoned to tell me she's here. I messaged Oliver to tell him I was leaving and to keep me updated on Lucy before walking out of the hospital. I climbed into the back of the car slumping into the seat.
"Are you okay bambino?" My mum asked from the passenger seat still wearing her pyjamas.
I shrugged glancing out of the window. A frown pulled at my face as I thought about Lucy.
"Maybe he doesn't want to talk about it." Mark whispered as he started the car.
She shook her head at him turning to face me. "Do you know what happened yet?"
"No, Oliver said he'll text me." I mumbled not wanting to have a heart to heart while Mark was listening.
There's nothing particularly wrong with Mark, I just don't know him well enough yet. I glanced over to where he sat, my mum followed my gaze realization spreading over her face.
'We'll talk later.' She mouthed.
***
Mark dropped us off deciding tonight wouldn't be the best night to stay over.
"Mamma." I spoke shakily as soon as she closed the door.
"Dolcezza what's wrong?" She cooed as if I was a child.
"I thought that Lucy was going to end up like Ana." I felt my eyes water.
"Lucy's going to be fine." She rubbed my back soothingly.
"You should've seen her, she looked like Ana did in those photos." A single tear escaped my eye.
"What happened to your sister was-" She stopped for a moment thinking. "I can't even put it into words."
I nodded in understanding before waiting for her to continue.
"What happened is not something you are going to have to go through again." She told me. "I know how cautious you are because of Ana, it's why I trust you to go out to parties with your friends."
"So Lucy's going to be okay?" I asked a slightly hopeful expression on my face.
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Lucy is going to be messing around and being an idiot with you before you know it."
"Thanks mum." I told her.
"Now get to bed."