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“We are not watching Saw.”
“What about—”
“Or The Blue Angel! Too sexual!”
“I don’t see what is wrong with Saw.”
“Are you kidding? It’s just people dying in awful ways!”
Constance hummed to herself as she rifled through the Hospital’s meagre choice of DVDs. She doubted they even had any of the Saw movies or The Blue Angel here anyway. But over her month here, she had come to realise that once those three started bickering, it was better to just let them tire themselves out. She’d only intervene if Noel’s nicknames got too nasty or if the pitch of Ocean’s voice was threatening to shatter a window.
Penny came and knelt down next to her, peering into the little box of movies.
“Found anything?” she asked, picking out an old, dusty documentary on wildlife. Constance sighed and shrugged.
“Not really. They have Mean Girls, which is always a good option. And a couple Disney films, but none of the good ones.”
They had been planning this night for a couple weeks, since Constance and Ocean were well enough to stand up and visit the boys’ ward. Ricky still couldn’t get out of bed, and Mischa was in pretty bad condition, but Noel immediately leapt out of bed and hugged them both, rambling about as fast as Ocean usually did about all the things they absolutely had to do together now that they were all friends and alive. He seemed like he’d been waiting for the chance for a group movie night for a lifetime.
After Penny was well enough to walk around without fainting, the girls made it their life’s mission to convince the nurses that they should be allowed just one sleepover in the other room to watch movies. All of them said no, at least six times over. But eventually, the nice one with the blonde hair and friendly smile who always snuck Constance a little extra pudding, finally gave Constance a wink and whispered “I won’t tell anybody.”.
And now they were all lumped together in the boys’ tiny room. They had pushed Noel’s bed to be right up against Ricky’s and had (with much trouble as Mischa still couldn’t really get out of bed to make it any easier) done the same with Mischa’s on the other side.
There was a miniature, ancient little TV hung up on the far wall with a shitty, mildly-broken DVD player, but they had tested it out and it had worked. So as Ocean paced back and forth, still arguing with a grumpy, dosed-up Mischa about Saw while Noel quietly screamed into a pillow, Constance searched for an actual movie they could watch.
“What about a documentary?” Penny asked, holding up the DVD she had plucked from the pile. Constance grimaced, but covered it with a smile.
“I’m not sure that would really be the most fun…”
“Oh, okay,” Penny shrugged, putting it back. She rummaged through the box some more, before pulling out another.
“Ghost Busters?”
“I love Ghost Busters,” Ricky’s AAC rang out on full volume over the chaos from beside him. Penny beamed and nodded.
“I remember watching one of them as a kid and being terrified. But I think I could handle it now.”
“I don’t think they are even that bad,” Constance laughed, sitting back on her heels. “And I hate scary movies.”
Penny shrugged sheepishly. “I was like, seven.”
Eventually, they all settled on an order: Mean Girls, then Ghost Busters, then Snow White if they felt like it after two films. Mischa grunted and nodded sleepily, already finding it hard to keep his eyes open; he wasn’t going to make it very far into the night, that was for sure. Noel seemed quite excited about Mean Girls, but hid it for effect, refusing to let Ocean forget that he was mad at her for dissing The Blue Angel.
After another ten minutes of faffing with the derelict old DVD player, Ocean got it to work and wriggled in beside Constance on Noel’s bed, tugging the duvet tightly over herself as she rested a head on Constance’s shoulder. Constance smiled and found Ocean’s hand under the covers, squeezing it as the movie started. She had been a lot nicer since they had woken up, and being nice really suited her.
“She looks a little bit like you,” Constance whispered as Lindsey Lohan came on screen. Ocean hummed quietly.
“You think so?”
Constance nodded, and Ocean smiled.
“She’s pretty.”
