Hello again people. If any of you readers have also read 'Storm Front', could you do me a favour and tell me if you think that this series is a "bad copy" of it as I have been accused of it being. ? Someone doesn't like me! Come on, sympathy e-mail please!?! wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com Otherwise if you have any other comments or stuff then write to me too. Oh, and hey Nick (you know who you are).
Time Will Tell Chapter 6 - Acquiesce
"Conner, can you come down here please?"
"I'll be there in a minute."
"Now please Conner!"
"Oh shit!" Conner said quietly to himself.
He new what his dad was about to bust him for. In his family there were seven different deadly sins to those in the bible, lying to parents, doing drugs, drink driving (which didn't pose a problem to him but had to his brother three years ago), leaving lights on in empty rooms in the house, being brought home by police, not doing homework and skipping school. He knew that he had violated at least three of those today; he had lied about going to school and handing in his maths course work on time. Instead he had been sitting with Danny, something his parents hadn't wanted him to do. He'd already missed a week of school after Danny first had his accident and he had made it to school for three days in the two weeks following that.
"Yes dad?" His dad had a look on his face that Conner didn't like. It wasn't an 'I'm going to shout at you to get my point across' expression but one of an exhausted man, disappointed for the last time.
"Can you guess who that was on the phone just now?"
"I think so." Conner was worried his dad seemed so calm but upset as well.
"Have a go then."
"Mr. Channing?"
"That's right, do you know why Mr. Channing would want to ring our house so as to speak to us?"
"Because I haven't been to school recently."
"OK, you didn't go to school, at least your being honest now. Let me guess, you've been with Danny instead haven't you?"
"Yes dad."
"Conner I know you're in love with him, so I can understand how much you want to be there when he wakes up. Do you look at your relationship as a long term arrangement."
"I won't ever stop feeling the way I do about him. A s far as I'm concerned our relationship is for the rest of our lives unless he decides he doesn't want me anymore."
"OK then. Think of the future, if you both do badly at school because you both skip to be with each other, you'll both fail your CSE's and A-levels right?"
"Yes dad."
"Then you will both be living in poverty for the rest of your lives and you'll only have each other and jobs at Safeways right? Is that what you want?"
"No dad"
"Then may I suggest that it is better for you both if you attend school from now on?"
"Yes dad."
"And will you do that?"
"Yes dad."
"Conner, your mother and I have discussed this idea and since it's only three weeks to Christmas, we are going to give you your present early." Conner looked up in confusion, he was waiting to be told that he couldn't see Danny anymore, that he was going to be grounded till after his GCSE's or something. Why was his dad giving him presents instead? Why wasn't he punishing him?
Conner was handed a rather large box. He stood there looking at it even more confused. He didn't know what to do with it.
"You can open it go on." His mother said rather excitedly.
Conner started to pull off the Christmas wrapping paper that was neatly surrounding the box. What was revealed was a new Nokia mobile phone. He looked up excitedly.
"Now there are some conditions." Conner's dad quickly announced.
"We are not going to tell you the number of that phone until Christmas, you are not capable of making calls on the phone, again, till after Christmas. You can only receive calls. There is only one person other than your mother and I who knows the number for the phone and that is Doctor Lewis who will ring your phone as soon as Danny wakes up. You then ring Danny's mum from a pay phone or whatever you're closest to when you find out that he has come round. The only person that will ring that mobile when you are at school is Doctor Lewis, otherwise it could also be your mother or myself. We are the only three people who can ring that number till after Christmas. Since you have that, you can go to school and leave as soon as Danny wakes, until then you are not to leave school again. If you do then we will take the phone back and you will not get it at all! Is that understood?"
Conner flung himself into his dad's arms, elated with his parents idea.
"Than you so much, I promise I won't skip again, I'll stay at school until it rings I promise."
"Good boy. That's what I like to hear."
"Scott! Hey, how are you?"
"Not too bad."
"You gunna start hanging around again now?"
"I can't stay away from you guys forever now can I?"
"Do you want a coke? My treat." Luke asked getting up and taking his wallet out.
"Yeah OK, that's an offer I can't refuse."
"So what have you been doing with yourself?"
"I have had some stuff that I needed to think about. And I have been feeling pretty ill for the last few weeks too."
The rest of the gang nodded an acceptance to Scott's reply, but were all suspicious about it. They knew that Scott often went into depressive bouts every few months or so, only Claire knew the real reason. She was still suspicious as to why though. She knew that Scott had been depressed about Danny but didn't know why he seemed so happy now. She looked at him inquisitively, he simply smiled back at her and shook his head ever so slightly letting her know not to worry. Luke returned from the counter with Scott's coke and placed it on the table in front of him.
"Cheers Luke."
"No problem."
"So, how is Danny doing?" Luke and Claire both looked quickly to Scott in surprise.
They had both assumed that he would have been visiting Danny at every opportunity.
"No news yet." Trix replied. Everybody was quiet on that depressing point which they had all carefully avoided meantioning since the accident. Scott hadn't been around to realise that they generally didn't bring the subject up when they all hung out together.
"Have you seen the size of the speed bumps they have at the bus station slip road now? They're huge! It's amazing that the buses don't get grounded every time they go over them."
"Yeah, they put enough of them there too." Kate joined in.
