“Hey, I bought grapes! You know… because that’s what you do when people are in hospital right?” I laughed.
“Yeah… I hate fruit,” he laughed, nodding at a basket of uneaten fruit perched up on the set of draws beside his hospital bed.
“You do, but I don't,” I smirked, sitting down on the chair next to him and digging my hand into the bag of grapes.
“Listen Scarlett, I need to apologise,” James said sitting up and looking directly at me.
“James you don’t have to-“I tried to say.
“Listen, the therapist I have been talking to has told me to think about how my previous actions have affected the people close to me. She said it will help me see how much I need to change and anyway, I realise now that you’re the person I've hurt most out of all of this,” he said. I nodded slowly. “So I’m sorry for shutting you out and for saying bitchy things, I know you were trying to help and I see that now-“
“James," I interrupted, taking a deep breath, "I just don’t want you to say all of this stuff and not mean it, it was so hard watching you change and then thinking you were getting better but then actually getting worse I just-“
“I know, that’s why I've booked myself into a rehab clinic for six months,” He said his voice calm with a hint of nervousness in it.
“What?” I exclaimed, dropping one of the grapes onto the floor in shock.
“Yup, Catherine suggested it to me, my therapist,” he told me.
“That’s great, I mean, they will help you get better won’t they?” I smiled, reaching out and holding his hand. He nodded slowly but I could tell he didn't really want to go. Reputation meant a lot to James, I could tell people knowing he had been to rehab was frightening for him. “James," I said, gripping his hand tighter, "nobody is going to judge you for this, you’re being so brave and I’m proud of you,” I told him with a reassuring smile.
“Thanks Scarlett, I hope Billie is too,” he smiled meekly.
“I think she’s madder at me,” I sighed, sinking back into my chair.
“Ugh, it’s all my fault, I should have told her,” he sighed.
“Don’t worry, she has to forgive us some time,” I smiled. He smiled back.
“So, have you got anything to take my mind of all this, any
gossip, how’s Ace?” he asked.
“Well…” I smiled.
“Spill!” he said raising his eye brow.
“No, no, I mean, everything is fine, I really like him, but I guess because I've only just met him I’m still learning about him and-“
“And you're not liking it?” he asked curiously.
“It’s not that I don’t like it, I've just been taken by surprise…” I told him. He nodded indicating I should continue.
“Okay, so we were at his house and we… we had sex and after he told me he needed to play his game which I wouldn't understand because I was a girl,” I told said rolling my eyes.
“Right so you think he’s sexist?”
“No, well I don’t think so, he was really sorry, I just don’t know if it’s a sign things won’t really work out between us, there's been other small things too,”
“Scarlett, things aren't always going to be perfect, there are going to be certain things about him you don't like but if you like him enough then them things won’t matter,” he told me.
“I’m over reacting aren't I?" I sighed, starting to feel stupid, "I just really want to find somebody who I'm compatible with and who loves me-"
“Honey, your twenty one years old, you have so much time!" he laughed, "don't stress yourself out when there's no need, if you feel like Ace is someone you want to be with then be with him, if your put off by this sexist thing then fuck him, literally, and move on!" he laughed.
“I know, but I think I'm starting to l-”
“Don’t! Don’t you dare say that L word! How long have you known him?” he asked.
“A few weeks?”
“And I think the only thing he’s in love with is that game boy thing of his,” he laughed.
“It was one time!” I pointed out.
“Babe, you just had sex and the only thing that’s on his mind after is his game!”
“James!” I exclaimed, “hes a gamer, what do I expect!” I laughed.
“Fine, make excuses for him, suit yourself,” he smirked.
“God, when are you going AWOL again?” I joked. We both burst out laughing when the doors opened and Billie walked in.
“Oh,” she said, looking at me, “you’re here,” she said. I stood up quickly.
“Billie, don’t be like this-“I tried to say watching her hesitate.