Constance ran a thumb over Ocean’s knuckles, and Ocean sighed, snuggling closer as she watched the film. Constance knew it wasn’t Ocean’s first choice (“But it’s so inappropriate!”) but the fact that she wasn’t throwing a hissy fit right now was proof enough that she was getting better. Constance was over the moon that her best friend could maybe begin to become her favourite person again.
Penny sat with her knees tucked into her chest on Constance’s other side, squished in beside Ricky on his bed.
“What’s this movie about?” she whispered to him. He just shrugged and typed into his AAC.
“Some mean girls, I’d assume. I don’t know, I’ve never seen it either.”
“Huh,” was all she said, her big green eyes already transfixed on the grainy screen. He adjusted himself as best he could to give her more room, pulling up the blankets for her to get in if she wanted. She glanced down then back up at him, before smiling and shuffling down into them.
He didn’t expect her to immediately curl into his side, but he didn’t mind it. He just wrapped an arm around her shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In all honesty, a part of him felt like it was - even if he'd only really known Penny for less than a month. He let his focus land fully on the TV, and rested his cheek on top of Penny's head.
Noel spent most of the movie critiquing it and scoffing at the humour, but anyone could see the badly-hidden grin on his face. After Mischa had been woken up from dozing for the sixth time by some more of Noel’s unnecessary commentary, he huffed and weakly swatted at Noel’s crossed arms from where the movie critic was leaned up on the headboard next to him.
“I thought you like this movie,” he mumbled, trying hard to keep his leaden eyes open as they threatened to fall closed with every passing second. Noel shrugged.
“I do. This is how I show my love,” he said airily, gazing at the screen with a dopey grin. Mischa just hummed and let his eyes close, unable to keep them open no matter how much he would have liked to keep looking at that cute, cheesy little smile. Painkillers were a bitch.
By the time Ocean hopped out of bed to put in Ghost Busters, Constance and Mischa were both asleep. Noel and Ricky were still wide awake, however; Ricky was buzzing, excited about the next film, while Noel rolled his eyes and glared at the DVD cover as if it offended him. Penny didn’t seem very bothered – she just liked hanging out with everyone.
But again, it didn’t seem long before the remaining four were all yawning and slowly dropping off to sleep.
Ocean fought the drowsiness off like the plague, determined to stay awake and finish the film. But Penny was out during the first quarter, head on Ricky’s shoulder as he stared transfixed at the screen, ignoring his entire body screaming at him to sleep.
Noel was about to make fun of everyone for being so weak-willed and announce that he would pull an all-nighter, when two sluggish, wandering arms snaked around his waist and pulled him down into the duvet. He squeaked as he was pulled against a warm, solid chest by a sleepy Mischa, who was mumbling something in Ukrainian in his sleep. Ignoring the knowing look from Ricky, Noel shrugged and decided it would be rude to pull away and wake Mischa up, so he might as well stay put.
(If anyone noticed the way Noel’s face burned a bright pink in the harsh glare of the TV as Mischa sleepily tucked his head in the crook of Noel’s neck, no they didn’t.)
But eventually, Noel and Ricky both dozed off, and it was only Ocean left. Her limbs were aching, and her eyes were begging for sleep, but she got up as carefully as she could anyway and padded over to the DVD player. The room was dark now, the only light being the soft tendrils of silver moonlight filtering in through the hospital blinds. She had to squint to see through the blackness at all, but didn't want to risk turning on the light in case it disturbed anyone's sleep. She hummed to herself as she thought that last part: maybe a month ago, she wouldn't have even considered it. She would have just flipped the switch for her own sake, and wouldn't have batted an eye at anyone else who it may have affected. Ocean blinked and quickly shook her head. Shooing the thought from her brain.
She thought she was being quiet enough as to not wake anyone up when she opened the case for Snow White, but apparently not.
“Ocean?” Constance’s groggy voice called in the dark. Ocean popped in the movie and turned down the volume as Disney’s intro began, before darting back to the warmth of her spot under the covers next to her best friend.
“Didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispered. Constance yawned and shook her head.
