Penny

The heart rate monitor is emitting a steady beep that echoes throughout the quiet hospital room, pulling me from my sleep as my eyes adjust to the harsh hospital lights.

We came to the hospital last night after I was let go by Enzo Bridger. He must have called an ambulance to transport Connor and I to the hospital. Connor is laid out on a cot underneath the pristine white sheets that hug tightly to his pale skin. The doctors said that he had lost a lot of blood, which I already knew myself after watching it spill out from all the wounds on his face.

My thoughts drift back to the night before, to the fears I felt while watching Connor get beat. It was a feeling I didn't ever want to have to feel again.

On the ambulance when I was asked about what happened and why I hadn't called sooner I had to lie. I told them that I had gone out to the alley to get some fresh air when Connor came out to meet me. I told them that we talked for a couple of minutes, and then this group of men jumped us, taking most of everything we had and started to beat Connor up. After that point, I told them that I had passed out from being hit hard in the head and shoved down onto the pavement. I had only woken up after they had left to find Connor bleeding out on the cold pavement, at which point I called for anyone to help and that's when someone heard and called 911.

They seemed to buy my story, it was Enzo Bridger who ran me through the thorough details of what he wanted me to tell law enforcement. The police wouldn't have believed me even if I had told them the truth. After all, who would choose to believe an intoxicated partying girl over one of the most wealthy men in New York City?

No one would. That is the unfairness of this entire situation, it feels like I am caught in a fish net with no way to get back out to sea.

I keep dozing on and off, but each time I'm jolted awake by my memories of the two men hitting the concrete. The gunshots echo through my head and I can't seem to keep my eyes closed for longer than a few minutes before my screams pull me from sleep.

It's around ten in the morning when my phone rings loudly in my back pocket, I almost jump out of my seat as the ringtone fills the space of the silent room. I pull my phone out and stare at the screen, Brooke's name flashes up at me, I take a quick moment to breathe before answering the call.

Before I can even mumble a hello, Brooke's voice blares out from the other end, "Penny?? Is that you? are you and Connor alright??" There are other voices mumbling in the background and I can only assume that it's Marlee and Jack, "I got your text last night about Connor taking you home early? I thought that you were going to get laid!!" She exclaims rather excitedly.

Her words register in my mind and then I quickly put her one speaker as I go to my text messages and check under our conversation. Sure enough, there was a text from around two in the morning from me;

Penny 2:05 am- Connor is taking me home, I am not feeling good. I will see you tomorrow, enjoy the rest of your night.

Brooke 2:16 am - OMG!! omg Pen are you, you know... *winky face*  doing it rn???

Brooke 2:20 am- How come you didn't come to say goodbye?? It's so fun here, I will have to tell you about this cute girl I met tomorrow ;)

Brooke 2:30 am - Get your freak on gurrlll, I am sooooosnsnf proud of you for taking that step... I know you were a little scardey cattttt about it.

I scan through the texts quickly trying to understand who had my phone and sent the text, because I for sure did not...

My blood is boiling again and I can't even think about answering Brooke because the only thought in my head is the fact that he pulled this off, and now I'm a little pawn in this big game of his.

"Penny? we're very worried, usually we would've heard from either you or Connor by now..."

"Hey Brooke," I say finally, my voice comes out hoarse, my throat is dry and sore, I remind myself to ask the nurse for water the next time she comes in.

"Oh my god, I am so happy you're okay, I knocked on your door but no one answered, I got scared-"

I cut her off before she can finish, "We're in the hospital, Brooke, you should get Jack over here right away..." I take a deep breath and close my eyes before I continue, "Connor... H-He's been hurt, they are saying he's possibly in a coma. They still need to run some tests before they know for sure, but they need to get his parents information."

"Wait, the hospital? Connors hurt..." her voice fades off as I hear other voices mumbling in the background and it seems like she's telling them everything I just told her.

"We'll be right down, I am so sorry Penny," She says quickly.

"It's okay, I just need you guys here... It's bad" My voice croaks as more silent tears stream down my cheeks.

-

Brooke bursts into the room first, her eyes are wide and frantic as she takes me in sitting in the chair and then they slide to Connor, a soft gasp comes out of her mouth as she takes in his face and the angry bruises and cuts that are now swollen and turning a shade of dark red. His face looks like a bad allergic reaction plus if a cat had scratched up your face.

Jack runs into the room next and collapses beside his roommate, Jack's face breaks as he holds Connor's hand. Ever since I have met Jack this is the most emotion he's ever shown. It makes sense since he told me once that he and Connor have been close friends since elementary school—this must be unimaginable for him.

I can tell that they are all so tired after the previous night, from the dark bags under their eyes and their sleep rustled hair. Brooke and Jack are both wearing baggy sweatpants and sweaters, a large contrast to my little black dress, mascara stained cheeks, and knotted hair. I must look horrible, my only solace being Connor's oversized jacket that I have draped around my shoulder to keep the hospital chill away.

I stand from the chair, my legs are numb and stiff as I stretch them out.

Slim arms wrap around me and I know that it's Marlee, her blond hair flowing off of her shoulders as she pulls me in for a tight hug. Her muffled cries, soak into the thin fabric of my black dress, she sniffles and pulls away,

"I am so relieved that you're okay," She says, sending me a quick smile and squeezing my arm in reassurance before moving to Jack's side.

Jack is on the ground, his head resting on Connor's chest as sobs rake through his body, his chest is heaving up and down, Marlee wraps one consoling arm around him.

Brooke nods to the hallway and I follow her out closing the door behind me to give them some privacy.

Brooke takes me in, I can tell from where her eyes are stuck on my cheek that she notices the large dark bruise that has spread across my cheek. When I last checked my reflection in the mirror, my skin was taking on a blue-ish purple hue, yellowing slightly at the sides.

"What happened? I thought.. I thought you two were safe at home" Tears run down her flushed cheeks as she pulls me in for a hug, "When you weren't answering my texts or the knocks on the door.. I thou-I thought something had happened... but this?"

I run my fingers over her curls, the softness sending waves of goosebumps up my arms.

I can tell that I'm still in shock from the way I'm acting. I'm never the quiet one, especially in a moment like this I should be trying to tell them what happened. But since last night... And those men I watched get shot, there has been a silence that has spread through me and I don't know how to fill it with noise again.

It's half shock and half the fact that I don't know what to say to Brooke. I mean I know the lie that Enzo told me to tell everyone - the fake story. But my emotions want me to just give in and tell her everything, everything from watching those men die, too getting taken to Mr.Bridger. To tell her the real reason Connor is now fighting for his life on a hospital bed.

But I can't.

Because I know that if I were to say anything about what happened, that Enzo Bridger would find out and he wouldn't stop until he's ruined not only mine but all my friends' lives. He's selfish that way, I understand now that he wants to watch everyone else suffer around him as long as people are hurting then he feels a sense of fulfillment.

So I start from the beginning of the well-crafted lie, weaving in bits of truth like how I was shoved into the pavement after trying to run—to escape them. Then how I supposedly lost consciousness during Connor's attack.

She seemed to believe it all, I mean I did make it somewhat more believable by shedding a few tears here and there. She nodded the whole time, rubbing my back as any good friend would.

Brooke, Marlee, and Jack are all good friends, the only people who made me feel less alone in my first few weeks here. So in return even though I am lying to them, I made a promise to myself in that room with Enzo. A promise to protect the people closest to me, even if I was putting myself at a greater risk of getting hurt in the end, at least I would know that they were safe. It all starts with this one lie, keep them safe and I won't have to feel the pain of having to watch another person I love get hurt under the hands of Enzo Bridger.