The promise sealed by tears

She cried.

"I said such stupid things to him..." She sobbed.

"Yes, you did. You confessed your love to him, what did you think he would do? Sympathize with you? Pity you? That he would love you?"

"I just wish we could rewind, go back to being friends." Iris answered her reflection.

When she left her room, it was eleven at night and she was hungry. Walking into the kitchen, she glanced at the answering machine, hoping for something from Darren. There was nothing.

"He really must hate me now." She whispered as she slowly shuffled back to her room.

The next day, Iris didn't see Darren. He didn't come to any of the classes they had together nor did she see him in 2-14, the college apartment they were both assigned to.

"Is he avoiding me?" She wondered.

"Hey Iris!" a female voice called out to her.

"Oh, Rian. Hi." Iris didn't feel like talking to anyone.

"Are you OK? You look tired. Must be because of Darren."

Iris' eyes flashed. What, did everyone know already? Darren must have had a good laugh with his buddies about the little girl who poured out her heart to him. Why? He never acted like that during their 18 year friendship...

"So, how is he doing? I heard he got injured pretty bad. I was thinking of visiting him, what hospital did they send him to?"

Iris' vision failed and she swayed, "Darren is hurt?"

"Yeah, that car slid and hit him... You didn't know?"

Iris was already soaring out of the classroom and to the medical center.


"Excuse me, I need some help. A student here, Darren Athena, was hit by a car. Can you tell me which hospital they sent him to?" She asked the surprised receptionist.

"I'm sorry but I can't release that kind of information to just anyone. What is your relationship to the student?" The receptionist regained her composure.

"He's my boyf... best friend. Please tell me if you know." She pleaded.

The receptionist saw the sorrow in her eyes, "sure, give me a sec."

"Ah, here it is. Darren Athena, referred to the Scott and White Memorial Hospital. This is the address. Take good care of him, OK?" The receptionist winked.


The cab ride to the hospital was the longest and shortest time period of her life.

"Um, hi. Could you tell me which room Darren Athena is in?" She asked when she approached the large desk in the hospital lobby.

The male receptionist at the desk typed in his computer quickly. "Room 9-30, please fill out this visitor form." He handed her a yellow badge.


The hospital smelled of antiseptic and ammonia. She had to stop at a restroom to vomit before she stopped at the door to room 9-30.

She pulled the knob, but it didn't open. A cruel fate had sealed the two from ever seeing each other again. Perhaps some wise deity decided that she wasn't worthy to breathe the same clean air as Darren. She sobbed again, would he vanish from her life, leaving only faint memories?

"Hey retard. Get out of the way" A sharp voice startled Iris.

Iris looked up and recognized the well-dressed girl.

"Oh, Danielle... hi. Came to see Darren?" Iris mentally flinched, off course his girlfriend came to see him.

Danielle brushed past her and pushed the door open. "Idiotic bitch" she mumbled under her breath as she closed the door on Iris.

Iris sat outside of Darren's room on a bench and wondered if it was alright to be there.


"Darren? Are you awake?" Danielle stood over the man in the hospital bed.

She was answered only by the beeping of the heartbeat monitor.

"Yeah, well you always were like that in bed too." She laughed to herself.

"Anyway, I just came by to check on you. You know, I found someone else already. I was serious when I said it's over."

Darren stirred in his coma. "I...ris..." he moaned.

Danielle was floored. Iris? What...? She glared at the door.


Iris stood up as Danielle flung open the door and stepped out.

"Is he alri..." Iris' question was cut short by a sharp back hand.

Iris scowled at the girl, reared back and slapped Danielle, sending her stuttering back a step.

When Danielle's eyes swam back to focus, she venomously spat "You better stay away from Darren, if you don't want to see him hurt".

"You fucking moo cow, don't you threaten him." Iris' eyes flashed and the blood ran to her face.

"Not me, you. You sicken him, every second he's with you. He told me that he's can't stand being around you. He's always telling everyone that he doesn't love you; quite the opposite, he despises you, you stupid cunt."

Iris raised her hand and Danielle flinched, but Iris just put her hand to her mouth to stifle a sob and ran.


Iris quietly, methodically looked over the beautiful flowers at the gift shop. Noddign to herself, she picked an arrangement of purple flowers. When she went back up, Danielle was gone. Iris took solace in the fact that her hand hurt a lot more than her cheek. She entered Darren's room quietly, pushing the door.

The way he looked broke her heart again. His head was bandaged and he had a cast on his left arm. The wires and tubes sticking out him made him look fragile. She put the flowers on a nearby table, sat by his bed and gently touched his hand.

“Darren? Can you hear me?” Iris asked hesitantly. There was no response.

“Darren, I’m sorry. I’m sure this is my fault. If only I didn’t scare you away with those words and that… kiss.” She touched his lips and he stirred.

“Darren?” There still was no response. “Mister Athena, and you accuse me of being a deep sleeper...” she chuckled “... sorry.”

“I’m leaving now, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I’ll come back tomorow, I promise.”

***

Darren gasped as he came up out of the freezing water. He looked around but didn’t know where he was. Everything was like a shadow, objects appeared and vanished in waves. Suddenly, something he recognized faded in, the building 2-14. He ran towards it, but it continued to be off on the horizon. He stumbled and fell forward, sliding to a stop. The shock made his whole body ache and he stayed on the ground for a while before looking up again. A thick haze had settled and Darren couldn’t see anymore into it. He got up and took a step into a hard flat surface. He staggered around with his hands in front of him until he heard a voice.