“No, you didn’t.” She paused. “Well, maybe you did, but that’s okay. Is everyone else asleep?”
Ocean nodded. They fell into a comfortable silence for a while – the only sound was the quiet, tinny voices on the TV. Ocean slipped her hand into Constance’s again and pressed her freckled cheek against her shoulder as she watched, very obviously trying not to close her eyes. Constance laughed.
“Why don’t you go to sleep too? You look like you need it.”
Ocean pouted and shook her head, mumbling.
“Stupid Mischa made a bet with Noel that I couldn’t stay up past three,” she grumbled bitterly, still shaking her head with that stubborn glare. Constance rolled her eyes.
“Come on. He was the first to fall asleep.”
“Only because he’s still on so much medication.”
“Okay, well…” she pondered, knowing there was no way she’d convince Ocean to back down from this. “How about we do something that will keep you awake?”
Ocean raised her head. “Like what?”
“Like…” Constance’s eyes darted around the dark room. She honestly hadn’t had a sleepover since the second grade – she didn’t know what people were supposed to do on them. Once Ocean had turned eight, she had decided she was far too old for them and had forbidden any mention of sleepovers in her presence. Constance didn’t really have any other friends to have them with.
She knew truth or dare was a thing – but that felt too passive to keep someone awake. If she were at home, she’d go downstairs and get out the recipe book to start baking some late-night cupcakes or cookies or something – but she wasn’t at home, and they weren’t even supposed to leave their rooms at night in the hospital.
“What about…” Constance trailed off, eyes finally landing on the pillow beneath her best friend’s head. “Pillow fight?” she said meekly. Ocean blinked at her for a moment, and Constance winced at her own words, preparing herself for the usual chastisement of how stupid of an idea that was, and it could get someone hurt or something.
But after a moment, Ocean’s face split into a smile. Forgetting her apparent exhaustion, she leapt out of bed, yanked the pillow from beneath Constance’s head and slammed it down on her face. Constance yelped and rolled out of bed, landing with a small thump on the ground as she tried to catch her breath.
“Shh!" Ocean hissed. “It has to be a quiet one so the others don’t wake up!”
“Right, of course,” Constance whispered after a moment, standing up to reach down for the other pillow, her back turned to conceal the sly grin that was already stretching across her cheeks. “Just let me find my glasses…”
As expected, Ocean stood by and waited. Constance laughed and, in one smooth motion, grabbed the other pillow and swung it around to thwack Ocean in the head. She stumbled back, gasping, before her gasps turned into stifled cackles and she grinned, raising the pillow above her head once more.
“What are you doing?” a quiet voice asked. Constance startled and turned around to see Penny slowly blinking at them through the darkness. She opened her mouth to respond when another THWACK thumped her in the back and she fell forward onto the bed.
“Pillow fight!” Ocean hissed. Penny rubbed at her eyes and carefully peeled herself away from Ricky.
“Can I join in?”
Their attempt at a quiet, controlled pillow fight was quickly derailed by Penny, who – was for some reason – seemed to be a pillow-fighting-fanatic. Within minutes, she had both Ocean and Constance lying on their backs, giggling hysterically. Penny stood triumphantly over them, laughing breathlessly.
“I am the reigning champion,” she declared quietly.
Ocean looked up at Penny, eyes widening as they focused on something behind her. Constance saw him too, creeping up with a pillow brandished, grinning sadistically. Maybe if they hadn’t just been beaten to the ground, they would have warned the poor, unassuming girl.
“Boo,” Noel whispered in her ear, swinging his pillow at her. She shrieked and stumbled back, tripping over Constance’s ankle and landing on the little chair beside the wall.
Noel nodded, satisfied, before walking back over to his bed and sitting down.
“Що відбувається?” a husky voice grumbled. Ocean sat up, still laughing.
“Fight to the death,” she called back with her limited but decent understanding of the language. She had been learning on Duolingo since her parents had delivered her phone to the hospital.
