Finding Cinderella

Chapter 11: Cindy's Thoughts

Cindy never forgot the prince. How could she? She danced with him in the middle of the hospital.
Cindy laid on the bed at their place at Disney World tossing and turning.
Why did I let him do that? Why didn’t I stop him? Why is he on my mind? Why do I even care about him?
Because he understands.
Cindy groaned and covered her face with a pillow. She knew this was gonna be a long night.
“Cindy?”
Cindy removed the pillow and sat up. Bobby stood next to her bed. Shortly after Prince Philip had left they were given the discharge papers.
“Hey buddy.” Cindy said softly and tapped the a spot on the bed next to her.
Bobby scurried over and curled into a little ball at Cindy’s side. Cindy helped him lay down and brought the covers over him.
“What’s up?” Cindy asked as she adjusted herself to look at her brother. She touched his little bald head with the back of her fingers as if she were stroking his hair. Cindy use to do that all the time when he was a baby and had no hair.
“I’m afraid to go to sleep.” Bobby whispered.
Cindy frowned.
“I’m afraid I won’t wake up.”
The room was eerily quiet as that sunk into Cindy. She felt as if she’d been stabbed. For a moment all her worries of Prince Philip were tossed aside. For a moment she forgot the dance. She knew only her brother was probably now closer to dying.
“Do you want to die?” Cindy asked quietly.
She had once been told when her grandmother died, that they reason people die of old age is that they have lost their will to live.
Had Bobby lost his will to live?
Bobby looked down at his hands.
Cindy took both of his hands in hers.
“I don’t want to have cancer anymore, sometimes it looks like the only way for me not to have cancer anymore is to die.” Bobby said sadly.
Cindy fought the tears. She touched the corners of her eyes as if she were getting the sleep out of her eyes. A tear sat on each finger.
“Besides nothing good has come out of the cancer. Mommy is always sad, you don’t have life, and Daddy worries about money.”
“I do too have a life!” Cindy scoffed. She tickled her brother to hear him laugh.
It worked.
“Good has come out of this cancer, bubsie.” Cindy said. “We are here because of you having cancer! Because you have cancer you got to go to Disney World and meet a Prince. How many of your friends at home can say that?”
“Five.”
“Exactly! Only five, and I am sure that isn’t because they have cancer.” Cindy tried as she poked him in the ribs.
“Jamie.” Bobby said.
Cindy pursed her lips together.
Cindy had nearly forgotten Bobby’s best friend when he was in preschool, Jamie Grace Washington. A girl whose eyes sparkled like emeralds, her eye shined like gold, her skin porcelain white. She was the example of beauty at such a young age. Everyone said that she would be the most beautiful person in the world. Not just on the outside, but the inside. She stood up to bullies, kissed everyone’s “boo-boo”, and gave you a feeling of joy.
Till she was diagnosed with brain cancer.
“Do you see happening with me like I saw happen with Jamie?” Bobby asked quietly.
Cindy could hear the tears in his voice. She pulled her brother close in a hug, remembering Jamie’s final months on earth. How her brother never left Jamie’s side. How Bobby took care of Jamie. How devastated he was when he was told he could no longer see Jamie.
How Bobby cried for two weeks when she died.
“I don’t know what you saw, bubsie.” Cindy whispered, her lips against the top of her brother’s head.
“Do I look like a skeleton?” Bobby muttered.
Cindy smiled lightly. “No, you look like a little boy.”
“Good!”
Cindy allowed herself to chuckle.
“Did you like the Prince?” Bobby said.
Cindy repressed a groan. Ahh, now they were back to square one.
“Yes, he seemed very nice.” Cindy confessed.
Bobby pulled back slightly, so now Cindy could look at his face. “You do know that’s not what I mean, right?”
Cindy sighed loudly. “I do know that isn’t what you mean.”
“Sooo?”
“I don’t know, Bobby.” Cindy said.
“Have you been thinking about him?” Bobby asked. Cindy could hear the smirk in his voice.
“No.” Cindy lied.
Bobby cackled. “You’re a bad liar Cid.”
“I am not!” Cindy exclaimed.
“You HAVE been thinking about him!” Bobby exclaimed.
“What makes you say that?” Cindy asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Your voice gets shriller when you lie, and you curl your toes.”
Well dang.
“Curse you.” Cindy muttered.
“I already have been!” Bobby said.
“You little.” Cindy began to tickle her little brother as he shrank away giggling.
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“I have good news!” Cindy’s father said as they ate breakfast.
Cindy lifted her forehead off of the table. She had not gotten a wink of sleep the night before. Too many thoughts were rushing through her head. The prince, Bobby, Jamie, Bobby not wanting to fight anymore. Plus, her brother is very active in his sleep. She counted three bruises on her leg from Bobby kicking her.
“What is it?” Bobby asked as he ate his waffles.
Cindy’s father seemed to be beaming. “We can go to the ball!”
Cheering erupted throughout the room.
“Don’t we have Universal Studios that day?” Cindy asked confused.
“The doctor has said that Bobby could go to the ball!” Cindy’s father said beaming.
“See! Good has come out of your cancer!” Cindy said as she tickled her brother’s side.
“Yeah, yeah.” Bobby said dismissing her.
“Say it.” Cindy prompted.
“No.”
“Say it.”
“No!”
“Say it!”
With a sigh Bobby looked at her and raspberried.
“Robert! How unkind!” Their mother scolded.
“Say it!”
“No!”
“Oh for goodness sakes, Bobby just say whatever she wants you to say!” Cindy’s mother exclaimed exasperated.
Bobby gave Cindy a stink eye as her said: “You were right.”
Cindy put her hand over her heart as she smiled contently. “Ahh, music to my ears.”
Bobby turned to Cindy and pointed at her. “We have to get you a dress!”
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A/N
Sorry this is shorter. I lost this chapter then found it.