"Man, I hope she's okay." Pacing back and forth in the lobby, my mind was racing. How could someone hurt her like this? How? She doesn't deserve this. What's more is why won't she confide in me? Why only Chris?
"She's fine," Justin said, coming up behind me. "Stop pacing. You look like a caged tiger."
"And you're scaring the crap out of me," Joey said, trying to lighten the mood. I sighed heavily.
"Look," Roxie said, coming over to me and pushing down so I was sitting on the floor, "I know you don't like seeing her like this. None of us like seeing her like this, but she can handle it. Everything will be okay."
"And if it's not, it will be soon." All of us looked up to see Elis coming down the hallway, Brian at her side and Kevin following close behind. "Because if these two don't make amends, they'll find themselves into a sh*tload of trouble."
"What are they doing here?" I growled, standing up and guarding the door to the room where Chris and Alex were.
"I brought them," Elis said, stopping in front of me. I glared at her and didn't move. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look, they are the only ones who will be able to make a difference, okay? If they don't, trust me when I say there will be some choice words going around." She cast a look at the two behind her and turned back towards me, raising a threatening eyebrow. I sighed and stepped aside. Smiling slightly, Elis knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Chris opened it. He took one look at Kevin and Brian and tried to shut the door. Elis put her foot in the way and glared at him. He sighed and let them in.
"Alex?" I looked up to see Elis walk into the room . . . followed by Brian and Kevin.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Chris came over and sat down next to me.
"I went and got them," Elis admitted. I looked up at her, my eye narrowed.
"How could you?" I scowled, hot tears springing to my eyes. She sat down on the foot of the bed and put a hand on my knee.
"You guys need to talk it out," she explained. "Alex, I know you. You won't be yourself again until you talk it out with them." I glared at her, but she just glared right back. I sighed, knowing she right.
"I know, but couldn't you have told me first?"
"If I had told you, you would have either built yourself up to a frenzy trying to figure out what you were going to say or you would have built up a resolve and had your opinion on what they were going to say before they even said it." I giggled, putting my head on Chris's shoulder and casting a quick glance at Brian and Kevin, who were standing awkwardly behind Elis.
"How do you know so much about me?" I asked.
"Because I've known you forever," she said. She rolled her eyes. "And what a forever that has been."
"Hey!" She giggled.
"We're leaving now, so you guys talk." She got up and walked out the door. A minute later, she came back, pointed a finger at Chris, and crooked it.
"Oh!" Chris said, looking sheepishly at her. He gave me a quick hug and stood up, leaving the room with her. The door shut behind them. I wouldn't even look up. I was to . . . afraid? I don't know, but I was too something.