My Life in Black and White by Natasha Friend Read Free Book Online

however I was feeling, my face was still bandaged. Whatever I looked like, no one could tell. And I wasn’t about to give Heidi the satisfaction of appearing anything but fine.
    “Thanks, Heidi,” I said. Calm. Cheerful. Then, to the rest of them, “Thanks, you guys.”
    “You’re welcome!” everyone chorused back.
    Awkward silence followed. Made even more awkward by my mother launching into hostess mode, bustling around collecting teddy bears, offering Dixie cups of water, while out of nowhere my dad became a stand-up comedian. How do you make a Venetian blind? … You poke him in the eye!
    If Kendall and Rae hadn’t burst through the door in their sarongs and flip-flops, swooning over the male nurse they’d just met in the elevator, I might have yanked the IV out of my arm and run screaming out the door.
    “Omigod, you guys, he was so hot!”
    “He looked like Mario Lopez—”
    “But with Justin Bieber’s nose—”
    “I told him he could give me a sponge bath anytime—”
    “Kendall gave him her number on a piece of toilet paper!” Rae shrieked, and everyone laughed. Except my dad, who shook his head, as if to say, statutory rape is no laughing matter.
    “Omigod, Lexi!” Rae suddenly said.
    And Kendall said, “You look so good!”
    As they ran over to hug me, apologizing for being late—they’d been at the beach—I felt a rush of tears that I couldn’t explain. “Thanks for coming,” I said. Because that is what you say when your friends come visit you in the hospital. And even though I was thankful, Kendall and Rae being there only made me feel worse. Their presence made Taylor’s absence all the more glaring.
    “Where was Taylor?” Ruthie asked as soon as everyone left.
    I shrugged.
    “Did something happen with you guys?”
    “Gee, Ruthie, I don’t know. Her brother just decided it would be fun to drive me into a tree.”
    My dad cleared his throat and said, “Maybe a little distance from Taylor is a good thing. Until we determine the legality of this situation.”
    “Jeff.” My mother frowned delicately. “We’ve discussed this. We are not going to sue the LeFevres.”
    “Well, someone needs to take responsibility here, Laine. Someone is going to need to cover these medical bills. Do you know what our deductible is?”
    The minute the conversation stopped including me, I reached for my cell. Just to torture myself, I listened to Taylor’s voice mails, starting with the gem she’d left me the morning after the accident. Eight days ago. But who was counting?
    “Lex, oh my God … I heard what happened. Well, obviously, since Jar was driving … I can’t believe he was driving … anyway … I’m freaking out here. Call me when you can, ’kay? I’ll keep my phone on.”
    Oh, you’ll keep your phone on? Wow. You are such a good friend. You should win an award.
    “Lex … it’s me again. Still freaking out … Call me.”
    You’re freaking out? YOU’RE freaking out???
    “Lex, hey … My mom talked to your dad and he said something about surgery…? Oh my God … I guess that’s why you haven’t called me back…”
    Yeah. That’s why.
    “…but could you at least text me? … I’m sooo sorry about everything. We need to talk. Please?”
    It was unbelievable. Taylor spent a full fifteen voice mails pretending to care about my well-being, pretending to care that she hadn’t heard back from me. She throws out some lame, generic apology to assuage her guilt, and I’m supposed to call her back like everything’s fine? No mention of the party. No mention of Ryan. It was like she thought my brain had been so damaged in the accident I couldn’t remember what she’d done. Please.
    I drove myself crazy, listening to Taylor’s voice mails.
    And reading Ryan’s texts.
    And picturing those thirty girls in my hospital room, nudging each other, exchanging glances.
    I went certifiably insane trying to make sense of it all. Why Taylor and Ryan did what they did, how they could