“No Scarlett, I get the hint, I’m not wanted here,” she said, turning around and walking out the door.
“Billie!” I shouted running after her. “Listen, I’m going now, please go back and talk with him, he needs you, I'll be gone,” I told her. She shook her head and pushed past me.
“Don’t be so selfish! He’s going to rehab! You can’t just walk away from him!” I shouted. She stopped and turned to face me.
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you shut me out of our friendship,” she said bluntly storming past me and out the double doors. I sighed and slowly begun to walk back to where James was.
“Scarlett,” I heard a male voice from behind me say say. I turned around.
“Matt, hey! I was going to call you-“
“It’s fine, you don’t even have my number anyway,” he smiled.
“Yeah, but that’s still a lame excuse, you live opposite me,” I said. He laughed.
“It’s okay, I just wanted to know if James is okay?” he asked, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.
“Yeah,” I nodded, “he’s doing much better, he’s planning on going to rehab now which hopefully will help,” I smiled. He nodded.
“I’m glad everything is okay, do you er, wanna get something to eat, I’m starving,” He asked, blushing slightly.
“Sure, okay,” I smiled.
After talking to James I returned to Matt who was waiting for me outside the hospital.
“All okay?” he asked. I nodded.
Matt and I walked to a small café over the road from the hospital which was pretty run down but since it was right on lunch time everywhere was pretty busy. I ordered myself a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows which I totally deserved.
“You have a little bit of cream on your-“Matt laughed, pointing at the side of my mouth,” I blushed and quickly wiped it away with my sleeve.
“Thank you,” I laughed, feeling embarrassed.
“It’s fine,” he replied, fidgeting slightly with his napkin.
“So how are you, in general?” I asked.
“I’m fine actually, better than I thought I would be,” he said nodding his head in thought, “just been keeping myself busy with work, I guess,” he told me.
“And you haven’t, you know, managed to work anything out?”
“Nope, you know right from day one, having a girl like Jane even notice someone like me was crazy and I guess thinking that made me feel as though her cheating was okay because it was me she was going to marry and not the other guys… or girls and that kept me with her. It was just such a mess, everyone warned me against her, my parents, my brother and I was just too ignorant to listen,” he said. I felt myself wanting to tell him about what happened between us but something was stopping me. “So tell me more about you, your, Chinese, Korean?” he then asked obviously wanting to change the subject.
“I’m half Filipino,” I smiled, ignoring how much it annoyed me when people mistook me for Chinese. It wasn't that I was offended by it; it was just in school I was always “chink” and “slitty eyes” which did bother me slightly.
“Wow, that’s cool, I've always wanted to travel around Asia, was you born there?” he asked, looking genuinely intrigued.
“No, I was born here actually, my dad's English,” I told him.
After we had finished our food Matt had to rush off to a meeting somewhere while I decided to head back home. I felt annoyed with myself for not telling Matt about what happened between Jane and I because whenever I spoke to him it was always on my mind and I couldn't fully relax knowing that.
“Well…” I smiled.
“Spill!” he said raising his eye brow.
“No, no, I mean, everything is fine, I really like him, but I guess because I've only just met him I’m still learning about him and-“
“And you're not liking it?” he asked curiously.
“It’s not that I don’t like it, I've just been taken by surprise…” I told him. He nodded indicating I should continue.
“Okay, so we were at his house and we… we had sex and after he told me he needed to play his game which I wouldn't understand because I was a girl,” I told said rolling my eyes.
“Right so you think he’s sexist?”
“No, well I don’t think so, he was really sorry, I just don’t know if it’s a sign things won’t really work out between us, there's been other small things too,”
“Scarlett, things aren't always going to be perfect, there are going to be certain things about him you don't like but if you like him enough then them things won’t matter,” he told me.
