It was sunny outside, the perfect day to laugh and be happy. Yet I was anything but happy. One day had passed since Nate's accident. Alli, who decided that she'd had enough of my gloomy mood, dragged me to the salon to give me a "makeover". So here I was, sitting in a chair completely oblivious to the plans Alli has made for my poor hair.
After about thirty minutes of trying to change her mind, I gave up knowing fully well that what Alli wants she gets. She'd blindfolded my eyes so I couldn't see anything.
"Don't worry Angie, soon you'll be looking like a model!" Alli said excitedly. "Fine, but I do have chemo at one so don't do anything extravagant," I said with a groan. She squealed and soon I heard her voice giving commands to the poor hairdresser.
. . .
I would like to say that it had turned into a disaster, but that would be a big lie. I stared into the mirror, my mouth gaping, and couldn't believe that I was looking at myself. To say I looked good would be an understatement. My hair was now trimmed to my neck and dyed blue. "Oh my God! Alli, I look amazing!" I yelled. "See I told you that you'd like it." She said with a grin.
"As much as I want to stand into a mirror and look at my reflection all day, I have chemo in fifteen minutes so let's go," I said while pulling her out of the store. As we made our way there, I grew nervous. A series of thoughts went to my head. All I could think about now was my cancer. I often wonder if I would live to see the future. If I would live to graduate. I know that I shouldn't think of things like that but I somehow couldn't help it and no matter what I did, I found myself going back to the same thoughts over and over again.
"Angie! We're here!" Alli yelled while waving her hand in front of my face. "Sorry, I just got caught up in my thoughts," I said with a tight smile. She looked at me suspiciously but dropped the topic. We found our way to the chemo room just in time. "Well, Angelina I've missed your company here. I love what you did to your hair." Nurse Hilda said once she spotted me. "I missed your jokes and distractions, Nurse Hilda. Thank you, by the way, Alli here practically forced me to do it." I replied with a grin.
I sat down in my usual chair and soon I was hooked up to the catheter. I closed my eyes, letting myself let go of all worries for the first time in a while. I groaned when I heard loud voices coming from next to me. "Can you please be quiet mate? I'm trying to have my chemo session in silence for once." I said with my eyes still closed.
"Angelina?!" The person yelled. My eyes snapped open and instantly grew wide when I spotted Jackson standing in front of me with a look of horror on his face, it was then that I knew that there was no escaping this.
. . .
After my chemo, I had sat down with Jackson and told him everything. He sat and quietly listened for a while until he hugged me and swore to "protect me" like a knight and shining armor. But he couldn't really protect me from cancer, could he? I had begged him not to tell anyone and he was true to his word because when I walked into school the next day everyone was acting normal. Including Jackson.
"Angelina! Can you hang out with us after school?" Octavia asked. I looked at the ground nervously while biting my lip. "No, I'm sorry but I can't. I have plans this afternoon.". "Oh. Plans with your other friends? The two weird ones with cancer?" Mason said disgustingly. I gave him a glare and held his gaze for a while. "They are not weird, and since when is having cancer disgusting. The only thing disgusting here is you for judging them based on a disease that wasn't their fault." I spat at him.
"Look I'm sorry ok? It's just a little weird to see that guy with the tubes." He said monotonously. I nodded and decided to ignore their conversations or at least I tried. "How'd you meet those freaks anyways?" Mason said suddenly. "Stop! They are not freaks. You're pathetic, what's wrong with you? You're judging a sick person for having cancer. Who I'm friends with isn't any of your business so just leave my friends alone."
I got up leaving a shocked Mason behind and made my way to the next class with just one thought on my mind. Mason Black is an infuriating jerk.
. . .
At the end of school, I made my way outside and waited for Josh to take me to my chemo. "Hey, Angelina!" A voice yelled behind me, causing me to flinch. I turned around to face Jackson in all his glory with a smile on his face. "Hey Jackson, what's up?". "Well I know you're going to the hospital...can I get a ride with you? I have to meet my mom there." He explained, his mom who just so happened to be Nurse Hilda was the reason why he was there yesterday.
I looked at him before taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm waiting on my brother since I can't drive myself anymore cause of my cancer," I said shyly. He nodded with a sad smile on his face.
"I'm sorry for what happened in the cafeteria, and I'm sorry for Mason, he just doesn't cope too well I guess. You don't deserve the way he's treating you and you don't deserve cancer. I know we only met a couple of weeks ago but I know you have a good heart.". "Thank you, Jackson, I understand that Mason has his issues or whatever but that doesn't mean that he gets to treat me this way.". I said firmly. He nodded and was about to say something when Josh's car pulled up in front of us.
I motioned towards the car and he followed me in. "Hey Josh, this is Jackson. His mom is Nurse Hilda and he needs a ride to the hospital too." I said, explaining to Josh who was glaring daggers at me for having a boy in his car. I rolled my eyes with an amused smile. "It's nice to meet you, I can tell that you're overprotective of Angelina and well she's my friend and I won't hurt her," Jackson said. For a minute Josh looked surprised but nodded in return. At least it was something, I thought to myself.
