22
CLARITY
Olias is protective. That's clear.
Very protective.
To the point where it's a little hilarious.
I hold a hand over my mouth as the doctor in front of me searches for the vein in the bend of my arm to extract blood. Failing to find it.
Olias, on the other hand, is about to lose the slither of patience he has with this doctor, who is sweating bullets.
I wince at the needle being shuffled inside my arm.
"You're hurting her," Olias mutters.
The doctor swallows, looking up at Olias at my side. "Her vein, it's difficult to locate."
"You've poked her five times already. Unless she's an alien with no veins, get someone who can do their job correctly."
My arm is beginning to look purple due to the stretchy thing tied around it and the excessive poking.
I've had to tell Olias to calm down at least three times since he doesn't want to leave my side. Without another word, the doctor slips the needle out my arm and nods, exiting the room.
Olias sighs, leaning against the hospital bed. "I fucking hate hospitals."
Same, it makes me think of Mom. I wonder if she's doing alright wherever her mind is. I haven't found the will to visit her unconscious body since the first time she went in.
I look up at Olias standing beside the patient's bed. "You have to cool those cheeks. He was trying."
"Well, he wasn't trying hard enough. Look at your arm. It's changing colors."
"What if the doctor was me? You wouldn't yell at me, right?"
He shakes his head. "The difference is, you'd do it perfectly, and you'd be my wife by then, so of course I wouldn't yell at you."
My heart swells. Wife.
He said it so casually. As if he doesn't think there's even a tiny chance that we won't get married.
I love him.
A new doctor comes in. A younger man with blonde hair gelled back to perfection. He wears a stethoscope around the neck collar of his long doctor white coat.
I want to wear that coat.
"Hello, my name is Doctor Harry Sucker; you may call me Dr. Sucker. I'll be your new doctor for today."
I snort.
So does Olias.
The doctor tilts his head as I lower mine in my hand and giggle silently to myself.
Dr. Sucker .
I'm such a thirteen-year-old boy.
"Is there something wrong?" Dr. Sucker asks.
I lift my head with an Oscar-winning poker face and shake my head. "No, not at all."
I glance at Olias, and he holds a smirk. We're both thirteen-year-old boys.
After a moment, the doctor picked up where the last had left off and poked my arm once before succeeding in finding a vein. I watch as blood fills up three hundred tubes— okay, maybe not that many, but my head feels like it is.
After the doctor finished my examination, he returned with papers.
I suddenly go stiff. I'm not sure why my stomach has been hurting. But I don't want it to be anything to worry about, as Olias thinks.
Speaking of Olias, he stands beside my chair and places a hand on my head, cupping and stroking my hair with the flat of his thumb.
"It doesn't seem you have anything fatal or life-threatening going on, Ms. Red. Neither are you pregnant. So I guess it's probably just an upset stomach from something you ate."
I nod and look up at Olias, who's letting out a deep breath.
After finishing the paperwork, Olias writes a check for my $2000 hospital bill. I didn't want him to, but there was no way he was letting me stop him.
Exiting the hospital attached to Olias arm, I grin. "See? Healthy as ever. I told you there's nothing to worry about."
Looking out at the city around us, my eyes light up. There's snow falling everywhere, large flakes covering the ground and dressing every surface it can with white. There's at least an inch on the ground and pathways of snow on the sidewalk.
"Doesn't it look pretty?" I tug Olias' arm.
"Mhm.” Craning his neck, he goes to kiss my forehead just as I feel myself beginning to lose control of my legs.
Yelping, slippery, invisible ice below my feet makes my arms shoot up high, and my balance goes haywire.
In a second, I catch Olias' eyes widening and reaching for me to help, but I only bring him down.
"AAHH!" A high shout travels through me as our back slams against the floor, snow softening our blow, dropping like rocks. People around us either walk around our laughing bodies or step over us. New York City.
"You alright?" Olias asks.
I nod, laughing. "Yes."
Sitting up with Olias, we grip each other's hands and try to stand up. Humorous determination is set in his face and makes me lose my lungs' breath from laughter because he ends up falling once again.
"Clare, I'm glad you find this hilarious. Now help me up." He raises an arm, and I grab it, only for him to yank me back down.
"Olias—" he cuts me off as I fall and takes my lips against his. His mouth immediately warms my freezing, numb mouth, the warmth traveling through my skin.
We must look like weirdos right now.
He rips away from me, his heavy breath visible with fog, and stares at me. He smiles with lips, cheeks, and nose red from the coldness. Snowflakes lay sprinkled over his dark hair strands.Brightening him up with the twinkle shining in his eyes.
