She had a narcoleptic episode while walking down the stairs. She was at the top. She never came online that week. 

After the second week of unanswered messages I reduced myself to using the phone. Her grandfather answered. 

‘Dave? Yes, she’s told me about you’

‘Jade is in the ICU’

‘She took a fall, she won’t wake up’

won’t wake up

Won’t wake up

I dropped my phone.

I ran to my brother. Begged him, urged him, I needed a ticket, he turned away and walked off.

That night an envelope slipped under my bedroom door.

‘Go wake up your dame lil’ bro”  

A plane ticket and money is enclosed. I leave in two days.

I fly from Texas to a remote part of Hawaii.

She’s still out,

I skip the hotel and go straight to the hospital.

”Scuse me, I’m lookin’ for Jade Harley?” 

They point me up a flight of stairs. Fucking. Stairs.

I always warned her to be careful on them because of her condition.

There she is, hooked up to big ugly machines.

Its the first time I’ve ever seen her, and it had to be like this.

I would cry, but cool kids don’t cry, and she thinks I’m a cool kid, can’t let my girl down.

I put my stuff down and scoot into the bed beside her, putting my glasses beside her mangled ones.

“Hey there Harley, no rush, but we really miss you on this end”

 ”You don’t wanna make the cool kid cry do ya?”

 Too late.