Changed me

Beautiful People

" That sounds sweet is it an anniversary?" This is the first time I've continued the conversation beyond just pleasantries. However the joy on the woman's face was hard to ignore and part of me wanted to feel, for a moment, what she was feeling.

"No darling, when you have been with someone as long as Mr. Meyers and I have you have to do things to keep it spicy." She said with a wink and a little wiggle. I couldn't help but laugh softly. The sound was a bit foreign.

"How long have you two been married?" the question escaped my lips before I could catch it.

"Thirty years. We have been together for thirty long, beautiful exhausting and tremendously fulfilling years. Met him in high school back when things were simple and our only worry was whether or not we were going to get ice cream or watch a movie." The nostalgia on her face told me Mr. Meyers and nurse Meyers had fond moments. Moments that were currently taking nurse Meyers on a trip down memory lane. " We met our second year during third hour. He passed me a note and the rest is history."

" Do you think that high school relationships last?" Why am I here sharing one of my insecurities with a complete stranger?

" Sweetheart I think any relationship where two people care about each other deeply can last. As long as each individual is willing to work for it. Age is only a state of mind. My parents met when they were ten and are still happily married." I listened to her words as they spilled from her lips. She spoke boldly and confidently. She looked me in the eyes as she spoke. Giving me a small smile she continued, " Darling love is no respecter of age or person. When it finds you, it finds you. Love doesn't mean its easy but nothing beautiful every comes easy. Has anyone ever told you that?" She asked. Her eyes were boring into mine and I wanted to look away but knew I couldn't. Not trusting my voice to speak I shook my head.

"Well let me be the first. Beautiful things normally come from some very ugly situations. In the same way, beautiful people tend to come from those same type of situations." She spoke and I was thankful that the waiting room was empty besides a few nurses. No one was listening to our conversation. " Beautiful people do not just come about, or happen by chance. Beautiful situations don't just happen either. It's all about choice. Choosing to rise from the ugly situations and become something new."

Smiling lightly I blinked back the tears that wanted to fall. I haven't let them fall since that night and I definitely didn't want them to fall while I was standing in the waiting room.

"I don't know if any of that helped you or if my granddaughters right and I ramble too much."

" No nurse Meyers, you helped a lot." She stretched out her hands to me and I put mine in hers because what did I have to lose. She gave my hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Any time you need to hear a story let me know. We are always here at the same time anyway sugar." Nodding I squeezed her hand tightly and then released her. Walking away I tried to blink back the tears but I knew they were coming. I knew they were going to fall but I just prefer it not be out in the open. Nodding slightly to everyone I passed in the hallway I kept my head slightly down. I knew that all it would take for the floodgates to open right now would be more eye contact, so I was avoiding it at all cost.

Grabbing hold of the cool metal door handle, I released a breath and pushed my way in. No one was here around this time, so I knew it would just be Nile in there. The sight was all too familiar. My pale boyfriend hooked up to machines looking way too peaceful. The maroon chair positioned directly next to his bed and the shades closed. Opening the shades first I let some light in, even though it was gloomy outside. Then I poured some water into the cup that sat on the table next to the bed. After all, this was done I would usually fill him in on day-to-day nonsense that he's missed out on, but today felt different. I wanted to talk to the person who forced me to feel.

Nile never lets me not talk about the way I was feeling. I think it was because he held so much in he understood the stress it puts on a person. Whenever we would be sitting on the couch and I would zone out he would make me talk about my feelings. I hated it but wanted nothing more than for him to force me to talk. So I decided to pretend. I pretended that we weren't in a hospital room and that we were back on my couch. I pretend that my head was on his chest and his heartbeat was calming me. " Tell me what's on your mind curly sue," I said in my best Nile impression.

" Well, you're in a hospital bed and have been for the past two week or so," I said passive aggressively. The beeping of the machines wasn't helping me calm down but rather putting me on edge. " But you want to know what is really on my mind?" I asked knowing I wasn't going to get an answer.

" I feel all of these emotions but I don't know if I can feel them. I know that probably sounds really stupid and your eyebrows would probably be touching your hairline right now. But I don't know if I get to feel as terrified as I feel. I'm just your girlfriend, high school girlfriend at that. We haven't even been together that long." Taking a breath I continued, " What if all of this is just a high school romance and it will run its course. I'm terrified to lose you and I'm so scared to actually voice that."

"Then I'm so pissed because you don't deserve this, but does anyone truly deserve this? I want to kill Darren because I will never understand how anyone can treat their child the way he treated you. Nile, there are so many things in my mind and I wish I could communicate them all to you but I need you to get better. I need you to fight this and to win. I don't want you to fight for me, or Aria or anyone else. I want you to fight for you. I want you to fight because you deserve every ounce of happiness and good that this world has to offer you. Please fight for you. I know that your future is worth it. Whether or not we fizzle out and this is just a high school thing then so be it. I got to love a beautiful person and someone wise told me they don't just happen. I love you, please fight for you."

Holding his hand and rest my head on the bed I let my eyes drift close. The weight of the week was finally catching up to me. There's no harm in sleeping.

Thank you so much to all of you who have messaged me and commented and are still voting. I love this story and I promise I will finish it and so. There are only a few more chapters and the next one is in Nile's POV. Thank you for sticking with "Changed Me" - Shomal