Chapter Five: The Pain of a Ruined Lover (So Close to Death)

The next day, I went to my car and Cherice was not there. I assume she had already left. As I got to school, I did not see her until lunch. When she saw me, she went the other way. Elijah and the others knew I was in pain. They came to my side and comforted me. Elijah told me, “Come to my house today. We’ll hang and play DnD.”

Garrett then looked at me, “Hey man. It’s ok.”

Jake and Kyle put their hands on my back. Michael looked at me, “Kit, I’m here for you bro.”

We then got up and went to the end of the lunchroom. Our friend, though not always with the group, Nathan was at the end. He was the school tough guy and protected us if need be. Nathan noticed I was upset.

“Hey, whats wrong with Kit?”

Elijah looked at him, “His heart is broken.”

“I assume, Cherice.”

I looked at Nathan, “Yea.”

“I saw some guy trying to flirt with her. Want me to kick his a*s?”

“If you want to.”

“Sweeeet! He’s had it coming.”

It wasn’t long that we heard Nathan’s name on the intercom. He had beat up some guy named Brock.

After a long day of school, we all went to Elijah’s house. Everyone was playing DnD, except me. I went outside to think. I tried calling Cherice’s house but got no answer. All of this pain of her being mad at me got to me. Elijah and Garrett came outside to check on me. They saw me crying, for the first time in their life. They were very startled by this. Elijah looked at Garrett.

“Garrett, I can’t stand seeing him like this.

“Neither can I.”

Garrett came to me, “Kit, don’t do this man.

“I love her...”

Elijah sighed.”We know man.”

After crying and holding my own head, I felt a chest pain. The pain became sharp and my left arm went numb. Before I knew it, I had passed out on Elijah’s front porch. When I awoke, I was in a hospital bed surrounded by a doctor, my family and closest friends, however, Cherice was not there.

The doctor looked at me and said, “Son, you are lucky to live. You have fairly severe aortic insufficiency and you passed out. Laying around without help is dangerous. Have you been under any stress?”

Elijah looked at the doctor, “He’s in love.”

The doctor looked at me, “Well son, you will have to be on meds but you can go home tomorrow.”

The next day, Elijah, Garrett, Jake, Kyle, Michael, Mom, Dad and Alexis came and put me in the van and took me home. Elijah and the gang told me to rest. Mom and Dad made sure I stayed calm and Alexis came in to talk to me.

“I’m sorry, big bro. I wished you weren’t so stressed.”

“It’s ok.”

“None of us knew you had a heart condition.”

Mom and Dad came in and looked after me. “Son, have you ever felt chest pains before.

“Yea.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Never thought much on it.”

I then fell asleep. I layed in bed all week and then started back to school. Every day was like a lost cause without Cherice, though.