"It's about fucking time they did that, there's been so many near accidents around there. I can't believe it took our Danny nearly dying before they did something about it though." Tracey added bitterly.
"Oh well! Never mind aye?" Scott said casually causing everyone to turn their heads quickly in shock and almost disgust at his callous treatment of one of his best friends.
"This is Danny we're talking about here." Claire said speaking in an assessing manner.
"I know, oh don't get me wrong, I didn't want that to happen but he is alright."
"He's in a fucking coma Scott! He has been for three weeks now. Don't act like that's alright!" Trix said angrily.
"No, he's alive isn't he? People wake up from comas all the time. When he wakes up he'll be fine is what I mean. In fact he'll be better off for having been in a coma. He won't have had to deal with as much pain as he would have otherwise, all those cut's and bruises will have nearly healed by the time he's awake and he won't have suffered anywhere near as much as he could have. If you ask me it's better this way.
Don't get angry with me, you mean you want him to suffer just so that you can all talk to him when you're not at school?"
Everyone seemed to step down in the formerly brewing argument, they hadn't looked at the situation in the way that Scott had just explained. Only Luke and Claire were still apprehensive of Scott's turnabout on his views as to how Danny was. Both of them having been under the impression that Scott was deeply in love with Danny, his comments didn't seem to relate to what they had assumed his feelings to be.
"I never thought of it that way, sorry Scott." Said Trix.
"Don't worry, we all know that he'll be up and around again in no time."
"Yeah, of course."
"Hey Danny. I'm sorry I haven't been here all day, my parents have found a way to keep me at school from now on. They did get me a mobile for Christmas and I've been given it early, in some ways at least, so as Doctor Lewis can ring me as soon as you wake up, I'll be the first to know! That way I'll be on my way even if I'm at school. I've decided to write this all down in a letter for you, so that when you do wake up you can find out why I was with Star that day at the bus, hopefully that way you can understand what happened before I even get here. I've written about some other stuff too, I've explained that everyone knows about us, even your mum. I hope that you aren't angry with me when you wake up, I don't want you to think that I've been ruining your life while you've been asleep. I've been feeling so guilty about so many things, I hope that this letter can explain everything I want you to know. I can't live without you Danny, please hurry up and come out soon. We could be so great together but we haven't even had the opportunity to be yet. We've been going out for just three weeks and a day now, but we've only managed to talk together for one day.
I wonder if you're dreaming about me now. You've got to wake up before Christmas, you have to be back so that you can get my present! I feel kind of stupid you know doing this day after day. Talking to you when you're in a coma, I have no idea if you can hear me or if you'll remember any of it when you wake up. It's worth it though, being able to be here with you even if you aren't here with me. It gives me the opportunity to tell you my side of the story without you being able to argue back. I love you so much and I can't wait till you're awake again."
"Hi Conner."
"Hi Mrs. Owen."
"Mum! Call me mum, I've told you."
"OK, Hi mum."
"See, that's better isn't it?"
"I'll let you have some private time with Danny then. I'll see you tomorrow maybe."
"OK then. Oh by the way I've asked Doctor Lewis to ring my number as well as yours when Danny wakes up so you don't have to worry about getting to a phone when you get your call."
"Oh, OK that's probably better then, I wouldn't want to forget with trying to get here."
"I'll see you soon Conner, oh and one more thing, Sea's on his way up, he was in the newsagents getting himself FHM before he came up, you might see him on your way down."
"OK then, bye mum."
"Bye Conner"
Conner walked out of the door and headed down the corridor. He saw Sean approaching, smiled and stopped to talk.
"Hey Conner."
"Hi Sean"
A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between the two. Neither knew quite what to say.
"Conner, I just want you to know that I don't blame you for what happened to Danny, I did at first, but I know that you would never have wanted anything like this to happen ever."
"That means a lot Sean. Thanks. Isn't this weird? A couple of months ago you invited me around to your house after school, now I'm standing here in love with your brother waiting for him to wake up out of a coma."
"Yeah, I was pretty much thinking the same thing a few days ago."
"I'm sorry that this happened Sean, I know you say that you don't blame me, but we both know that it is all my fault. I'm just so sorry that I have hurt so many people so easily. It makes me feel guilty too that they all feel sorry for ME. Even though it's Danny, my boyfriend, who I nearly got killed who they should all be feeling sorry for."
"That's not true, I really don't blame you. It's Danny's fault for jumping to the wrong conclusions. No matter how easily it was to do that, he didn't wait to hear your side of the story."
"It's not as if that was an option really, we were in a public place, I couldn't exactly start apologise for cheating in him in front of Star Mariscal could I?"
"I suppose, but anyway, I don't blame you. You have to believe me on that one OK?"
"OK Sean. Thanks again, I'll see you in school tomorrow?"
"Yeah. See ya."
"See ya."
With that Conner began to leave the hospital, feeling almost renewed. He did believe that Sean didn't believe it was his fault and it made him feel great. He was beginning to feel more and more like a person again every day. Now all he needed was to get back his Danny and the world would once again be his oyster.
Sorry if you were hoping Danny would wake up in this chapter! Could he next time?
Could Scott really have fallen out of love with Danny that quickly? Is there trouble a- brewin'? Who know? Time Will Tell (how cheesy, huh?). Don't forget to write wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com See you soon!