capitulo diez:

Liz tried to understand the things that just happened. Her dream had just become a reality. Taylor Hanson had just kissed her... She was quite sute she had never been so nervous.

Taylor knew that he did something she wanted him to do, so he just smiled slyly and opened one of her suitcases.

"Geez..."

Liz snapped back to reality. "What?"

"How much of this crap do you have?"

"What cra- Oh the make up?" She laughed. "A lot."

"I'll never understand why girls wear all this."

"Trust me, if you saw me without it, you'd understand."

"I'm sure that's not true," he said standing up, leaving the suitcase on the floor.

Liz stepped away from him a little. She wasn't quite sure why, maybe she was just nervous. But she had a sinking feeling in her stomach about something. She tried to change the subject, she was extremely self conscious and didn't like talking about herself. "Yes. Yes it is... but anyway, I'm going to need some hangers for my clothe-"

Liz was quite obviously nervous and Taylor actually kind of got a kick out of watching her.

"And, um, a couple drawers will have to be just for junk, but I'll have to use a few for... underwear...and..."

Taylor was completely oblivious to everything she was saying. He just nodded his head like he was interested.

"You know? So, I might need to move the bed just a little to the right if that's okay, I mean."

Jesus, she won't shut up. Again, Taylor moved closer to her, and placed his index finger over her mouth. "Shhh..."

Liz was positive that the butterflies in her stomach were doing the can can...

He leaned in and kissed her, a little longer this time. But they were interrupted.

Isaac burst through the door, a little surprised at what he was seeing, but this was not the time to worry about that.

"You guys get downstairs and get in the car right now!"

Liz jumped back, rather embarrassed at the fact that Isaac had come in at that moment.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked.

"Something's happened to Graven, GET IN THE CAR!"

That was all it took for Taylor to start running down the stairs to the front door.

Taylor stared into the red flashing lights that were parked in front of Graven's home. A paramedic had been talking to he, Diana, and Liz for a few minutes now. He was getting nowhere fast.

"Can you get to the point please?"

The man shot him a look to say 'I was getting there,' and continued. "So, her dog had ran over to the neighbors barking hystarically. They, naturally came over to see what was wrong and found Graven on the floor."

The trio was obviously learning nothing from 'mike' as it said on his name tag.

"So what happened to her?!" Liz blurted out.

"Well, it looks like self inflicted slits to her arms."

"What do you mean it looks like, either it is or it isn't!" Taylor was now raising his voice.

"Well, we don't have enough evidence to know if she did it to herself or if it was a set up."

Liz looked at the ground. "No one would want to hurt Graven."

"Is she going to live?" Diana asked not worrying about being discreet.

"We hope so, ma'am. We hope so."

Liz looked at Taylor. "I can't take anymore of this, I just can't!"

Diana looked at her son who was on the verge of tears, and then over at Liz who was already there.

"Come on kids, lets go to the hospital." For the second time this week.

Diana Hanson quietly closed the door to Graven's hospital room and hurried over to the two nervously waiting teenagers. "Well, thank God she's going to be fine."

Liz and Taylor both let out their breaths in one great, big, relieved rush. "Can I go in?" Taylor asked anxiously.

Diana hesitated. "Dr. Diaz doesn't think that its a very good idea for Graven to have visitors tonight."

"Hell, like I care what Dr. Whats-his-name thinks. I'm going to see my friend."

"Taylor no!" But Taylor had already ran past her and into the room.

"Oh." Nothing could have prepared Taylor for the sight he was met with.

"Get out." Graven said to him. Taylor was so horrified he couldn't even move. In a matter of hours Graven had completely transformed. Her hair hung in damp clumps, the circles under her eyes looked more like giant bruises, her lips were pale and bleeding, and her face was paler than the thick bandages that covered her arms.

"Grave, I..."

"Get the fuck out! Just get out!"

Taylor took a step towards her. He promised himself that he would not cry. "Why?"

Graven let out a long scream. "Leave me alone!"

A doctor rushed into the room followed by two nurses. "What have you done?" They pushed Taylor against the wall as they crowded around Graven.

"Don't hurt her!" he cried when he saw the nurses inject Graven with a long needle. Graven relaxed and stopped screaming.

"Look, you're going to have to leave. You've upset her by being here," one of the nurses hissed at Taylor.

"No."

"Listen kid, she's suicidal. Best do what she says and get out."

Suicidal? "Okay, okay." Taylor backed out of the room. He turned to Liz and his mother who had obviously heard the entire thing. "I can't believe she told me to get out."

Isaac, Zac and Mark came up the elevator looking worried. They had been told that Graven was going to be alright but they weren't really sure. "Tay, how is she?" Isaac asked.

"She told me get out," said Taylor still not believing what had just happened.

"But she wanted to talk to you." Isaac said, confused.

"How do you know?"

"When she called earlier wanting to talk to you I thought you were busy," he looked at Liz, then back at Taylor again. "And you were, so I told her I didn't know where you were. She sounded upset but I never dreamed..."

"You fucking prick!" Taylor actually had to be held back by Zac, Mark and Diana. "Do you know what you've done..."

"Taylor that's enough!" Diana said sternly. "I realize you're upset but you can't go blaming everyone else for things you have no control over. And watch your mouth!"

Taylor turned away angrily. "Let go of me!"

"I want to go in and see her. I won't say anything at all, I promise. I just want to see for myself that she's alright," Mark said finally.

"She won't want to see you, asshole. She didn't want to see me, so she will not want to see you." Taylor barked at him.

"Taylor!" Liz was horrified.

"Listen, Taylor. I'm not blind. Maybe I don't mean as much to Graven as you do, just don't rub it in my face," Mark spat out angrily.

"Let's go home," Taylor pleaded. He was tired and disillusioned. With Graven for doing what she'd done to herself, with himself for taking out his frustrations with everyone else and mostly for not being able to prevent anything.

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