I walked closer to Aaron. He stood up, smiling and enveloped me in a hug.
“Hey, Lexi. What took you so long?” He said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
I blushed at the nickname again and placed my arms around his neck.
“Sorry, but I just walked here slowly” I said, not sounding sorry at all.
Everyone was watching us and Aaron seemed to notice this. He tightened his hold around my waist.
“You shouldn’t walk so slow. I was waiting for you” He said firmly. He then pulled me down to sit with him and carried on eating his food, his other hand still holding my hand.
I blushed and looked around. Yes. Everyone was staring and whispering. I chose to tune out their words, knowing that the comments would hurt me and I didn’t need that negativity right now.
I ignored them all and took my lunch out, taking a big bite out of my pizza. I turned around to find Aaron staring at me, his eyes wide with amusement.
“What? Why do you look so shocked for?” I questioned, suddenly self conscious, I looked in my phone screen to see if there was anything on my face.
He laughed in response, his eyes closing and his head tilting upwards slightly, just the way I liked it.
“Wouldn’t you be shocked if you saw a tiny girl devour a pizza twice the size of her?” He said, eyebrows raised.
I scoffed indignantly.
“I am not tiny!” I exclaimed.
He looked me up and down incredulously.
“Seriously, don’t you see it? You’re so tiny” He said, latching his slender fingers around my wrist.
“So small” He muttered, staring at his fingers that enveloped my wrist perfectly.
I blushed under his stare, but composed myself and spoke.
“Like your brain, I’m sure” I said, childishly.
He looked up at me, his expression filled with humour. He then came closer, his hot breath hitting my lips.
“Well, I do make up for it, trust me.” He said, a smirk on his lips.
I gasped when I understood the innuendo and smacked his hand away from my wrist. I shoved the pizza away from me. I had suddenly lost my appetite.
He laughed at my reaction, taking a bite out of my pizza.
“Don’t be a kid, Lexi. Just eat your food” He said, pushing the food back towards me.
I shook my head and folded my arms across my chest, giving him my best glare. He laughed at this and grabbed the pizza from the plate.
“Eat it” He commanded.
I blushed, trying to take the pizza out his grasp, but he wouldn’t let me, his eyes alit with amusement. I sighed heavily before allowing him to feed me.
“Aw, bro, why don’t you feed me like that?” Danny whined from the opposite side of the table.
Everyone looked at him weirdly, even me. Danny cleared his throat awkwardly and looked down and carried on eating his food.
“So why can’t you come to my party?” Aaron said, drawing my attention away from his strange friend. He came closer, so no one could hear.
“My girlfriend always comes to my party. It’ll make our relationship look more realistic” He whispered.
I looked down. I couldn’t tell him. We weren’t close, so I lied.
“Erm, family dinner. Can’t miss it” I said, forcing a smile.
He seemed to buy it because he smiled.
“Oh okay” He said whilst shrugging. He didn’t care if I was there or not.
“So, you guys like together or something?” Someone questioned from his group of friends. She had black hair and green eyes. She was sporting a bored expression, but I could tell she was interested.
I looked over to Aaron, but he was busy talking to someone else. I just have to handle her myself, I thought.
“Yes. Yes, we are.” I smiled at her.
The girl looked at Aaron for a whole before looking at me.
“Oh.. Congratulations” She smiled.
At least she wasn’t bitchy. Actually, no-one on the table was mean to me. I knew it was because I was with Aaron and when Aaron picked someone, no-one would go against him. They would just accept them.
The bell rung, signalling last period. I sighed and got up, as did everyone. I looked to Aaron to say goodbye, but he was occupied talking to someone. I would wait, but I couldn’t be late for another lesson, so I rushed out of the Lunch hall and accidentally bumped into someone.
“Are you okay?” I shouted to the person on the floor. The person nodded his head and stood up. I stood up as well and that was when I recognised the person. Those green eyes, that tanned skin, that brown curly hair.
“Oh, hey, Elliot!” I greeted politely.
He looked up from the floor and smiled.
“Oh hey! Why are you in such a hurry?” He inquired, holding his folders which were tucked under his arm.
I grinned sheepishly.
“Can’t be late for class again”I said, shrugging my shoulders.
He laughed, stepping out of the way and gesturing for me to go.
“Well, who am I to stop you? Carry on, your Highness” He said in a deep British accent.
I laughed and waved goodbye, walking away from him and into my class.
20- My Secret
“Yes, blood pressures normal now. Just keep drinking a lot of fluids and stay away from eating a lot of fatty food” The nurse told me.
I nodded my head showing I understood when, in actual fact, I didn’t care. I couldn’t find myself to care anymore.
I pulled my sleeves down and stood up from my seat, waiting for the nurse to dismiss me. I fidgeted with my fingers for awhile, looking around the room. The nurse fiddled with a few machines, taking notes down on a pad.
I bit my lip anxiously, hoping for the silence to end. Finally, she turned around to face me, concern evident on her face.
“I know, I’ve asked this everytime, honey, but I have to as part of the protocol. Are you sure we can’t be of further assistance?” She bent down towards my height, putting the notepad down on the chair besides me.
