Ever since the news that I was going to die, I have been depressed. My Dad was upset but not depressed. He tried to talk to me but all I wanted to do was sit in my room and read. I pretty much read one book the entire time, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I don't know why but I felt connected to it. Even though I didn't have cancer I still knew were his words where coming from. I think we all die of something. Mine just happened to be Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. I hate that I was diagnosed with it. Usually it's genetic and I'm still trying to find out which relative I got it from. No one I know in my immediate family had it, so I figured it must of came from a relative that has passed on years ago.
About a week of staying in my room and reading the book a second time that week, my Dad came into my room without knocking and snatched the book out of my hands and put the bookmark on the page I was on before placing it at the end of my bed.
"Look," started Dad, "you need to make the most out of your life right now. You won't have many chances to do the things you want to do."
"Don't worry, Dad. I made a list."
He smiled. "Good girl." He walked over to my window and pulled back the blinds that I have kept closed the passed week. "And let some light in here."
"Dad, I like it dark."
"The dark is not going to make you feel any better." He stared out the window. "Huh."
I looked at him. "What, Dad?"
He continued staring. "Looks like some new neighbors are moving in down the street." He smiled and turned to me. "You better not rub that depressed attitude on them, Tori." He kissed my head and then headed out of my room, closing the door behind him.
After he left I just layed on my bed thinking and being all depressed. Depression is a side effect of dying. Most people don't realize that. They blame the drugs that we have to take or the disease in general.
After awhile of depression and complete boredom, I decided to call up Alison and Madeline. I didn't tell them on the phone that I was dying I just told them to come over.
They came straight to my bedroom when they arrived. Immediately jumping next to me.
"How you feeling?" Alison asked.
"Yeah, your Dad told us you had a doctor's appointment last week." Said Madeline.
I just shrugged. Only half listening to what they where saying.
"Something's wrong." Said Alison as she scooted closer to me. "What is it, Tori?"
I sucked my lips in trying to keep from crying but the tears filled my eyes fast and I immediately lost it.
"Oh my God, what is it? What's wrong?" Madeline tried to sooth me.
I wiped the tears away and looked at them, "I-I'm,"
"You can tell us." Alison said.
A tear dropped from my eye and down my cheek. "I-I'm d-dying." I finally got the word out of my mouth.
Both my friends brought a hand to their mouths and I could tell they where on the verge of crying too.
Madeline shook her head. "No you're not."
I nodded.
"It must be a mistake." Informed Alison.
I shook my head. "It's no mistake. The doctor ran test and my heart is just getting worst. He said if I keep taking the medication it will only allow me to live a year."
Now I could see the tears start to form in their eyes. They both tried to hold them back but after a moment they just lost it. They weren't crying out loud but they were sobbing quietly, wiping tears every so often.
"I can't loose you." Said Alison.
"I'm sorry." I said. "But it's not my choice."
Madeline walked to the window and stared out it still wiping away tears. She turned to me and Alison. "You should make a to do list. Set goals to do before you," Madeline just let the word hang there.
"Die?" I finished.
Madeline nodded. "Yeah."
"I already made a list of things to do." I said.
"Can we see it?" Asked Alison as she shifted on my bed.
"Yeah." I got up and walked to my desk were the notebook was laying down. I picked it up and flipped it to the page with the list. I carried it over and handed it to Alison with Madeline standing over her.
Alison's eyes scanned the page. "'Make a movie, relationship, boyfriend," She paused at the next one. "'Have Sex?!"
I shrugged. "Well, I don't want to die a virgin."
They both nodded at that and continued reading down the list. Reading some out loud and reading some just to themselves.
When they where done, Alison handed the notebook back to me and I placed it back on my desk. Madeline was now staring back out the window.
"What are you looking at?" Alison said as she got up off the bed and walked over beside her.
"You have a hot neighbor, Tori." Madeline said, not taking her eyes off the window.
I walked over to join them. It was a boy, who looked around my age. He was shirtless, playing basketball in his front yard. He was hot. Like really hot. He had amazing brown hair and his abs where so tight. I wonder what color his eyes are. I can't get a good view from my room.