“I’m over reacting aren't I?" I sighed, starting to feel stupid, "I just really want to find somebody who I'm compatible with and who loves me-"
“Honey, your twenty one years old, you have so much time!" he laughed, "don't stress yourself out when there's no need, if you feel like Ace is someone you want to be with then be with him, if your put off by this sexist thing then fuck him, literally, and move on!" he laughed.
“I know, but I think I'm starting to l-”
“Don’t! Don’t you dare say that L word! How long have you known him?” he asked.
“A few weeks?”
“And I think the only thing he’s in love with is that game boy thing of his,” he laughed.
“It was one time!” I pointed out.
“Babe, you just had sex and the only thing that’s on his mind after is his game!”
“James!” I exclaimed, “hes a gamer, what do I expect!” I laughed.
“Fine, make excuses for him, suit yourself,” he smirked.
“God, when are you going AWOL again?” I joked. We both burst out laughing when the doors opened and Billie walked in.
“Oh,” she said, looking at me, “you’re here,” she said. I stood up quickly.
“Billie, don’t be like this-“I tried to say watching her hesitate.
“No Scarlett, I get the hint, I’m not wanted here,” she said, turning around and walking out the door.
“Billie!” I shouted running after her. “Listen, I’m going now, please go back and talk with him, he needs you, I'll be gone,” I told her. She shook her head and pushed past me.
“Don’t be so selfish! He’s going to rehab! You can’t just walk away from him!” I shouted. She stopped and turned to face me.
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you shut me out of our friendship,” she said bluntly storming past me and out the double doors. I sighed and slowly begun to walk back to where James was.
“Scarlett,” I heard a male voice from behind me say say. I turned around.
“Matt, hey! I was going to call you-“
“It’s fine, you don’t even have my number anyway,” he smiled.
“Yeah, but that’s still a lame excuse, you live opposite me,” I said. He laughed.
“It’s okay, I just wanted to know if James is okay?” he asked, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.
“Yeah,” I nodded, “he’s doing much better, he’s planning on going to rehab now which hopefully will help,” I smiled. He nodded.
“I’m glad everything is okay, do you er, wanna get something to eat, I’m starving,” He asked, blushing slightly.
“Sure, okay,” I smiled.
After talking to James I returned to Matt who was waiting for me outside the hospital.
“All okay?” he asked. I nodded.
Matt and I walked to a small café over the road from the hospital which was pretty run down but since it was right on lunch time everywhere was pretty busy. I ordered myself a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows which I totally deserved.
“You have a little bit of cream on your-“Matt laughed, pointing at the side of my mouth,” I blushed and quickly wiped it away with my sleeve.
“Thank you,” I laughed, feeling embarrassed.
“It’s fine,” he replied, fidgeting slightly with his napkin.
“So how are you, in general?” I asked.
“I’m fine actually, better than I thought I would be,” he said nodding his head in thought, “just been keeping myself busy with work, I guess,” he told me.
“And you haven’t, you know, managed to work anything out?”
“Nope, you know right from day one, having a girl like Jane even notice someone like me was crazy and I guess thinking that made me feel as though her cheating was okay because it was me she was going to marry and not the other guys… or girls and that kept me with her. It was just such a mess, everyone warned me against her, my parents, my brother and I was just too ignorant to listen,” he said. I felt myself wanting to tell him about what happened between us but something was stopping me. “So tell me more about you, your, Chinese, Korean?” he then asked obviously wanting to change the subject.
“I’m half Filipino,” I smiled, ignoring how much it annoyed me when people mistook me for Chinese. It wasn't that I was offended by it; it was just in school I was always “chink” and “slitty eyes” which did bother me slightly.
“Wow, that’s cool, I've always wanted to travel around Asia, was you born there?” he asked, looking genuinely intrigued.
“No, I was born here actually, my dad's English,” I told him.
After we had finished our food Matt had to rush off to a meeting somewhere while I decided to head back home. I felt annoyed with myself for not telling Matt about what happened between Jane and I because whenever I spoke to him it was always on my mind and I couldn't fully relax knowing that.
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