He’s practically glowing.
He couldn't look any more attractive.
"We should probably get up," I say, laying on top of him
He shrugs. "Or not."
I smile, tapping my finger on the tip of his nose. "Come on."
I stand up again slowly with Olias help, and we get to our feet this time. Making our way to the car, as I grip the crap out of Olias hand, I hear my name being called in the distance.
"Clarity! Olias!" Clarissa’s voice meets my ear. I spin around, Olias bracing me. She can't be here. Would she be around here? This very hospital?
I saw Clarissa waving and walking beside Regina, who was pushing my dad in his wheelchair.
Oh no.
I wave back at Clarissa, and she comes running towards me. I put my hand up, stopping her, pointing to the ice that previously took Olias and me out. We walk around the large section of ice, and I go to hug her, but she instead gives the briefest hug and greeting before running past me to Olias.
All right then.
He laughs as she collides with him. "Hey, big brother," she says.
"What's up, little Clare? What are you doing over here?"
"My dad's doctor's appointment," she answers.
I look back at my dad as those two speak and walk over to him.
I know Olias sees him. I know it's probably affecting him just because of the sight of my dad, and I feel for him. I'm angry with him.
"Hi, honey," Dad greets. I give a small smile, but it dissipates quickly while I hug Regina.
"Why are you coming from the hospital? Everything alright?" Dad asks. He didn't care about my health for the last six years, so why now?
I'm sick of people fake caring. Jonah fake cared.
I nod. "Yeah, but you can’t stop with the pretend worrying."
"It's not pretend—"
"I have a question," I interrupt, angry at him. "When you had your accident. Did you know the family you crashed into died?" My voice raises an octave.“Every single one of them?”
He pauses as if thinking about it. Seconds go by of his silence.
" Dad , did you know you killed an entire family? A sister? A mom and dad? Did you know that before you got away freely? Not even a thought of who you've affected?" my voice is hushed so Olias doesn't hear the context of the conversation, but a crack still breaks through my words. Please tell me you have no idea.
He lowers his head and sighs. "Yes, I knew. Why is that so important to you? I feel terrible for what happened, but—"
I shake my head, my tears flooding. "They were Olias' family, dad. My boyfriend, if you hadn't bothered remembering."
I look back at Olias, who has his car open with Clarissa siding inside and legs sideways, probably to warm her with the heat. He holds a snowball, compacting it for her as they talk.
Turning back, Dad is wide-eyed. "I had no idea, I swear. I regret it every day; there's nothing I wish more than to bring those lives back."
I shake my head, a cold tear falling from my eyes. Olias doesn't deserve his pity.
With no more words, I look at Regina. "It was nice seeing you. Can Clarissa hang with us for the day?
Regina, looking as guilty as Dad, nods her head even though she did nothing. "Of course."
I wipe my eyes clean and return to Olias and my sister. It's good that it's cold; he won't notice my crying.
"Clarity, Olias said he wants to—"
"Shhh," Olias shushes, putting his hand over Clarissa's mouth, and her eyes widen.
I squint. "To what?"
Olias turns to me, his jaw tense. "To...ride Go-Karts." He blurts out.
Clarissa looks up at him from the car. "Go-karts?" she whispers. That's random, but it sounds fun; I've never ridden a go-kart before.
"Yeah," he says, dropping the snow and sliding his hands in his pockets. "Today. We can go and bring the guys with us. Clarissa can come too."
My eyes light up. Today? This sounds amazing. I nod, settling this plan that grew out of nowhere, then call Natalie from the passenger seat.
Olias walks around the car, getting in the driver's seat.
As I ring Natalie, a bird flies by the car, making me think of Olity. Wonder if he ate all the seeds I put in the little cage we bought yesterday.
Natalie picks up. "Clarity, quick! Name something you might do when you wake up in the morning?"
"Uhh... scratch my butt?" Olias eyes my answer questioningly as he speaks on the phone as well.
I hear a jingle in the background and then a ding. "You're so smart. I'm playing Family Feud, and that answer was number one.
"They don't call me brainiac Clarity for no reason," If there were dust on my shoulders, I'd brush it off.
She snorts out a laugh. "Yeah, no one calls you that, but I'll give it to you. Anyways, what’s up?"
"Olias, my sister, and I want to go Go-Karting! Do you want to come? If you have schoolwork to do, that's fine too."
She gasps softly. "And miss my opportunity to play real-life Mario? I think not. The ten pages will write itself."
I laugh. "Okay, I'll text you the address."
Hanging up the phone, I look at Olias, who's just ending his calls.
