Chapter Six

I awoke the next day to see that Aiden wasn't there. I was confused at first, wondering why he wouldn't be in his side of the room. But then I remembered:

His leg.

His cancer.

Aiden is going to die.

I shuddered, pulling my comforter father over my shoulders and tucking my arms closer to my chest. I understand now why his hair was so short, why he refused to share a room, and why he was so distant and mean when I met him. He couldn't get close with anyone, because when he dies... so does a part of those close to him.

He told me that he was diagnosed last year and lost his leg six months ago, and that he has been living at the hospital undergoing hardcore chemotherapy ever since. "I want it over and done with." He said.

He lost his hair, he got sick, he got awful blisters due to his prosthetic, but what was worst were the pity stares. His friends and family began to see him differently. They didn't see him as the funny, charming, and charismatic Aiden they knew and love; they saw him as the boy dying of cancer.

I refused to see him that way.

All night, long after he went to sleep, I've been trying to push it out of my mind. He was the same Aiden I knew yesterday, the same guy who went wheelchair racing with me and smiled as if it was the first time in years.

I don't think he has done much smiling since he has been here. But that natural curve of his lip was always there; just a ghost of what used to be.

I looked down at my own leg, wrapped in a blue cast. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. He didn't ask for loosing his leg; he would have kept it if he could. And then there's me; breaking bones everywhere just 'cause I could.

I despise myself for being so selfish.

I took a deep breath, and forced myself out of bed and self-loathing. There's nothing I can do about my broken leg now, except get better. The thing is I don't know if I ever will.

I grabbed a towel, a change of clothes, and a stupid plastic baggie for my cast before I hobbled towards the on-suite bathroom: a little room with a sink, toilet, and a shower with a sturdy bench. I shut the door quietly and turned the shower onto full blast, the hot steam meeting my face and fogging up the mirror's glass. I silently stripped of my clothes, bagged my leg, and released my hair from its bun before I stepped into the spray, a sigh escaping my lips. Once my hair was drenched to the core, I squeezed a sufficient amount of shampoo into my palm and began messaging it through my hair. I hummed absently while doing this, and heard the sound of a guitar from outside my door. Aiden must have come back.

I carried on rinsing, switching shampoo to conditioner while listening to the gentle music.

The melody took me somewhere else, to a place where insecurities, faults, and worries were nonexistent, a great sense of calm only present. I quickly realized that I had been rubbing my hand in the same spot on my head for the past five minutes, so I cleared my thoughts and returned to the task at hand.

I rubbed my skin with perfumed shower gel that smelled like coconut and paradise, before I shut the water off and ringed out my dripping hair. I opened the curtain swiftly, taking as step out only to go crashing down to the floor—the wet tiles and my slippery plastic baggie was not a good mix.

My shoulder hit the floor first, then my hip, both shooting up daggers of pain. I let out a startled cry from its intensity, making Aiden's music stop.

"Julie! Are you okay in there?" I heard him shout, and saw the doorknob begin to turn when I let out another startled cry.

"Aiden stop! Wait—"

It was too late. The door burst open and Aiden stumbled in, his expression full of worry before his eyes found my wet, naked form.

I grabbed my towel while covering my chest as best as I could with one arm, before wrapping the plush material around my body and screeching, "GET OUT!"

"U-uh," He stuttered, his eyes wide before he did something that was extremely cute, even though this was an embarrassing situation for both of us.

He flung his hand up to cover his eyes.

"I'm so so-orry Julie. I didn't mean to I swear!" he gushed out, making the scream in my throat wither and die.

It was sort-of hilarious that this made him squirm.

Once my towel was securely wrapped around my body I finally relaxed, even though my face was still hot. I tried to stand up but found that I couldn't. My shoulder and hip were killing me. I looked up to Aiden—who still had his eyes covered—and let out a sigh. I had no other choice.

"I can't get up."

"What? Are you hurt? Did you break something?" he said in a rush, still unmoving in the doorframe.

I rolled my eyes. "Come over here and help me you idiot."

"B-b-but—"

"Don't worry, I'm no longer explicit."

He peeked through the gaps of his fingers, before he finally freed the hand from his face. His shoulders slumped in relief when he saw that I had my towel on. It still wasn't the best circumstance, but better than being stark naked.

I held out an arm to him, raising my eyebrow. He sighed, but came to my side, crouching down and looping his arm on my lower back and under my knees. Before I could make a comment, he lifted my up into the air, pulling my body close to his chest. I let out a gasp and clung to his neck, staring down at the floor.

"What are you doing? You can't carry me!" I exclaimed, thinking of his fake leg.

"I think I'll be able to make it to the bed." He huffed. His prosthetic was trembling.

I looked to the ceiling. "Oh god, please save me."

He took a slow step, making sure he distributed the proper amount of weight to his foot, before taking another one. I watched with anxiety as his foot rattled, almost buckling a couple times, making me yelp. All he did was tighten his arms around me.

Aiden was a couple steps away from my bed when his prosthetic finally failed him. We went tumbling forward, me letting out a cry and Aiden trying his best to protect me by throwing himself towards my bed.

We landed with a thud, knocking the air out of me and making Aiden let out a grunt. Once my panic washed off I found that Aiden was sprawled on top of me, trapping my limbs underneath him.

It was my turn to stutter. "U-uh..."

Our proximity made me get a closer look at him. His nose was dusted softly with freckles, a faint scar fading away into his hairline on his forehead. I realized his brown eyes were actually deep amber, gold flecks floating in his irises. His jaw line was accentuated, but my gaze lingered on his curling mouth. Plump and upturned at the corners, I could only imagine how soft they must be.

I quickly returned my eyes to his, and found that he was gazing at me with a sort of intensity. I couldn't quite put what the expression was, but I found butterflies flutter at it.

He was so close, only several inches away, and I found myself holding my breath. For what, I don't know, maybe for him to give me oxygen.

"Ehem."

The voice seemed to break the spell, for Aiden and I both glanced at the door and tried to detangle out limbs from each other. In the doorframe was a girl with long brown hair, a heart-shaped face, and a spreading smirk on her face.

"Sorry to break the moment, but I promised a visit to my best friend." Baylene said.

"Bay!" I exclaimed, trying to hide my embarrassment with enthusiasm. I heard Aiden clear his throat uncomfortably behind me. "I can't believe you're here!" I said.

"I can't believe your attire." She gave a quick glance to Aiden. "I didn't realize you guys were that close."

"We're not." I rushed in, before I shook my head and added, "I mean, we are, but not in the way you are implying. There's just a misunderstanding—"

"Not at all, I understand it completely." She stepped into the room, while I silently prayed for her to shut up. She looked around silently with her hands in her pockets. "Not bad."

"Thanks." Aiden said, sliding away from me and standing with his arms crossed.

"No, I mean not bad for holding off for so long." She eyed between Aiden and I, smirking. "Clearly there has been some tension..."

"Again, not the way you are implying." I jumped in. "We hate each other."

"Uh huh." She said, not believing me in the slightest. "Why don't you go and put some clothes on before your parents get here, and Aiden and I'll—"

"What? My parents?"

Baylene gave me a sheepish glance while the color drained from my face. "I'm sorry," Baylene said. "I tried to hold them off but... its bad Julie."

I closed my eyes, letting out a troubled breath. No no no no no.

"What's wrong with your parents?" Aiden asked, finally looking at me.

Everything.

I didnt make my deadline.

:(

But i will finish thi as quick as possible dont worry. I hope you are enjoying the story though!

-Yours Truly.