Rachel’s POV
I lay across my bed, looking down at the notebook in front of me.I smile as I cross off #3, Meet a celebrity. Grinning, I think to myself, I actually got to meet 5. My eyes scan over the page that I had memorized in the past few months. I had started off with a lot of things on my Bucket list but with the help of my friends and mom, the list was down to 10. Nine now actually, I think to myself.I had them ranked in order of importance but I wasn’t doing them in any particular order.
Bucket List
1) Fall in love
2) Sky Dive
3) Meet a celebrity
4) Skinny Dipping
5) Travel across Europe
6) See a shooting star
7) Have a picnic
8) Go to a dance
9) Ride a Motorcycle
10) Get kicked out of Wal-Mart
My mom knocks on my door. “Come in” I say closing the notebook. She walks in holding the phone.
“Kasey is on the line” she says softly. I look down and shake my head. My mom looks at me sadly before taking her hand off the receiver. “She’s asleep right now, I’m sorry Kasey” she lies. When I was first diagnosed, having friends around me had helped a lot. It had helped me come to terms with everything that was happening and they had helped me create the Bucket list and do some of the things on it. But after a while, they either started drifting away or I would push them away. I didn’t want them to get to close to me. I didn’t want people to miss me or be upset when I died. The easiest way to do that was to make it so they didn’t care about me when I was alive. “Ok, I’ll tell her” my mom says before hanging up the phone. “She want’s you to call her back, she misses you” my mom says to me.
I shake my head “I can’t, it’s too hard seeing all of them” I sigh. She nods in understanding.
“I just hate seeing you act like you’re already dead” she says, her eyes tearing up. She hurries out of the room before I have a chance to respond, trying to hide her tears.
I hear my phone ring from across the room. I climb out of my bed and open it putting it to my ear. “Hello?” I ask
“Hey” a familiar voice answers on the other end. Niall, I think, my heart skipping a beat. He was actually calling me. Even though the day with the sick kid was over. I smile just thinking about it. “What are you doing tonight?” he asks.
“No-nothing, why?” I manage to stutter out.
“Meet me in the hotel lobby at 9, and bring the list” he says quickly before hanging up. I stare at the phone as I shut it. What? I think to myself. I glance at the time. It was already 7:30.
“Shit!” I yell flying into action. I mean, I had to make myself look good didn’t I? I jump in the shower, taking what had to be the fastest shower I’ve ever taken. I get out and wrap a towel around myself as I go back to my room to look for something to wear. It was supposed to be somewhat chilly tonight, so I slipped on a pair of jeans and grabbed a striped t-shirt and a white cardigan in case it got colder. I quickly head into the bathroom and blow dry my hair and apply some eyeliner. It was really the only makeup I wore. It made my eyes pop more and since that was the only feature of me that I really liked it was all I cared about doing things to. I check the time. 8:30. I breathe a sigh of relief. I’d make it on time. I slip on my flats and grab the notebook with the list in it like Niall had requested and head into the kitchen. “Mom, I’m going out” I say, seeing her sitting at the table. She looks up at me confused.
“With who?” she asks. I feel the heat creep up my cheeks again.
“Niall” I say with a smile as I grab the keys to my car and bolt out the door before she can respond. I pull up to the hotel a few minutes before 9 and quickly glance in the mirror to double check how I looked. I step out of the car and walk inside and look around. There were only a few people here. A family checking in at the front desk, some old lady stepping out of an elevator, and some guy reading a newspaper on a couch. As I look closer, though I realize that guy had sunglasses on. Indoors. At Night. He also had a hoodie on, casting a shadow over his face. That could only mean one thing. I smile to myself as I walk over and sit down across from him, the newspaper blocking his face from view. “Terrific night isn’t it?” I ask with a grin. He peeks over the edge of the newspaper before setting it down.
“How’d you know it was me?” Niall asks with a smile taking off his glasses and putting down the hood.
“Not many people wear sunglasses at night and…” I say flipping the newspaper around “Read the newspaper upside” I add with a laugh. He turns red.
“It was part of my disguise” he protests in a mock whisper.
“Not a very good one” I reply imitating his tone. He sticks his tongue out at me.
“So let me see that list” he says gesturing to the notebook in my hand.
“No” I say pressing it tightly to my chest.
“But I want to help you with them” he whines.
“But I…Some of them are personal” I say clutching it to me. “What if I just read them off as we go?” I ask. He nods, accepting this compromise.
“So which one first?” He asks. I flip open to the Bucket list page
“Ummm let me see…” I say scanning the list. “Let’s do the get kicked out of Walmart one” I say with a grin.
“What?” Niall asks with a laugh. “Like that one internet thing from years ago?” I nod my head with a smile.
“I always thought it would be fun but was worried about getting in trouble.”
“Well come along then, let’s do it” He responds with a smile.