Chase: and the girl who came back
– Chapter 6

This week has been different. Having Yasmin here has shifted the group dynamic slightly. I try to get her alone, but while we’re at school Ally or Arden are always around.

But I found a way around them and their cock blocking ways.

On Tuesday I discovered she pretty much lives across the road from me and every morning at 5:00 a.m. she takes Daisy for a walk. I watched her come and go on Tuesday morning, but on Wednesday I decided to join her. The first day she barely acknowledged me. But the next day she waited at the end of the driveway for me.

We didn’t talk. Just walked. I desperately wanted her to talk to me, but I didn’t want to push her.

She’s sat next to me at lunch everyday. Each day she gets a little braver and touches me a little more. Just little touches here and there.

She barely talks to us but she listens and will occasionally ask questions. She’s still in her shell and has her wall up.

It’s Friday and we’re in shop class. I search for her without even realising what I’m doing. Arden is sitting with her again, keeping her company while she does paperwork.

He’s already told me it’s his time with her and he’s going to take it while he can.

I have no idea what the hell he is on about. But let him have this. He doesn’t know about our walks.

I watch them for a minute before I notice something’s not right.

She starts to sway.

Arden stops her from falling but searches for me. I wipe my hands on a rag as quick as I can while I make my way over to them. My pace picks up when I see her sway again, I reach her just in time to engulf her in my arms and hold her close.

Arden looks worried. I don’t know what to do. I shake her lightly while still holding her up right. Her eyes flutter open briefly.

“What’s wrong?” I ask. I can’t hide the worry in my voice. Her eyes drift shut again. “Yasmin. I need to know what to do? Do I take you to the hospital? The nurse’s office? Help me out here, please,” I beg, letting my voice break on the last word. Her eyes open again. “No hospital. Need food. Low blood sugar. Glucose monitor in my pencil case” she mumbles.

Arden must hear because he grabs her pencil case quickly, removing the monitor from its case. He inserts a test strip and gently holds her finger while he pricks it and gathers the blood on the strip. I hold my breath while I wait for the result.

By this stage Mr Williams has come over to us.

2.1

“Shit.” Arden says, he reacts quickly. He knows this stuff. His sister has diabetes. 2.1 must be bad.

He lean’s in close. “Yasmin, do you have a glucose pen?”

She softly shakes her head.

“We have to go,” he says to Mr Williams and nods towards the door.

“Okay. Keep me updated.” Mr Williams responds. He knows that Arden knows what he is doing.

I let Yasmin slide down the front of my body to see if she can stand, loving the way she feels against me. The minute I ease back she stumbles; I turn her around and pick her up. Carrying her out of the workshop.

Arden takes off across the grass between the buildings leading the way to his locker. I follow him but he turns around, throws his keys at me, and tells me to meet him at his car. I manage to catch the keys without dropping Yasmin and change my direction for the car park.

Once at Arden’s car I unlock the back door and slide in with her, thankful for his choice of vehicle as it provides plenty of room. I try to keep her talking.

“Yasmin, can you open your eyes please? I need to see you.”

She groans a little. Her body starts shaking. I pull my phone out ready to call mum. Just before I hit dial Arden appears, his arms loaded. “Sorry,” he pants a little.

Arden is in shape but judging by the contents in his arms, he has just run halfway around the school. He hands me a can of lemonade and a straw. “Sit her up a little and get her to sip the lemonade. I need to give her a glucose injection and then we need to get her to eat something. I don’t know what she likes so I grabbed whatever I could.” He throws bags of lollies, a juice, some biscuits, and a banana on the floor. Right now, I’m thankful for my best friend.

I feel useless.

I don’t know what to do.

I watch as she shakes in my hold, her face pale and her skin clammy.

I follow his instructions and sit her up a little. “Yasmin, I need you to open your mouth and drink please.” I hold most of her weight and guide the straw to her mouth. She starts to sip the lemonade but not for long. Her head falls back again and her tongue darts out and swipes across her lips.

She’s still shaking. Arden notices. “Shorty, I’m going to give you an injection.” His voice is cool calm and collected. He’s in control.

Unlike me, I’m barely holding it together. A girl I met less than a week ago has me all fucked up, confused and worried.

Arden leans over and inserts the injection pen in the top of her leg through her coveralls. Almost immediately she stops shaking. Five minutes later her eyes open and she gazes up at me.

“Hi.” She whispers.

I pull her closer to me, finally letting out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Fuck Yasmin, you scared the shit out me.” I pull her back slightly so I can look at her face. She’s still pale but the colour is coming back.

“I’m sorry. I forgot to eat this morning and I don’t have my red frogs with me.” Her voice weak and full of apology. She sits up a little bit further but nestles into my side a little more. I lean down and breathe her in.

“Thank you,” she says to Arden who is still standing at the door looking at us both but focusing mainly on her. He just nods.

“How did you know what to do?” she asks him. I don’t know if he’ll tell her. His sister is a sore subject but Arden surprises me yet again.

“My sister is type one diabetic. I’m sorry I didn’t see the signs earlier. If I did, I could have stopped this. Why didn’t you tell us?” He looks away and I realise he’s hurt and he thinks it’s his fault.

“Arden,” I say.

He shifts but still doesn’t move. Yasmin places her hand on my arm and shakes her head. Very slowly she sits all the way up and scoots closer to Arden. Cautiously, she reaches her hand out and touches his arm. His finally looks at her just in time to see her throw herself at him for a hug.

I’m not angry, or jealous. Not like I was on the first day.

I’m confused. How did she know that was what he needed? He holds her tight for a few minutes and I notice him relaxing. “I need to check your sugars again and you need to eat something. You don’t want to crash again,” he says while guiding her back towards the seat. I hold her hand while he sets up the monitor and pricks her finger again. After the little machine beeps, he blows out a breath.

