"Man, why are you such a f-cking p-ssy?" Joe laughed as I coughed my guts out. That cigarette did me no good and he kept me from drinking any wayter. The smoke burned my insides, it felt like I was burning alive from the inside.
"*cough*, need…water." I reached out to the water one more time before everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, all I saw was white. Was I dead? Am I in heaven?
"he's had an attack due to the heavy smoke he inhaled. He'll be fine." He made it out from the muffled speech. Damn it, on the day I decided not to take my inhaler, this had to happen.
"Trish! What happened?" Rachel had asked me. I didn't say anything. My throat was still hoarse and sticky.
"Ugh, I don't feel so good." I coughed. My parents rushed in, and my mother looked furious.
"Tristan, did you smoke? Why did you smoke when you know this is so dangerous!! What were you thinking?!" she screamed, as the nurses guided her away. "You are grounded for three months, don't even think of going anywhere anymore! Who do you think will pay for your hospital fees?" She pushed Dad away, who tried to lend her a hand.
"Why are you so reckless Trish? I can't lose you too!" she cried, with tears falling from her eyes as the whole room watched us. Joe looked at her like he was about to laugh. I should've known that he was a weed from then on, but unfortunately, I got what I deserved for not deciding at the right time.
"I can't lose you too!" she wailed, her sounds echoing through the hospital as the nurse told her to calm down. My sister, who was only eight, cried with her, making it look very grim. The atmosphere was tense, and my heart felt heavy.
Did I do something wrong again? How many strikes do I get before I'm out?
"I'm sorry…" I muttered under my breath and in my head a thousand times before I dozed off.
--------------------------------
"Man, why the hell wouldn't you tell us that you had asthma? I ain't going to jail 'cause you can't communicate." Joe spat.
"What? I told you! I have asthma, but you said-"
"Then why would you even accept the cigarette? " Rachel blurted.
"Yeah man, this is your fault. Don't turn this on Joe." James retorted.
I laid there, with shock and anger bubbling up inside me. I thought they were my friends, how could they even tell me that it was my fault when they literally forced me to have one? My resentment of Joe built up from that day on, and I never forgave him for it, nor did he apologize.
"Get out."
They looked at me, stunned like I asked for their wallet. "Are you f-cking serious?" Joe said with his chest forward.
"Nurse!"
"Fine, but don't come back crawling to us because you can't accept you're wrong. Let's go gang." He stumbled outside, growling at the poor nurse as he exited. The only person who stayed here was Finn, who looked at me with spite, and guilt.