I give a thumbs up. "Yeah?"
He smiles, that one dimple showing, sinking into his cheek. "Ready to lose?"
I squint at him. “I don't think so, sunshine."
***
It took nearly an hour to get everyone here and ready to play.
"So, Clarity." I stand in line, waiting to pay with Olias in front of me and Kyle behind me.
I turn sideways to look at Kyle. "Yeah?"
"Spill the info. Are you guys dating?" he whispers. Tanner walks up, and Michael comes in close to listen.
Michael cups his mouth. "You should've seen him when you left the party, nearly launched his phone through the wall."
I haven't forgotten they knew about this repeat of things Olias had going on. But the past is the past. They were only true friends to him.
I turn to Olias, who's helping Clarissa with her jacket. Natalie is first in line, ordering her ticket inside the Go-Kart area.
"Yes, we're dating," I smile, and the guys smile, nodding their heads as if to praise Olias.
"Whatever happened at the party, just know he's a hundred percent different when with you. Way fucking different. Like almost on the level of obsession," Kyle explains.
“No, he’s definitely obsessed,” Tanner corrects him. Kyle nods in agreement.
Michael speaks, "You should break up with him and then get back together just because he got caught with my dad’s fucking gun. I'll never live it down with that old man now."
I laugh. They're funny, like my very own friends too.
Kyle pushes his shoulder. "Don't tell her to torture him, you ass."
With his blonde hair pulled into a man bun, Tanner has two strands falling over his face, he nudges my shoulder and then points to Natalie. "Who's that girl you invited?"
"Oh, that's Natalie Reyes. My friend."
"Single?"
Before I can answer Tanner, Olias turns around, half noticing our conversation. He looks between Tanner and me, his eyes narrowing at his friend.
Tanner shakes his head. "Chill it, lover boy, I'm talking about her."
Olias looks at Natalie and then says, "Oh, her? Yeah, she's single."
I attempt to bud in to make known the very crucial information that she's also gay, but Olias smirks at me, shaking his head.
Then, I realize the prank he's pulling on his friend. I laugh to myself.
As the line moves up, Olias pays for Clarissa and me, and once we get in the inside arena, which has two hours reserved solely for us, I have murder on my mind. Literally? No. Figuratively? Oh yes .
Olias grabs my helmet at the setup area and turns my face to him with my chin. He doesn't wear a helmet yet, but before I can tell him to put one on, he bends his head to kiss me. I'm caught off guard, distracted instantly by the softening of his mouth, ignoring that we're in the middle of our friends.
"Get a room," Kyle voices. "There are lonely people in the vicinity."
I laugh against Olias lips, and he smiles. "Perfect location for passionate kisses," I whisper sarcastically.
"It's been three hours too long since I kissed you last. I don't care who's watching."
He lifts the helmet and places it snug onto my head, clipping it under my chin, leaning me up again to peck his lips on mine.
"I'm coming to the wedding," Natalie announces, her helmet on, curly hair sticking out from under it.
My face burns, realizing everyone's attention is on me and Olias.
Olias sighs, running his finger through his hair, which is getting pretty long and starting to curl at the ends. I hope he never cuts it. It's cute.
I don't miss his glance at Clarissa, who is grinning hard.
I shake my head before approaching the karts outside the setup room. Olias takes my hand, and Natalie walks to my other side with Clarissa, the guys following behind.
"So we've made a mutual agreement that one of us will win, right? Y'know, being the girls in this group." Natalie says.
Clarissa laughs. "We're definitely going to beat them." She high-fives Natalie just as a woman approaches us. Considering the tag that says Sabrina, she must work here.
"Hi everyone! My name is Sabrina, and I'm here to make sure you all don't kill yourselves on my watch." Sabrina's voice; she has a robust and pretty accent, but I can't pinpoint where it's from. "I'll just run over the rules, and then you all can race."
"Woah," Michael nearly interrupts from behind us.
We all turn to look at him. He clears his throat, shaking his curly hair awkwardly. His face goes red. "Your accent is hot— I mean nice. Are you French?"
The guys all snort, and I smile because when I look back at Sabrina, her cheeks also glow red. She looks about our age, whatever number she falls between that range. With shoulder-length blonde highlighted hair and an arm full of tattoos, she presses her lips together and avoids eye contact with Michael in the back.
"Yes, I'm from France," she responds.
"That's hot— fuck. I mean, you're hot— shit . What I meant was, does the leaning tower of pizza look as pretty in person as you do?"
Everyone begins to laugh. Olias even grins, his body shaking in laughter beside me. Michael’s a nervous wreck, more than I thought he would be with women.
