A soft call woke Jolene from her slumber. It was a familiar, considerate tone that she had always envied. It was the gentle call of her best and only friend. She opened her eyes and saw him sitting next to her. She jumped to hug him, but he quickly held out his hand and stopped her on her tracks.

“Broken ribs,” Sive said melancholically.

“Oh about that,” Jolene said, biting the inside of her lip.

“If you dare apologize, I’ll walk out that door and make sure you never see me again,” Sive said apathetically.

“How am I not going to apologize to you when I’m the reason we’re both here?” Jolene said, already starting to cry again.

“That truck didn’t stop when it should’ve. If anything, it’s the driver’s fault,” Sive said with a shrug and a smile.

“How could I be so careless? I almost killed the both of us,” Jolene said, a disconsolate look growing on her face.

“Psh, don’t flatter yourself, you could never kill me,” Sive said, puffing his broken chest and reeling immediately after.

“Your chest says otherwise,” Jolene said, allowing his joke to stick, then she released a chuckle muffled by a sob.

“Yeah, well, severe damage isn’t death now, is it?” Sive said, reaching out to touch Jolene’s cheek, but recoiled his hand. His eyes were still latched to hers. “I could never leave you,” he said.

Jolene wiped the tears of sorrow from her eyes, and tears of joy started emerging from the horizon of her gleaming eyes. She still felt horrible for the trouble she had caused, but she imagined Sive did not want her to feel that way, so she would have to hide it at all cost. She hated him for being perfect, and it raised her envy to be him even more.

For her whole life, Jolene had been temperamental and melodramatic, but Sive was always harmonic and humble. The fact that he never got angry always made her mad, but then again, all those reasons were why she loved him and always wanted to be around him.

“Well, if you’re not going to allow me to apologise, how about I be the one to take you to the Corn Festival instead. I’ll buy whatever you want, and we’ll do whatever you want all day,” Jolene said, beaming amidst her teary face.

Sive held his chin and looked up in a taunting thought. “I don’t know. I almost died the last time I went there,” he said.

“What doesn’t kill you right?” Jolene said, then she shrugged playfully and shot him a smirk.

“Trust me, I don’t feel stronger,” Sive said, then he paused for a ponder. “Well, I do like a bit of danger and suspense,” he continued, and then he flicked his eyebrows playfully. “Why not? I’ll be there soon as I get out of here.”

“Well, I’m getting discharged today, when do you come out?” Jolene asked.

Sive’s face wrinkled for a little while, and it was as though he had something to tell Jolene but he decided not to. “Tell you what, I’ll meet you there this Friday at the gate at 18:00,” he said, with the dark cloud on his face moving away.

“Awesome,” Jolene said, jumping to hug him again.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Sive stopped her again. “Are you trying to murder me?” he joked and chuckled.

“Where are you going?” Jolene asked as she watched him stand and lean on his crutch.

“I gotta return before they notice that I’m not in bed. Besides, if I stay here, you’ll finally kill me with your deadly hugs,” Sive responded, already close to the door.

“Wouldn’t be a bad way to die, huh?” Jolene asked, and then laughed.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Jolene said sarcastically, but actually chuckling.

The girl on the bed next to Jolene sat up with a confused look on her face. She was looking at her like she was doing something weird. “Who are you talking to?” she said, rubbing the slumber’s grip from her eyes.

Jolene turned to point at Sive. “My frie-” she said, but he was already gone. She then turned back to the girl. “I was talking to my best friend, seems like he’s gone already.”

The girl still wore a sceptical look on her face as she laid her head back down on her bed. Jolene did not pay her any mind to her, and her heart was already jumping at the fun she was about to have on Friday. She shrieked, covered her face with the covers, and then replayed the way Sive had said: “I’d never leave you.” Her chest tightened, so she put her hand on her chest and felt her heart beat. It was a rapid pattern, but she enjoyed its frantic rhythm.

***

Tell us: What do you think could have been the reason for the confused look on the girl’s face?