The Darkness Within Her

Chapter 3: Now You See Me

My phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand. I groaned loudly and crawled from under the sheets, peering to see the screen. It was Caleb. I hadn’t talked to him in a couple days, claiming that I was busy with schoolwork. Truth was, the last dose had knocked me on my ass. It felt as though that shot had taken all the strength out of me. Lifting my arms or trying to walk caused my muscles to burn as though I were doing resistance training.

            I remembered what Dr. Hastings had told me once that my disease was killing me and the medicine that I was taking only prolonged my life, not saved it. Eventually I would die. It was an incredibly depressing thought. I wondered if the timer on my life was running on to the last minutes. When I had first started getting the injections, it had been blistering agony for a few hours before the pain faded into exhaustion. While the burn and the weariness were always a constant factor, it seemed to be getting worse. Six years was a hell of a lot longer than I expected – or anyone expected I think.

            I grabbed my phone and pressed “answer” before rolling onto my back with the phone by my ear, “Yellow?”

            “Hey,” Caleb sounded breathless.

            “Please don’t tell me you called me just after you had a male orgasm,” I muttered.

            “I w – wait, what?” Caleb voice went up to octaves in shock.

            I grinned, “So, was it with this Natalie or the hand?”

            “Dude! That is nasty!” Caleb sounded sick.

            “What? You sound breathless which would send sexy to Natalie’s ears but mine? Not so much,” it was kind of sexy but I was overlooking that point.

            “No, I just finished my morning jog,” I bit off a giggle at the hurt in his voice, “What in the hell made you think I just – did – that?”

            “I don’t know,” I shrugged, “So why are you calling me?”

            “Not to discuss my sex life,” Caleb announced.

            “Are you sure, ‘cause I am here for you? Not in that way but you know in other typ-“

            “No, just stop,” Caleb cut me off, “No, I called because I need to go prom shopping.”

            “Oh, so you want to be a girl then? I gotcha, don’t worry. I always wanted to have a girlfriend. I mean you are cool, don’t get me wrong, but it’s kind of awkward talking to you about my period because I jus-“

            “Jaye, please shut up,” Caleb’s voice sounded muffled. He probably yelled into a pillow. That too was sexy. “I am trying to be serious.”

            I looked at the clock on my phone before replying, “It is 5:30…in the morning. Do not expect me to take you seriously when I am barely awake.”

            “Please Jaye, I really like this girl,” Caleb pleaded.

            Sighing, I closed my eyes. My heart pulsed at that exact moment, slightly painful. Why, oh why, did he have to do this to me? Because he doesn’t know you like him dumbass, a voice scolded me in my head. I worried the inside of my cheek before saying reluctantly, “Fine, what time?”

            “Does nine work?”

            “Yeah,” I slowly began to crawl back under the sheets, “It works just fine.”