Chapter 7
Rufus
2:00 PM
Man, just 30 minutes ago Mateo was comforting me because of my fucking ex, and now, we’re running to the hospital because his dad woke up. What am I doing? How can I be upset over my EX not showing up when my BOYFRIEND is going through something like this? I completely forgot about his dad. I feel like a piece of shit.
Again, what the fuck is wrong with me? This isn’t about me! I need to shut the hell up and keep running.
Yesterday night, I saw Mateo run. He ran because he was scared of me for murdering Peck, which I did NOT do. Anyway, when he was running away from me last night, it wasn’t like this. He ran without a sense of urgency, I guess he realized that he’d die either way, but still..This time, he’s running faster than even I can run. He’s ahead of Lydia and I, who are side by side and struggling to keep up.
Unfortunately, the hospital is like, a 15 minute walk from the cafe. Normally, I wouldn’t mind that, but right now it’s the worst experience ever. The anticipation of meeting his dad is absolutely killing me.
2:15 PM
We made the 15 minute walk.. Or run, I guess? We’re all panting, especially Teo.
“Shit, man..” I gasp for air.
Lydia wipes the sweat off of her forehead with the sleeve of her hoodie. “Since when can you run that fast..?”
“Since now.” His voice shakes, and very visibly, so does his legs.
“The hell do we say to them? I mean, how did they even call you? Aren’t you and Rufus legally dead?” Lydia’s eyebrows scrunch together.
“Obviously not, if they called me. I just have to see my dad, I don’t care about deckers, or deathcast, or anything like that right now. I have to see my dad.” Mateo stammers, pushing his way into the hospital. He quickly grabs a visitor’s pass and runs off before we even get the chance, leaving Lydia and I standing alone outside of the hospital.
We both walk in, trying to catch up with Mateo.
“Excuse me, we’re here to visit-” I start.
“Hey! You’re the other kid who faked being dead yesterday…you kids nowadays.” The familiar desk worker shakes his head.
“Dude, seriously. Can we please just have two passes?” My voice raises.
“Jeez! You children have no respect anymore!” The man scoffs.
He rolls his wheeled desk chair to the drawers behind him. Opening it, he pulls out a sheet of stickers that all say “VISITOR” on them. Sheesh, how creative. He cuts out two.
“Could you please hurry?” The short, but fierce woman next to me requests.
The man grumbles and slides us the passes. We both stick them on our shirt, and proceed to run up the stairs.
I don’t remember what room number Mateo’s dad was in yesterday, but I’m sure Lydia does.
“Where are we going?” My eyes scan the numbers on each side of every door.
“Room 243.”
239..240….241….242…243!
We stop in front of room 243. “Lydia..I think it’s better if you go in first. That’s more of a…respectful decision.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. You ready?”
“Nah, but this ain’t about me.” I gesture for her to open the door, to which she does.
“Can we come in?” I can’t see her face since she’s standing in front of me, but I can tell that Lydia is smiling.
“LYDIA!” Mateo’s dad beams. “OH MY GOODNESS, LYDIA!”
Mateo giggles, “Dad missed you.”
Lydia and I walk into the room. I can now see her, and I can see that she’s crying.
“I missed you too, dad.’ She hugged him gently from this hospital bed.
“How’s Penny?” Mateo’s dad asks, he’s oddly happy for somebody who just woke up from a coma.
“Oh god, she’s so much bigger now. I swear, babies have a special ability to grow quicker than the rest of us.” Lydia chuckles.
“I’ll have to see her.. And who’s this, Mateo?” He waves, smiling at me.
“Oh-” Mateo looks at me, red in the face. “That’s uh- um- that’s-” He stutters, he’s probably just too overwhelmed and nervous to come out to his dad right now. Though, I gotta say, his dad seems like a cool dude.
“Rufus Emeterio, sir.” I decide to help him out, like the kind boyfriend I am.
“Please, call me Mateo. At LEAST Mr.M, sir makes me sound old!” He laughs. “How’d you two meet?”
Mateo and I make anxious eye contact.. “Uh, well si- Mr.M, we met each other at a party. Right, Mateo?”
He nodded. “Mhm!”
“I was at the party with Mateo, and all of the sudden, we saw Rufus, and they just clicked!” Lydia smiles and nods, vigorously. Damn, she’s got his back.
“Mm, are you guys sure?” His dad seems suspicious.
Oh god. The notes.
“Mateo, I found your note on the side table.”
“Oh, haha.. About that..” Mateo looks at the ground. Lydia on the other hand is staring directly at Mr.M.
“Deathcast called you yesterday. You’re still alive. Is that correct?” Mr.M’s voice is more stern than it was just a minute ago.
“..Yes, dad. It’s true.” His song responds.
“Lydia, did you know about this?”
“Of course I did! It wrecked me!” She shouts.
“Wooooow,” his tone returns to the goofy tone he had originally. “I can’t believe all three of you would lie to me! Especially you, Lyds! Besides, I know that Mateo doesn’t go to parties.”
“Ouch.” Mateo laughs, but it’s not a, “haha that was funny” laugh, it’s a, “holy shit, this dude is crazy” kind of laugh.
I would have to agree.
“I’m sorry, Papa!” Lydia laughs..genuinley.
They’re both crazy.
“So, how did you two really meet?” He asks me.
“You know of the app Last Friend?” I look at the ground, kicking my shoe against it.
“Yeah, I know of it. Well, it’s a good thing that you guys don’t actually have to be Last friends!” He smiles.
“Good thing.” Mateo smiles at me.
I feel sort of out of place as everybody catches up. Lydia and Mateo go over the things that they did and the things that happened while he was in the coma. I wasn’t there for any of it, obviously, but I wish I was. I wish I was there all of those times to see Mateo being Mateo, not Mateo being scared.
I don’t have to wish for that, though, now do I? I already have it. They made memories, sure, but Mateo and I are gonna make more between us too, yo. Even with Lydia!
I feel like it’s too early to tell Mateo’s dad that we’re dating. I love Mateo, I really, really do, but in his father’s eyes, we’re just two boys who met yesterday because we almost died.
Then again, Mateo DID say that his dad always wanted him to be happy and find love no matter what. Maybe he would be more accepting than I think.
Oh well, it’s up to Mateo. I don’t mind the whole world knowing that he’s mine, I’d be proud. I also don’t mind if no one knows about us, because that way, he’s all mine. That’s fine by me.