“4.2, better but you need to eat. Regularly.” His voice is now firm, and she nods. I have a feeling Arden may be watching her closer now and not because he wants into her pants.

He picks up the banana and hands it to her. Passing the glucose monitor to me.

“Make her finish the lemonade and check it again in half an hour and then an hour. If it drops below 4 call me. Make her eat some more fruit or some biscuits. Watch her though, the come down will be a bitch. Take my car, I’ll get Rhys or Ally to bring me around later. I’ll sort everything here. Just look after her.” He meets my eyes. We communicate without speaking. He knows and understands. Before he leaves, he kisses her forehead.

“Shit Arden, you sound like Mum.” It’s crazy how much he just sounded like Mum when she goes on a medical tangent. Arden ignores me.

“Please listen to Chase. I know this is new for you, but please just let us do this. Is Millie here?”

I’m confused. Who the fuck is Millie? Then it clicks. Her sister. How did he know her name? Is that what they’ve been talking about this week? I’ll press him for information later. I have a newfound respect for my best friend; he has thought of everything. She nods.

“Yeah she is in year ten. I need to stay. I told her I’d wait for her while she’s at practice. I promised her we could have a High School Musical marathon with junk food and chocolate brownies to make up for Dad not being around.” Her eyes start to water. “I can’t let her down. I’m the only person she has that cares.”

My heart breaks a little. I don’t know how to respond. I know what it’s like to only have a few people who care. I’m just lucky I found my best friends and created my own family.

Arden straightens.

“I’ve got it covered. We’ll see you later. Can you message her and let her know Ally will meet her after practice? Leave the rest up to us. Go and rest please. You are no use to her like this.”

She lets the tears fall. If I hadn’t just heard how sweet and thoughtful Arden was, I would punch him in the dick for making her cry.

“What about Wander?” she asks through her tears.

“Who’s Wander?” I ask.

She looks past Arden standing at the door and nods to the teal ’68 Volkswagen Beatle parked 3 spaces over. I don’t know how I missed that this week. That is one epic vehicle and not at all what I was expecting her to drive.

Arden looks over his shoulder and smiles. “Damn Shorty, aren’t you just full of surprises? Where’s your keys? I’ll drive her home.”

“In my backpack in shop class with my uniform.” She replies. He salutes her and steps away. “Eat.” He yells over his shoulder as he walks across the bitumen parking lot.

She sighs and closes her eyes. “What just happened?”

“I have no idea. I haven’t seen him act like that before and I’ve known him since he was five. Can you eat the banana please so that I can take you home to rest?”

She nods straightening in the seat beside me.

Her hand still rests in mine. It’s nice. Her skin is warm. Her hand sends small electric charges into mine. I help her open the banana, so I don’t have to let go of her.

“I don’t want to go to my house. Dad will be home. He doesn’t know about this.”

That shocks me a little. What kind of father doesn’t know that his daughter has some sort of diabetes?

“That’s okay. I’ll take you to my house. Mum is at work and Grandpa Wilson is staying in New Hope this week for a golf tournament.” I whisper as I lean down and kiss her forehead just like Arden did earlier.

“Okay.” She replies as she finishes her banana. I help her move to the passenger seat before getting in the driver’s seat.

“Will we get in trouble for leaving?” she asks as I drive out of the parking lot.

“Nah, Arden has it covered and Rhys’ mum is the principal. I’ll make sure your dad doesn’t replace out.”

“Thank you, Chase.” She grabs her phone out of her pocket and I assume she is texting her sister. I start the short drive home.

By the time I pull up in my driveway, she’s already asleep. Not wanting to wake her, I go and unlock the back door before going back to the car. Picking her up again, I bury my nose in her hair and let the smell of strawberries and cream ease some of my tension.

I walk her into the house, down the hall and place her on my bed. Pulling the covers up over her, I kiss her forehead again and then move around my room replaceing clothes to get changed into. I check the time and follow Arden’s order. I check her sugar levels again. 6.3.

Chase: 6.3

His reply is instant.

Arden: It’s better, but it should be higher because of the glucose injection. Check again in an hour.

Chase: Thank you.

Arden: No need to thank me, it’s what we do for family.

Chase: We don’t know her. How is she family already?

I know I can be honest with Arden.

Arden: The minute you guys eye fucked in the parking lot we all knew she was going to be family. You don’t let people in. But you did with her. That’s how we knew. When you know, you know. Don’t question it, just go with it.

I let his words sink in.

Chase: When the fuck did you become Yoda?

Arden: Ha Ha. Go and cuddle her, she needs it.

Arden: Everything is sorted. Ally will pick up Millie.

Arden: I’m making Rhys come to the shop with me for supplies and then we will head over.

Arden: Are you at your place? Or hers? Let me know the address if you are at hers.

I’m still baffled at how much Arden really does have this covered. It’s nice to see my best friend act like an adult. Arden is also the type of person to send five messages instead of one. Either that or he will call.

Chase: We are at mine. Mum is working a double and GW is at golf. She doesn’t want to go home. Her dad doesn’t know about the diabetes.

Arden: What the fuck??? How does he not know??

Chase: No idea, but I plan on sticking around to replace out.

It’s the first time I have indicated that I’m keeping her.

Arden: Good because she is one of us now. Look after her.

Chase: Will do.

I do exactly as Arden suggests and crawl into bed beside her. She rolls over as if drawn to me in her sleep and cuddles up in my arms. I hold her close and just let us be. Its nice, she fits as if she was made just for me.

In order to not fall asleep I unlock my phone again and start researching diabetes, learning all I can about it. I don’t know what type she is, but I arm myself with all the information I will need to be there for her.