“Yes. I’m sure.” I breathed out confidently. I didn’t want anyone to question me right now, especially when I had made up my mind.
“I know, sweetie but, the thing with aplastic anaemia is that it is-”
“No, I don’t want to hear it again.” I cut in, not wanting to hear anymore explanation. I’ve had aplastic anaemia for a year now and I wasn’t going to change my mind.
“My treatment isn’t something we should use the money on now.”
She stood up fully back to her regular height, exhaling slowly.
“Well, if that’s what you want honey,” she picked up the notepad and walked back to the machines, not saying another word.
I was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anaemia when I had turned 13. Aplastic Anaemia was common and not as fatal, but some were severe cases and thus dubbed as SAA. A few hundred people in the US alone suffered from this
It was very slight, in its first years and I didn’t understand it’s calamity, until I was a bit older. When I was around 16, I began to learn more about my condition. It turns out that the only possible treatment for my condition was Bone Marrow Transplant. It was very expensive, but my parents still paid for it. That was the easy part.
For the treatment criteria, I needed someone else’s Bone Marrow to replace mine. This person had to have Bone Marrow with an 100% match to mine in order for the treatment to be successful and the chances of this were very slim. The hospital’s next step was to search for a possible donor for me. In order to maintain this search, they had to be paid for their time and effort.
A year went by and no donor came along. At this point, our family entered a financial crisis. It was getting harder and harder to keep the roof over our heads and, at that point, I came to a decision. The treatment search had to stop. It was doing more harm than benefit and it was showing little success. I accepted the fate chosen for me. I accepted that there was no donor for me out there and that I should
leave this world in peace without ruining the lives of my parents as I left. That was the decision I had chosen.
A part of me wanted to live for longer, but there was a problem. It was too expensive.
My mom arranged the money yesterday, somehow, but I didn’t want to take the money knowing she got the money by probably selling the house or her precious belongings. I couldn’t try finding a donor with that money, especially if there was no sure definite treatment.
The only reasons for coming to these appointments now was to have a general blood transfusion. It eased the symptoms slightly, but gradually, the symptoms would come back with a roaring vengeance. And, soon enough, there would be a time when not even a blood transfusion would be able to help me.
That was why I accepted Aaron’s favour. I wanted to do something different and exciting before my time came. I had also accepted it for his mom. She only has a little time left and so did I. I understood how she was feeling. I wanted to do this for her.
The nurse returned with a prescription and told me to go home and rest. I nodded my head and made my way to the door.
I only had a little time left. Why should I spend it resting?
So, that is why I walked in the opposite direction of my house....
Aaron’s house.
********************************
The music was so loud, I could hear it as I walked up to the doorstep. I opened the door and looked around.
Couples and not couples were everywhere making out. On the sofas, on the stairs, against the walls.
Even on the floors.
People were dancing around me. How would I find Aaron in this mess of people? I walked away from the door, pushing through the people and into the living room.
There, I saw, Danny on a table, a whole bunch of people surrounding him, clapping and saying ‘Go Danny’, encouraging him as he stood on the table dancing away.
I rolled my eyes and turned around to look somewhere else. My eyes caught Justin who was sitting on the sofa. His eyes on his phone and a red cup in his hand, a look of discontent on his face.
Wherever the two idiots were, the last one was not far behind.
I looked around the room and I suddenly saw Aaron.
With a girl.
She was dancing against him, moving her hands in intricate patterns in the air whilst he stood there smirking, his hands placed on her hips.
Okay, I was angry. Half of it was because his carelessness could ruin our plan, but the rest of it was because he was so nonchalant about touching these girls intimately, but sounded so disgusted to have to sleep next to me in a platonic manner.
Thanks for blowing up my self esteem, Aaron.
“Are you following me?” A deep voice said from behind me.
I turned around to find Elliot leaning on a wall, smiling at me.
I laughed at his accusation.
“No, I’m here for the party, Einstein!” I said between laughs.
He stopped smiling and walked closer.
“I should make more jokes, so I can hear that nice laugh” he said, putting a loose hair behind my ear.
I blushed and turned my gaze to the floor.
“Would you like to dance?” He questioned me, a hopeful hint in his voice and although I had never done so, I couldn’t deny him.
“Well, if you insist.” I joked as he grabbed my hand, pulling me to him and started elegantly doing a waltz.
“My my my. Someone knows their dancing” I teased, but was impressed that he could waltz. I bet Aaron wouldn’t be able to dance like this.
Why was I comparing Elliot to Aaron?
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Elliot smiled at me.
“I don’t know how to dance. I just know how to treat the ladies” He said with a wink, making me laugh.
“What a gentlemen” I said, mocking a british accent like he did before.
He laughed, snorting at the end.
“My momma raised me with manners” He said, a smirk on his face.
“If you had manners, you wouldn’t have snorted in your laugh” I retorted, smirking back.
He feigned offence, his eyes going comically wide and his mouth forming an ‘o’ shape.
“Don’t diss the snort, Alex. The ladies tend to find it cute and attractive” He said jokingly.