I'd give him a pat on the back if he weren't so far.
Sabrina clears her throat, a flustered smile on her face. "It is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is located in Italy, not France. But if you were thinking of the Eiffel Tower, then yes, it's pretty."
"Good job, Michael," Kyle's words are drenched with sarcasm.
Sabrina ran us through the rules, which weren't much besides keeping your hands on the wheel and not bumping others.
Getting in our cars, I take Olias hand as he helps me in the seat, and he bends down to speak to me.
My stomach twists in weird ways, seeing him in a helmet.
"Careful, Clare, I'm not letting you win," he smirks.
I squint my eyes. "I'm not letting you win either. Sorry, you lost."
"It didn't even start, sunshine."
"Exactly. And that's my nickname."
"Not anymore," he winks.
He rests his hand on my helmet and stands up to go in his kart. I prepare myself with my hands on the wheel and look at our group, which is lined diagonally on the race track.
Clarissa is set in last, most likely because it's the shortest ring. She waves, "Good luck, Clarity!" I put up a big thumb as Sabrina from the employee station speaks in a loudspeaker.
"On your mark—"
I feel adrenaline starting to soar through my veins already, like a race addict. I wiggle in my seat.
My stomach.
A sharp pain travels through it just like in the past two weeks. It twists hurtfully, and I bend over. I thought it was nothing. How long until it stops hurting? I was given pain pills before I left the doctors, but it seems they did nothing.
"Get set!"
Her voice barely reaches my ear, yet it's being blasted through the entire building. The karts around us begin to spin. Stars appear, and my vision turns black.
This usually happens when I get out of bed too quickly with low iron.
It soon fades, my vision returning and the nausea disappearing just as Sabrina screams, "GO!"
I step on the pedal, my kart taking off down the track. Everyone's screaming and laughing as we turn a corner, and I grin, biting my lip once I pass Tanner, ignoring the residing pain that's left behind.
"Son of a bitch!" I hear him shout behind me.
I'm not sure what place I'm in. All I know is Michael is in front of me, and he's the only one ahead. I take the risk of looking sideways to see Olias flanking me. I gasp. No, he can't pass me.
We all take a curved turn, which puts me right beside Michael. We look at each other, and I stick my tongue out tauntingly.
He sticks up his middle finger.
Did he flip me off? How rude.
Not even a moment passes before I hear a crash behind me. I turn hesitantly to see Olias and Michael's karts have bumped into each other, Michael briefly skidding against a wall.
"Hey!" Sabrina says over the speaker, no hitting karts! Last lap as well."
I laugh, shaking my head. Guess that leaves me first place?
The wind whips around me as I turn the last corner, and to the side, I hear Clarissa. "We're winning!"
I slightly raise my foot off the peddle, just enough for Clarissa to pass me. " You're winning!" I say.
Her brown hair, identical to mine, trails behind her through the wind, and I watch as she drives over the finish line, me following right behind her.
"And the winner is Kart 7!" Sabrina shouts.
We come to a stop, and I unclip my helmet and watch the rest of the losers come in. Clarissa runs in front of me. "I'm the best driver. No exceptions."
I nod. "Good job. I couldn't even compete with you behind the wheel." The smile on her face is more valuable than any number one spot. I'm glad I brought her along—sissy bonding time.
Turning, I see Michael and Olias walking across the finish lines with their helmets in hand, their karts coming in last. They approach us, deep in bickering.
"What can I say? You flipped off Clarity," Olias says, chuckling. “You didn’t deserve to win.”
"She stuck her tongue out at me!" Michael rebuts.
Olias squints at him. "What are you? Thirteen?"
We all have thirteen-year-old boys in us somewhere, if I'm being honest.
Outside the building, I turn to walk off the street to where Natalie stands. She raises her eyebrows. "I was right behind you. It's safe to say we dominated,” she raises her hand and slaps it with mine.
Then she looks at me weirdly. I tilt my head, saying, "What?"
I follow her eyes zigzagging across my face. "Nothing, you just look a little pale, is all. Have you eaten?"
I shake my head. "Not since breakfast."
She hums and looks at me with worry. I don't like that look, and I've seen it in Olias recently, too. "Maybe we should go get something then."
"What's going on?" Olias steps next to us, looking at me.
Natalie shakes her head. " Tu amor is just a little hungry."
Olias raises his hand to my chin, scanning my expression. He sighs before nodding, "What do you want to eat?"
The question is unanswered, thankfully, since I never really know how to answer that by Sabrina.
She scurries over to us and raises her hand. "Hey, it’s the end of my shift. Can I join you guys?"