“Okay, so here’s my idea,” Phantom says when they see I’ve finished. “Your classes start back up tomorrow, but we still have today. And with how shitty your actual birthday was, I really want to make it up to you. How about a quick day trip to Lake Michigan? I could borrow my grandma’s car and we could paint while we’re there.”
“Phantom, that’s a really sweet idea, and I appreciate the sentiment, but we already have plans today,” I remind them. “Maybe we can go to the lake in the spring.”
“What plans?” they ask, confused.
“I—uh, don’t you remember? We’re going to the hospital together today.”
“Oh, we don’t need to do that,” they say, waving me off.
My stomach swoops sickeningly. “And why not?”
“Because I’m fine now. Look at me.” They turn around in a circle, as if the improvement of one’s mental health can be seen from the outside. Which is ridiculous. “Yesterday was a fluke. Let’s forget about it.”
Only I’ll never be able to forget about it. They need help, desperately.I have to find a way to get them to the hospital today. I have to.
“Why don’t we compromise?” I ask, sliding from the bed. “Let’s go to the hospital first, and then go to the lake after. Let’s do both.”
Phantom stops to consider that for a moment. Then they look over their shoulder at the wall and laugh. “No way, Echo. Don’t be ridiculous.”
They’re not hiding their hallucinations from me anymore.
“I don’t think that will work,” they say to me as they shake their head. “The hospital could take too much time, and as Echo just reminded me, they could end up wanting to admit me, and that would definitely ruin the whole day.”
“But—”
“Let’s just go to the lake for now.”
Anger flares precariously in my gut, and it takes every ounce of self-control I can muster to douse it. Slowly and calmly, I say, “Phantom, you’re not listening to me.”
“Maeve, I swear I am,” they insist with a frown in their voice, coming to stand next to me. “Look, if it really means that much to you, then fine, yes. We can postpone the trip to the lake.”
I’m so relieved I could puke, but instead, I flash them my most convincing smile.
“Beautiful,” they murmur, leaning to rest their forehead against mine.
“Just give me a few minutes to get changed. Then we can get going,” I say with renewed pep.
“Get going where?” they ask.
I blink up at Phantom. “The hospital . . .”
They blink back. “We already decided we aren’t going there. We aren’t doing either; hospital or lake.”
“No,” I argue, anger flaring again. “Youdecided that. I don’t agree. I think we need to go. Today. Now.”
They raise their hands to cradle my face. “Maeve, no.”
“No?” I say, incredulous.
“Right.”
I push Phantom away from me. “I’ve been more than patient with you, Phantom, but this is crossing a line. We’re going to the hospital.Right now!”
They’re staring at me as if I’ve grown a second head. I grab their wrist and start pulling. I’ll go right this second if I have to, with morning breath and bed head. I don’t care, as long as Phantom gets the help they need.
“Maeve, stop it,” they urge as they pry my fingers off.
“We have to go,” I say breathlessly. “We have to go right now.”