“Oh. That is good,” Mischa mumbled, sitting up slightly and squinting in the dark.
“Turn on the lights,” Ricky’s AAC said – none of them had even noticed him wake up. Constance stood up and rushed to the light switch. So much for keeping it down as to not wake the others.
By the time Constance turned around, blinking to adjust to the cheap, yellowish light of the room, Penny and Ocean were at it again, pillows braced and grins maniacal.
“Fight to the death… with pillow?” she heard Mischa question to Noel. Noel just shrugged.
“Yeah. I’ve never been a huge fan of this kind of stuff either. Messes up the hair, you know?”
She watched Mischa slowly smile and pull out a pillow from beneath his own head, leaning toward Noel, who was still faced the other way.
“Yeah, am the same. Messes up my hair.” Despite his exhaustion, he launched a pillow at Noel’s head. Noel yelped and managed to duck, just in time. The pillow went flying and slammed against the decrepit TV. They all watched it wobble precariously on its flimsy little shelf, before falling with a smash to the ground. Constance gaped; it was almost like it had happened in slow motion.
Everyone stared at it as Snow White fizzled and popped, before the smashed screen went black. No one said a thing.
Until Mischa just hummed and shuffled back down into bed.
“I am on drug. Wasn’t me.”
Within seconds, he was snoring again.
“Dibs not taking the blame.”
Ocean glared at Ricky before shoving her hand up in the air.
“Me too! I didn't do anything!”
“I’m going back to sleep,” Noel said with an amused smile as he lay back down, the same time as Penny nodded and said, “I mean, it wasn’t me.”
Penny crawled back into bed, closing her eyes.
Constance threw her hands up. “Oh, come on! That’s not fair!”
Ocean smiled sweetly and walked over to her. “Hey, it’s alright, sweetie. Accidents happen.”
Constance rolled her eyes and pushed at Ocean’s shoulder, trying to fight the small smile that threatened to leak onto her cheeks. After a moment, Ocean sighed and bumped her shoulder.
“I’m only joking. If you want… I can say it was me?” she offered, flinching at her own words as if she had just been hit with another pillow. Constance raised her brows. She was really offering that? She hated getting into trouble.
“No, no that’s okay. I can take it,” Constance said, shaking her head. Despite her earlier sentiment, Ocean let out a sigh of relief, mumbling a quiet “Thank God”, before catching herself and smiling sheepishly.
“Or we could just blame it on Mischa,” she said matter-of-factly, turning to stride back to the bed, yawning again. Constance turned the light switch off again and followed after her. “It was actually him, after all.”
“No, it’s okay. The nice nurse likes me, she won’t get too mad.”
Constance squinted at the bedside clock as Ocean tucked herself in, and beamed.
“And hey! You made it to three!”
“Wait, really?” Ocean exclaimed, leaning over her to peer at the clock, before smiling and finally flopping down on her back. “I don’t think I’ve ever stayed up past ten, before.”
Noel laughed from across the room. “That’s no surprise coming from you.”
“Oh, shush,” Ocean snapped over her shoulder, turning on her side to make room for Constance to squeeze into bed.
The room went quiet once more, as the rhythmic patterns of breathing deepened and sleep took over. Constance felt herself slipping away with every passing second. She hoped this Movie Night that Noel was so excited about lived up to his expectations. And she was glad that her best friend seemed to have so much fun.
Opening her eyes a crack, she saw Ocean fast asleep, drool dribbling from her open mouth as she slept. Constance smiled and closed her eyes, falling asleep in seconds.
(When the nice, blonde nurse came to check on the boys the next morning, she wasn't too surprised to see double the amount of patients, all heaped together in one big pile of teenager. She smiled at the cluster of sleeping bodies, before her eyes landed on the smashed TV beside her feet. She stared at it for a moment, then shrugged and went to go get a broom. Those televisions were as old as her grandpa, it was about time they get new ones.)