Soon we were in the chemo room, once again, I was hooked up to the catheter and Jackson sat in the waiting chair across from me. He was telling me corny jokes and stories to distract me even though I didn't need a distraction.
Nate suddenly walked in, making my heart skip a few beats. He looked at Jackson but ignored him and made his way to me. "Hey, Angel." He said while giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.
I felt shy as an innocent blush crept onto my face. "Hey Nate, do you have chemo today?" I asked confused. "No, actually I have news. I'm getting a transplant tomorrow!" He yelled. My eyes widened before a huge smile made its way to my face. "Oh my god! Oh. My. God. Nate that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!" I said happily.
"Are you guys together...?" Jackson asked bluntly with a frown on his face. I tilted my head to the side in confusion and was about to answer when Nate beat me to it. "Not yet, actually that's another reason why I'm here. Angelina Winters would you do me the honor of going on a date with me? My surgery is tomorrow and I probably won't be able to go anything for a while.". "Nathan Hale I would be honored to go on a date with you," I said cheekily. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I was going on a date with Nate, the smile on my face was huge to the point that my mouth started to hurt but I didn't care. All I cared about at that moment was Nathan Hale.
. . .
My hour was up and Jackson had left a while ago. Nate dragged me out of the hospital and to an unknown source for our date. Since he was too impatient, he hadn't allowed me to go home and change. "Nate where are we going?" I asked for what seemed to be the millionth time. Nate laughed and shook his head. "I told you it's a surprise so you're gonna have to wait.". "But Nate," I whined while pouting and trying to make puppy eyes. "As cute as you look right now, I'm not going to tell you, Angel, sorry." He said with an amused look on his face.
I growled in anger and turned away from him, ignoring him for the rest of the walk.
Soon we arrived and Nate held his hands over my eyes despite my constant complaining. Deep down I was excitedly waiting for the moment he would remove his hands, and impress me with a romantic date. I've always been a sucker for romance. "Ok ready?" He asked once we came to a stop. "Yeah," I said softly. He removed his hands and I gasped at the sight of a skating rink. "You remembered?". "Of course I did, your eyes lit up when you talked about dancing and having fun on the skating rink back in England." He explained. My heart instantly melted, it may just be a skating rink but it's where I spent most of my time when I was bullied at school. It's also the place that held the only memory I had of my parents.
I hugged him tightly and placed a kiss on his lips. He looked surprised for a moment but smiled once I pulled away. "Thank you so much, Nate, I've really missed skating.". "You don't have to thank me, but before we start...". He said while getting down on one knee. I widened my eyes and he laughed at my surprised face. "Angelina Winters will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" He asked while pulling out a necklace with an angel on it. "Oh my god! Yes, I will!" I yelled as if I was accepting a marriage proposal. He instantly shot up and spun me around in the air. I giggled in happiness, not even caring that my way whole body was aching in pain.
He set me down gently before placing a tender kiss on my forehead. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." He said. "Me too," I replied while tiptoeing and placing a soft kiss on his lips. He immediately responded and kissed me back, making me feel joyful at the fact that I was where I was supposed to be, with someone I cared about deeply.
We started skating on the ice rink and every few seconds Nate would slip and fall. I kept laughing at his miserable attempts to get to me. "Angel, help me please." He whined. I giggled and skated to his side. I held my hand out and pulled him up. He stuck to my side as to not fall down and while looking into my eyes he grinned and whispered. "As long as your holding my hand I know I'll be fine." And right there and then, I knew that I was in the place I was meant to be.
. . .
The next day, we met up with Alli and Eliana at the diner. When they saw us walking in holding hands they instantly squealed and asked for information on our dates in detail. I explained to them all that happened and every few seconds they would say "awww" and called Nate and me cute.
Eliana had become apart of our group, she fit right in and we all acted as if we have been friends for years even though it was only a few weeks. "So guys, I have to leave now so I can go check-in for my surgery. I'm not even supposed to be here but I snuck out and my parents are probably worried." Nate said chuckling. I frowned, a sense of fear overcoming me.
What if the surgery went bad? I thought to myself. "Hey, hey. I'm going to be fine." Nate said while hugging me. "Come walk with me?" He asked while stretching his hand for me to take. I nodded, not trusting my voice and waved bye to Eliana and Alli who looked at me with a sad smile.
We walked slowly towards the hospital, in uncomfortable silence. When we arrived at the hospital parking lot Nate turned to me with a concerned look on his face.
"Angel, I'm going to go in there by myself, and you're gonna go home and try to rest. You can come to see me in the morning when I'm awake. Promise me that you'll go home and rest." He said firmly.
I took a deep breath, knowing that it wasn't worth the fight and nodded. "I promise," I whispered. He pulled me close and kissed me as if it was the last kiss, and walked away without looking back. And it was then and there that my gut twisted and turned, feeling the impending doom, that was soon to come.