”Darren. Can you hear me?” the voice was beautiful and he wanted to run to it.

He thought he knew who that person was, but the name evaded his mind. He continued blindly groping through the haze, hoping that he was walking towards the voice.

”I hope that one day, we'll be able to take this step, together…”

“Hello? Who’s there? Help me please?” Darren thought the voice sounded closer.

Darren was suddenly flung backwards and landed on his back. Pain in his chest flared up and he saw that he had a large projectile sticking out of it.

“Heh, I swear I can't tell what is going through your mind sometimes, you really are an idiot. It's over ” A sharp voice said.

Darren looked up to see the haze part to reveal a female holding the broken end of a spear. She raised it to deliver a final blow. He raised his arms in futile defense until a blinding ray shot through the haze and impacted into her, lifting and spinning her back into the haze.

Darren painfully got up and looked around. The ray had left a clear path through the haze. He followed it for what seemed like days.

The path was straight and the haze on either side was flat like walls. As he walked, he saw shadows and silhouettes of unnatural creatures moving in the haze. Every once in a while, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pale face with crystal blue eyes and white hands reach out of the haze towards him, but when he turned to look, it was gone.

Suddenly the path and haze stopped. It looked like there was some border and on the other side was a field of purple flowers. He knew that smell anywhere, Lavenders.

He crossed over and felt wetness on his face. Looking up, he saw that it had begun to rain hard and he tried to find a place to get out of the downpour but the curtain of heavy rain took away his visibility. Suddenly, he was chest deep in water and sinking. The water went in his ears, eyes and mouth. He succumbed.

Although it was dark, Darren smelled the faint odor of lavender again. He opened his eyes and sat up. He was in his room at 2-14.

“You’re up. Good.” A female entered the room. He blushed as he realized that he was naked.

“Heh. Towel?” She offered.

“Who are you?” Darren asked, her name was on the tip of his tongue.

She smiled weakly. “Doesn’t matter. Will you promise me that you'll let me stay with you?”

“Yes, of course. Please don’t go.” Darren pleaded, he realized this girl was someone very important. Her eyes reminded him of a stormy ocean… and she looked as if she would cry as she smiled.

She floated to him and he closed his eyes as her lips brushed his. When he opened them again, she started to fade away.

She lifted her right pinky and winked. “Don’t forget our promise...”

***

Darren stirred and the heart monitor began to beep wildly. With a gasp, Darren came out of his coma. He felt his right hand was heavy and when he looked down, he saw that Iris was asleep on it. He reached over with his left hand, tearing monitor wires and the IV, and stroked her soft hair.

“Wha…?” She lifted her head slowly and rubbed her eyes with her left hand.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He croaked.

“Oh! I’ll get you some water…”

They both looked down and saw that their right pinky fingers had hooked together. They blushed together.

“No. Wait, I’ll drink later. Stay there, please.” His throat was burning.

“ok…” she whispered.

“How long…” he started.

“Seven days, you’ve been comatose for seven days.” Her eyes were full of tears.

“I missed you…” he said, voice more clearly.

“I… I’m sorry. I was going to leave you a note…” her eyes went to the table by his bed.

“What are you talking about?” Darren just wanted to hold Iris and banish all her problems.

“I was thinking of transferring… to another school… away from here…” she said.

“What?! No, why Iris...?”

“But.” She interrupted. “But I changed my mind. Darren, I know you got Danielle and everything. I know you’re not in love with me so it sounds stupid, but I don’t want you to be with Danielle. I don’t want you to be happy with someone else. I can’t let you live a “fairy tale” ending with your princess. While you forget about me, while I live in pain and sorrow… while I still love you.” She said the last two words softly.

Darren pulled her in gently by the hand and she laid her head on his chest, soaking his hospital gown with her tears.

“I’m such a bitch…” she wept.

“Shhh. You’re not a bitch.” Darren whispered as he stroked her head.

“Yeah I am, and I’m selfish and I hit Danielle so hard…”

Darren chuckled. “You hit… Danielle…?”

Iris looked up, “Yeah, she is walking around campus with this huge purple welt on her face… oh, I’m sorry.”

Darren raised his eyebrow, “Don’t be… she’s a fucking moo cow. We aren’t together, we broke up that morning you confessed your lo… the morning I got hit by that car.”

Darren looked away and noticed the flowers and a note by it.

“Lavender, how did you know it was my favorite?” he grinned.

She suddenly stood up and snatched the note, ripping it into pieces.

“Lucky guess?” she said and added under her breath “and the same lavender scent perfume I’ve been using for 10 years… let’s see Danielle beat THAT”

Darren frowned. “Iris? Psychic? Not. You’re cute, smart, funny, emotional, lazy… and the girl I love.” They both smiled as they shared their first kiss as a couple.

As they separated, she blushed.

"I’ll go see when the doctor will release you…” she danced out of the room.

“Wait! Iris, will you bring me back some water?” Darren asked sheepishly.

Iris winked and said “Sure will, it’s a promise.


END

Iris character developed from Athena26's Iris

Iris  (E) Iris:Greek name, means "rainbow". How blind we really are to one another. #853778 by Athena26

Read the prequel:

Heart rhythm  (13+) Oooh... someone's been watching too much shojou (complete) #939763 by HolyKnightHamster