RANDOM QUESTION:

Getting To Know You (Part 2).

"Just shut up, will you," Jen scolded me as she did my hair and makeup. "Its your best friend's birthday, you need to look presentable. Besides, you look hot."

"I'm his best friend not girlfriend. That's you. So you need to look presentable. It doesn't matter if I even wear pyjamas."

"Lizzie is so going to hear about this. Four years with her and you still haven't learnt from her awesome fashion sense."

I smiled as I thought back to how Jen and Lizzie had gotten close since she was with Jerko. Jerko and I always kept talking about Jen whenever we visited Liz so she insisted on meeting her at the hospital. I was initially shocked since Liz hadn't allowed any of us to tell anyone about her existence all together because she thought it would 'spoil our image in society' if people came to know that the family that had two miscarriages now has an adopted daughter who has leukemia. We all tried to tell her that that reasoning was just plain bullshit but she didn't budge. Needless to say Jen loved her from word go and was even more fascinated by her interest in fashion and her fashion sense.

"She's really good at it despite just being 14, right?" I said in adoration.

Jen nodded and asked, "How is she doing since the last time I saw her?"

My smile instantly dropped as I said, "She looks like someone who has been fighting for her life for the last 4 years of her life. She's lost a lot of weight and the doctors aren't sure if her body could handle another one of the seizures she used to get. But thank God she hasn't been getting those for two months now and doctors say that finally, after all these years, there is hope."

"Well, today, you forget all of that and enjoy your best friend's birthday, okay? Today's going to be great!"

I crossed my fingers as I hoped for the same thing. Let nothing to wrong today. Who knew though that that day would in fact be the worst day of my life.

***

I grinned as I saw Jerko and Jen slow dancing on the dance floor. Austin had booked the entire club from one of his dad's hotels for his birthday so the entire crowd included people from our school. Naturally, everyone started gossiping and whispering after they saw both of them together since they weren't official as of today. I was happy for my friends.

Amidst the loud noise in the club, I got a call from Gramps.
"Hello? Gramps? I'm at Jerko's party right now, do I call you back tomorrow?" I yelled into the phone.

"Honey, Lizzie had another seizure a while back," he mumbled. Despite the loud noise and his whispering, I still heard his words clear as day.
"W-What?" I croaked. "But, wasn't she doing great?"
Don't cry. DO NOT CRY.

"We don't know what happened, honey. Seizures usually just happen without any warning."

"But....B-B-But she's okay, right?"

He started crying on the call as I said that.
"GRAMPS! SHE'S OKAY, RIGHT?!"

I heard some shuffling from the other side as Grammy took the phone from him and said solemnly, "She didn't make it, sweetheart. She fought hard, but she didn't make it. She's gone."

My body went limp after I heard that. I couldn't process anything else happening. I don't even remember downing vodka shots back to back until I could ingest no more.

You're not going to cry. You're not going to cry.
I knew I had to go back home and be there for my family but I couldn't help and be selfish enough to want some time to myself. I stumbled to the dance floor and decided to let loose. All my anger, sadness and grief was channelled into dancing. I entangled my hands in my open hair as I moved my body to the blasting music.