I laughed in response.
“Uh-uh whatever you say, Sir Snorters” I said tauntingly.
He immediately pouted.
“Not that! Give me a better nickname” He whined. I thought for a while.
“I don’t know” I said, shrugging.
He dimmed for a minute, but immediately brightened.
“I know! Call me Eli” He said, excitedly.
I smiled. Trying it out on my tongue.
Eli
It suited him.
“Okay, fine, Eli it is” I smiled.
He smiled back and twirled me around and dipped me. His face turned serious
“Gorgeous” He whispered and he started to lean in...
I stayed still. Was he going to kiss me? The question at hand actually was...
Did I want him to kiss me?
His face was a few centimetres away from me now. His breath mingled with my own. It smelled like coffee beans. His lips were so close. They were nearly touching mine...
Until his phone rang.
He sighed in frustration and lifted me up, speaking into his phone. While he did that, I started to think.
Why did I do that? Well, technically I didn’t start it, but I didn’t try to end it either. Maybe, it was because a part of me actually wanted to kiss him. He made me smile so much, in the short time that I had known him. But, a strange part of me felt like I was cheating on Aaron. Even though, we weren’t going out.
Elliot hung up the phone and looked at me longingly.
“That was my mom. She’s going to a conference, so I have to go cook dinner for my little brother” He said sadly.
I smiled at him.
“Don’t worry about it, that’s a really sweet and nature thing to do. I’ll see you in school?” I asked, a blush on my face from how close we were before.
He smiled back, apologetically.
“Definitely” he said and, with one tight hug, he was gone.
I watched him leave and turned to look at Aaron who was now dancing with another girl and I grimaced at his non-commital nature. For him, it was like girls just grew on trees.
I smiled at the rowdy guy who passed drinks around the crowd and I smiled thankfully before grabbing a cup and downing the entire contents of the glass. It seared my throat like it was liquid fire and I felt the burning chills that ran up the length of my body and I scrunched my nose at the aftertaste.
Feeling slightly let down by my first party, I grabbed another and then another and then, suddenly, the party was starting to look more interesting. I looked around, marvelled by all the colours that seemed to stand out now, the vibrations of the pounding music now controlled my movements. I walking with a hop in my step, high-fiving a guy with ginger spiky hair on the way.
Who was he? I shook my head, I’m sure I’ll think of it.
My eyes lightened when my eyes landed on Aaron, but then immediately narrowed when remembering what he said about sleeping next to me. He had some explaining to do!
And, so I walked to him, stumbling along the way.
21- Am I Drunk Or Am I Sober?
“Yes, blood pressures normal now. Just keep drinking a lot of fluids and stay away from eating a lot of fatty food” The nurse told me.
I nodded my head showing I understood when, in actual fact, I didn’t care. I couldn’t find myself to care anymore.
I pulled my sleeves down and stood up from my seat, waiting for the nurse to dismiss me. I fidgeted with my fingers for awhile, looking around the room. The nurse fiddled with a few machines, taking notes down on a pad.
I bit my lip anxiously, hoping for the silence to end. Finally, she turned around to face me, con
cern evident on her face.
“I know, I’ve asked this everytime, honey, but I have to as part of the protocol. Are you sure we can’t be of further assistance?” She bent down towards my height, putting the notepad down on the chair besides me.
“Yes. I’m sure.” I breathed out confidently. I didn’t want anyone to question me right now, especially when I had made up my mind.
“I know, sweetie but, the thing with aplastic anaemia is that it is-”
“No, I don’t want to hear it again.” I cut in, not wanting to hear anymore explanation. I’ve had aplastic anaemia for a year now and I wasn’t going to change my mind.
“My treatment isn’t something we should use the money on now.”
She stood up fully back to her regular height, exhaling slowly.
“Well, if that’s what you want honey,” she picked up the notepad and walked back to the machines, not saying another word.
I was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anaemia when I had turned 13. Aplastic Anaemia was common and not as fatal, but some were severe cases and thus dubbed as SAA. A few hundred people in the US alone suffered from this
It was very slight, in its first years and I didn’t understand it’s calamity, until I was a bit older. When I was around 16, I began to learn more about my condition. It turns out that the only possible treatment for my condition was Bone Marrow Transplant. It was very expensive, but my parents still paid for it. That was the easy part.
For the treatment criteria, I needed someone else’s Bone Marrow to replace mine. This person had to have Bone Marrow with an 100% match to mine in order for the treatment to be successful and the chances of this were very slim. The hospital’s next step was to search for a possible donor for me. In order to maintain this search, they had to be paid for their time and effort.
A year went by and no donor came along. At this point, our family entered a financial crisis. It was getting harder and harder to keep the roof over our heads and, at that point, I came to a decision. The treatment search had to stop. It was doing more harm than benefit and it was showing little success. I accepted the fate chosen for me. I accepted that there was no donor for me out there and that I should leave this world in peace without ruining the lives of my parents as I left. That was the decision I had chosen.
Faker Boy (Alexis Secret Book 1) Page 8