Jones

Ch 93

DAY 4 FEB. 6, 2015

PAULINAS POV//

It's been quiet at school. Angie hasn't been here in five days or four. I lost count. It's like everything is in slow motion. She hasn't gotten any better and Crystal and I have been gong to her house every day after school to bring her assignments.

Today, it's my turn.

"What work does Angie need today?" I ask Crystal while opening Angie's locker.

"Uh, take her English notebook and science textbook because she already has the notebook and her math shit?" Crystal says while rummaging through her crap. I hang my backpack on the hook in her locker and stuff it with her books.

"I'll text you tonight and let you know what she needs," I say to Crystal before I take the long gracious walk to Angie's house.

"Actually. Can you take my day tomorrow? I have shit to do," She says and walks away.

"Oh Yeah? What shit?" I yell.

"Shit that isn't your business," Classic Crystal.

3:38pm//

I turn the doorknob and surprisingly, it's unlocked. She can't just leave the door unlocked when she's home alone. When I get inside her cat circles my legs and follows me into the kitchen.

"What does she got in here for me Tux?" I'm talking to a freaking cat. I settle for a granola bar that was sitting on top of the microwave. I make my way up the stairs and into her room.

She's fast asleep and turned away from the door. I try to be as quiet as possible while unpacking my backpack and setting her books on her dresser. Her room smells like a hospital and a morgue tied into one. There are towels and tissue boxes everywhere along with shit fancy bottles of antibiotics and empty bottles of water.

I sit on the couch chair next to her bed that I'm pretty sure her mom put there for Crystal and I. Because I don't want to wake her up before she's ready, I take the trashcan next to her bed and start throwing away used tissues and water bottles. There's a lot of shit in here.

While I'm straightening up I hear a grown and the sound of sheets turning.

"Hi, you're awake," I say and push my hair behind my ears before sitting on her bed with her. She rubs her eyes and closes them again.

"Hi," She says and stretches.

"How long have you been out?" I ask and brush her hair out of her face.

"I sleep all day pretty much," she says.

"Since your here, can you get me some more water?" She asks and holds up a thermos with an attached straw.

"I can but you're gonna come with me," I say.

"When was the last time you got of bed to do something other than piss?" I say. "Come on get up." I finish and start helping her out of bed.

"No Paulina. No." She whines.

"Jesus. Have you been eating? You look smaller than when I last saw you," I say to her because she looks like she lost more weight.

"Uh not really," She says once she stands.

"Ok well I'm gonna make you some soup because you look famished," I wrap her arm around my neck and hold her up to give her support to walk properly.

"I brought home your science and English shit because you have the rest," She nods but doesn't acknowledge my statement with words.

"Come on Ang, use your feet," I instruct because she keeps going limp as we walk down the stairs.

"No, take me back to bed," She whines again.

"You need to exercise your muscles. You're getting bed sores," I lead her into the kitchen and to a highchair in front of the counter to eat. I open up a can of soup and pour it into a bowl.

"Because I don't know how to cook this shit, it's going in the microwave," I say and toss the bowl in the microwave. Angie giggles but that giggle is soon interrupted by a cough.

"You're so cute," She says and her sick face stares at me.

"God, you look so different," I say and shake my head in her direction. When the microwave dings, I use oven mitts to fish out the hot bowl. I place it in front of Angie with a big spoon and a glass of orange juice.

"Can you please get me two straws? They're in a glass cup in the first cabinet," She says and I do as asked.

"Why two?" I ask and place the two colored straws in front of her.

"One for soup. And one for juice," she says and plants a straw in each bowl of fluid. She puts the soup straw in her mouth and in a matter of seconds, she sucks down all the broth.

"Angie," I say in a motherly tone.

"What?" She burps.

"At least take two bites of actual chewable food," I say and rest my arms on the counter in front of her.

"I'm full," She says after taking one bite of cubed meat. "I really am,"

"You're done?" I ask before taking the bowl away.

"MmHmm," She nods and starts sucking down her orange juice.

"When did you develop this new obsession with liquids?" I ask.

"Since my intestines refuse to withstand anything else," She scoffs.

"Ok bed," she says when she's done drinking.

"Don't you want to sit up for a while and watch something on T.V.?" I offer.

"Not really," She says and tries to slide off the chair.

"I'm coming," I say and assist her. I walk her over to the couch and she plops a squat. I sit next to her and throw the blanket next to me over us.

"Do you think you'll make it to formal?" I ask. "Its next Friday and you know. If I have to wheel you there myself, I would," I say and pull out two tickets to winter Formal hoping this proposal will brighten her spirit.

"You're joking," She says when she sees the tickets in my hand. I smile at her to reassure her I'm not.

She stretches over and hugs me. It feels like I'm hugging a bag of bones but I, of course, hug my girlfriend.

"So I'll be seeing you next Friday at 7 Miss Angelina Michelle Van Howllen?" I ask.

"You sure will Miss Paulina Miranda Casburn," She says and sniffles.

"Ok let's get you back to bed so I can head home," I say and stand up. Angie holds her hands out so I can hoist her up.

When you get married, the priests asks you if you'll love that person in sickness and in health. This is just the start of it all. No, I'm not flipping my shit and thinking about marriage. I'm 14. I can't make that kind of promise to Angie right now. That's the thing I learned about promises. They trick you which is why most people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them. You have to be careful with shit like that. Right now with Angie, I feel like I can make all the promises in the world to her. Because I love her. Because I know the feeling of love when it truly hits. You have to physically touch someone to bridge the gap between you that disconnects feelings. You have to feel to feel love. Yes, I'm being literal.

I know what you're thinking. "Stop being facetious Paulina. Skin to skin contact doesn't endorse love," Well, in fact, you are wrong. Skin to skin contact does endorse a sense a love. How do you think a mother a newborn bond? How do you think you get to know someone other than talking. Not sex but how they move, body language, touching? Now, where am I taking this you ask? I can feel the heat coming from Angie's body and being transferred to mine. Not just because of the 103 fever she's running but because we are so close and connected in certain ways that make us one. It makes us like the sun and the moon.

She is my sun and I am her moon. Together we make two beautiful things. Each other. An eclipse. Beauty.

Like always, my readers are welcome to email me personally or message me directly through Wattpad but please be mindful of the questions you ask. Much love!