We continued staring at him when he suddenly looked our way and gave us a smile and a welcoming wave. I waved back as Madeline and Alison ducked down in embarrassment.
I looked down at them. "What are you guys doing?"
"That was so embarrassing." Alison said and placed her hands on her forehead.
"He probably thinks we're stalkers now." Said Madeline. "We sure know how to make a great first impression."
I looked back out the window and noticed that the boy disappeared. Where could he have gone in the last 30 seconds?
I looked around when I heard a voice yelling, "Hey!" It came from my window. He jumped up and held on to the window steel because even though my window was on the first floor it was still a distance from the ground.
My friends let out a small shriek when he jumped up, keeping balance leaning on the window steel.
"How you doing?" He asked like it was normal for a random boy to jump on your window and start a conversation.
I looked at him with a confused expression. "We're good."
He pointed down the street. "I just moved in down the street. But I think you guys know that by now."
I felt my cheeks blush and I could see it on my friends faces as they still sat under the window.
The boy leaned over the window and looked down at my friends. "Hi girls."
"Hi." They both said in flirty but shy voices.
We all just stared at eachother for awhile.
"Well", Alison said. "I guess we'll be heading out now. Man, this is awkward." She said the last part mostly to herself. "See you tomorrow." With those words they both left the room, closing the door behind them.
"Hope I didn't scare your friends away." He asked.
"No," I said, "They where here for awhile and needed to leave soon anyway."
He smiled. "I'm Jared Collins."
"Tori Green."
He nodded with a smile. "Well it's nice to meet you Tori. I would shake your hand but you know..." He rolled his eyes down to the window steel. "So you live here, is that correct?"
I nodded. "Yup, just me and my Dad."
"Cool. Have any siblings I need to be aware of?" He said with a smirk. God he had a sexy smirk.
"Nope. No siblings to worry about."
He smiled. "You're lucky. I have an 8 year old brother so if he runs through your yard and rides his bike on your lawn, I would like to apologise in advance."
I nodded. "I except your apology."
He gave a chuckle. "Okay, I need to get down. My arms are starting to get sore." He let himself drop on the lawn and he landed with a thud. "Ow!" I heard him yell.
I looked out my window and saw him sitting up on the grass and I couldn't help but laugh. "Are you okay?"
He stood up and wiped the wet grass off his jeans. "It happens all the time."
I chuckled. "I hardly daught it."
He laughed. "It happens more than you think." He looked down at his waist and just then both of us noticed that he got a scratch and a cut. "Damn it." He muttered to himself. He looked up at me. "Do you by any change have anything I could clean this up with."
I nodded and went to the bathroon next to my room. My Dad was in his room upstairs doing some work. I grabbed a first aid kit, the rubbing cream you put on cuts, and a paper towel with a bowl of water.
I walked back to my window and placed the booboo stuff on a table beside my window. I dipped the paper towel in the water. "Here, clean it with this." I tossed him the towel and he caught it and instantly started cleaning his cut. When he was done he tossed the towel back up to me and I tossed him down the cream. Like the towel he instantly opened it and rubbed it on his tight muscles. I tossed him the first aid kit and he tossed me the cream. He pulled out a patch and placed it over his cut and tossed me back the first aid kit.
He smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem."
He smiled again. "Want to talk later? I have to go now. Babysitting the little devil."
I laughed. "I'm assuming that's your little brother?"
He nodded with a chuckle. "I call them like I see them." We both laughed. "Well, see you around." He said with a small wave and turned around to leave. I watched him walk to his house. After I saw him go inside his house, I closed the window and layed on my bed smiling.
He was so amazing. I never had a conversation like that. A boy jumping up and hanging from your window? A boy falling and asking you for assistance? That was an intresting conversation and I am looking forward to talking to him again. He was so easy to talk to, which was weird because I usually get shy infront of new people. But not him. He just came out so smoothly and his words flowed steadily off his lips. He was funny and made me feel comfortable in his presence. Not many people made me feel that comfortable when I first meet them. I barely know him yet I feel like I've known him my whole life.