Sounds of erratic beeping and the clatter of rolling carts could be heard everywhere. But not even the distinct antiseptic scent could convince me of the reality that I was at the hospital.
"Eli! What the hell happened?! How hurt are you? Never mind, I'm going-" coupled with the screeching came clattered sounds of objects falling.
With my head pulled away from my phone I tried to placate my best friend, "I'm fine. I'm here for Alexa…" I pause, unsure of how to explain what happened.
"What?!"
"She got into an accident after an episode." The hallway was empty and my footsteps echoing felt daunting. If not for Rina screaming her head off over the phone, I probably would've considered running back.
"Wow. This is a whole new level of crazy!" I don't even have to see her to know how exasperated she is over this.
Who wouldn't be? "I'm about to get there. I'll have to call you later."
"If she goes on about that frog-faced Jasper again, I'll seriously start looking for a witch doctor! In fact, I'm this close to doing it myself!" I couldn't help but chuckle at the imagery.
Just as I had ended the call, the door to the room swung open revealing a well-built body guard who called out, "Ms. Thornhill, this way please."
The room was familiar, after all, most visits and routine appointments would be done here. What felt unsettling was the gazes of the people standing around.
"Eliana, you've finally come." With a stern tone that grandpa only used when he was starting his usual lectures, he gestured for me.
I motioned towards him, intentionally ignoring the intense stare and sniffling of the patient on the bed. She really should've been an actress.
"Grandpa, you called for me?" I asked calmly.
That conflicted look on Grandpa's face itself was enough to confirm that this was once again related to Alexa and her obsession with Jasper. That rat bastard. I gritted my teeth waiting to know the role I played this time around.
But Grandpa didn't even get to answer before Alexa started her spiel as if on cue.
"Eli, I'm sorry you were called here, I…I told them that you had nothing to do with this, but they said to call you over nonetheless." She sounded meek, like a harmless chick complete with watery eyes and jittery fingers.
I would've bought into this if I hadn't known how much partying she's been doing right before this. I arched an eyebrow as a response, denying her of more reactions she could bounce off on.
"She got into a car accident after having a panic attack. Alexa learned that you met up with Jasper earlier which triggered her." Chimed Alexa's mother while looking at everyone as if to gather more sympathy for her "ailing" daughter.
"Met up?"
Grandpa nodded over to the security and I was handed a tablet with photos of me and Jasper.
"Haa…" I look over at everyone else, checking to see if they've at least retained a semblance of sanity.
"You realize that I'm receiving his papers for our Masters, right? After all, as the class representative, I'm literally tasked to receive the documents and mark the time stamp accordingly."
Sniffling, Alexa started as if in my defense, "See, she didn't do it on purpose."
Bitch of course I did it on purpose! My purpose is to collect submissions! I can feel my nails digging into my palms as I stop myself from creating an even bigger scene.
"You can tell him to drop out of the class. The representative is always the top ranked student, so it's always going to be handed over to me." I look at her squarely, daring her to continue amidst the collective gasps of the onlookers.
"How is that even possible?! That's just unreasonable!" Aunt Ingrid bursts out for her daughter again.
"Unreasonable? Isn't he Alexa's fiancé now? Is he incapable of listening to her wishes?" Looking at their grimacing faces I guess they wanted me to sacrifice instead. How courageous, just because my parents aren't here.
"Or did you mean for a member of the Thornhill clan to drop out instead?" I look over at grandpa to ask "Several articles about our family and my academic achievements just got published, we can have them recalled if that's what you want. We can just tell them that I had to quit because Alexa panics about us having one class in common."
"That's not going to happen. We cannot wrong you like that." Grandpa was resolute.
"He's on the verge of flunking that class, it'd actually do him a service if he drops it."
From where I stand I can feel Alexa gnashing her teeth, of course in her mind, Jasper can never be wronged. What kind of love potion did he use on her for her to lose all sensibilities.
"I didn't mean it like that, I just…" just before she could mobilize her tears, I retorted as if sympathetic, "Do you not trust him? Didn't he propose to you by promising you the world?"
Probably pissed at her script going to hell, but still collected she responds, "I trust him, it's just that you were once his fiancée, so I can't help it…" she trails off, pulling on the covers as if embarrassed about it.
"You do realize that it was just a business engagement organized by the family elders, right?" She's going there again I guess.
"But you were such a dutiful fiancée then! I figured that you've loved him during those three years." She's giving it her all huh. Clutching the covers, tears welling up while eagerly waiting for my response that she won't even accept, she's really into this.
"My role was as his fiancée then, loyalty and trust was a given. I was merely performing what was expected of me. Love was never involved." She seems to be hellbent on making me admit that I loved Jasper, she's been pointing this out consistently.
But I really didn't. All I expected from that guy was for him to exercise basic human decency and morals, but even that was a let down. He had the gall to cheat, and with my cousin at that. And now what, you're scared that he'd cheat on you, because he was able to cheat on me? How laughable.
What hurt wasn't even his infidelity, but the reaction of the family. How can these people support this? I guess this is what happens when they also have skeletons in their closets.
"I don't know if this is going to help you, but he's not even my type." I tell her honestly. Such a malicious person, you're perfect together. Go and operate using a single brain cell.
"It's settled then. Alexa, you should talk to Jasper about assuring you more." Even Grandpa seems over this, it's not like it's the first time after all.
"But how can we be sure? She may be saying this just to appease us." Oh she did not just say that.
"Auntie, is this doubt coming from when Alexa was summoned to give an explanation of them being caught kissing in a bar? Where she said that it was just an accident because he wasn't even her type?" I was planning on being nice but really, I can only take so much bullshit.
With a green face, she hurriedly attempted to cover up her oversight, "Of course not, I was just concerned that you may be hurt by having to lie like that to appease us."
Arching my eyebrow at my silent uncle, I silently ask him how he can stay married to this goldfish. "I wasn't lying, I've long put all this behind. He's now Alexa's fiancé so my responsibilities have long been over." I shrug at them and silently celebrate dodging this giant bullet named Jasper.
"You're still angry over that? I admit, we were wrong…Maybe you really still like him…"
At this point, I'm willing to pay just to get out of this, I won't even bat an eye about giving away a few properties.
I've long debated about what to do when this happens again. Rina once joked about claiming that there's already someone else, and frankly I'm liking the idea more now.
Lost in my own thoughts, I almost missed it when the crocodile added, "you've never liked anyone else after Jasper. But he's with me now…"
"Alexa" I pause, before deciding to end this once and for all. Raising a finger to count, I say, "One, I've never liked Jasper. Two, I have someone else."
And just like that, I may have fucked myself over.