Kiss Me Again
Ain't It Fun?
*Two weeks later*
“He’ll come around. It’s Alex. I know he will.” I shrug my shoulders.
“It’s whatever Jack.” He rolls his eyes.
“Sure it is. Now, are you sure you can breathe on your own for about three minutes?” he asked. I nodded.
“I got this.” I whisper. Jack stands in front of me and takes the tubes from my nose and hands them to the director. The fresh air hits me so hard, I had to resist the urge to gag.
“Next.” I smile as Jack and I step forward as we get strapped onto the roller coaster. I know out of all the things, I shouldn’t be on a roller coaster. But I only have so long to live and I don’t want to spend it at home.
“Here we go.” Jack bounces his knees. I nod, saving my breath. The coaster lurches forward and it begins to go uphill. I suppress a smile as I fumble for Jack's hand. “Maria! Are. You. Ready?!” he yells. I open my mouth to say maybe when it stops. And suddenly we’re speeding downhill.
“Ahhh!” I scream closing my eyes. It lurches to the left and around a small curve before going down further. I hold my breath as suddenly, we’re traveling up hill.
“HOLY SHIT!” Jack yells as he sees the giant drop ahead. The coaster doesn’t stop but goes straight down a twenty feet drop. I open my mouth and legit scream.
“OH MY GOD!” the roller coaster takes all these twists and turns, making the people who haven’t already scream, scream their heads off and then next thing you know, we’re going around another curve to the upcoming tunnel of water waiting for us.
Jack removes his hands and sticks them up in the air and I copy his actions as we get sprayed with water.
At the end of the ride, Jack hops out with ease and I remain in my seat. I couldn’t feel anything. I can’t believe that just happened. Jack helps me out and the director hands me my oxygen tank. I wave it off for a minute, just enjoying how normal that felt.
Once I’m placed back on the oxygen, Jack and I continue to walk around.
“Was that not fun?” he practically squealed.
“It was.” I can’t deny that it was not fun. I haven’t been to a fair since I was little. It’s the perfect distraction and it was totally fun. For the next hour or so, Jack and I try games, eat funnel cake and cotton candy, met some fans, and over all, just acted like teenagers.
That night, I lay in bed and for the first time in a while, I wore a smile to bed.
The next morning, the excessive banging at my door brought me out of my sleep. I yawned and checked the time, it was barely five in the morning. I turned off the machine and hooked myself to the tank and walked down the stairs, tumbling every now and then into a wall because I wasn’t fully awake.
I opened the door and yawned again.
“Can I help you?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“Yes.” I snapped my eyes right open and saw Alex standing in my doorway. I gulped and stared. I was shocked. Alex had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me so I had tried to forget about him.
Tried. I failed though because Alex is the one guy who meant, means, anything to me.
“Come walk with me.” I noticed how he avoided to say my name. whether he was unsure to call me Maria and risk memories or call me Mary knowing that’s not my name.
It wasn’t that cold so it wasn’t that bad that I only had on my PJ bottoms and a tank top. At least I had on my slippers. Alex, on the other hand, was dressed in jeans, shades, and a t-shirt.
I knew where we were heading. The path lead to the coffee shop that I had met Alex in about a month ago. He climbed up the rail and helped me up and it brought a smile on my face.
The place was closed. It opens at five and we still had ten minutes until then.
We sit in what I felt was a very awkward silence. None of us knowing what to say. I pulled out my phone and texted Jack.
Alex is less than an arm’s reach away from me. what is he doin here??? – M
Beats me. haven’t heard from him – J
“There’s a quote everyone knows about; "Whenever you lose something, it always comes back to you. Just not in the way you expect it to be.". it’s kinda ironic how this situation goes with that.” he finally spoke, lifting his legs up and crossing on the table.
I remained silent because for once, I don’t know what to say that can make any of this better. I admit, I might’ve ruined their lives, but never, never intentionally.
“Maria, I went to the adoption agency that you went to after your parents were arrested and….I’m sorry we didn’t believe you, that I didn’t believe you.” I cringed a bit. I leaned my head down on the table.
I should be happy. But suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to just close my eyes and make Alex disappear.
“Well, say something,” Alex pleaded. I lifted my head up and opened my mouth, but instead of words coming out, a throaty burp came out. I clasped my hands over my mouth with wide eyes as Alex began laughing at me.
I could feel my face turning red in utter embarrassment.
“Shut-” another burp came and I dropped my head onto my arms as Alex’s laugh got louder. “Alex.” I snapped. It was quiet.
Then Alex farted and I bust out in giggles as I burped again, causing Alex to laugh even harder.
The reason for my burping came from my recent trip to the hospital, I just didn’t expect for it to be this bad. I stood up from the table and leaned over the rail, my laugh carrying on over in the quiet night.
“God, we’re a hot mess.” Alex spoke. I heard his chair scrape with the pavement as he got up. “Is there any way to move past this?” he asked, leaning next to me.
“We start all over again.” I whispered. Alex turned to look at me and I saw it. I saw the man I fell in love with so many years ago and the one I’m still in love with. “We can be the same two reckless teenagers. Just one’s a famous rock star and one’s a dying cancer patient.”
“Well then, do I have the honors, to make you fall in love with this famous rock star?” he asked.
“It depends, are you ready to deal with a cancer patient who in the end, might just die on you?” I look Alex in the eye and I saw how nervous he was. Maybe it was the small part of him that was scared because he knew I’m going to die.
“I’ll try. No promises I won’t cry.” And when the clock struck five, Alex and I had relived the past like nothing had ever happened over two chocolate latte’s.
“He’ll come around. It’s Alex. I know he will.” I shrug my shoulders.
“It’s whatever Jack.” He rolls his eyes.
“Sure it is. Now, are you sure you can breathe on your own for about three minutes?” he asked. I nodded.
“I got this.” I whisper. Jack stands in front of me and takes the tubes from my nose and hands them to the director. The fresh air hits me so hard, I had to resist the urge to gag.
“Next.” I smile as Jack and I step forward as we get strapped onto the roller coaster. I know out of all the things, I shouldn’t be on a roller coaster. But I only have so long to live and I don’t want to spend it at home.
“Here we go.” Jack bounces his knees. I nod, saving my breath. The coaster lurches forward and it begins to go uphill. I suppress a smile as I fumble for Jack's hand. “Maria! Are. You. Ready?!” he yells. I open my mouth to say maybe when it stops. And suddenly we’re speeding downhill.
“Ahhh!” I scream closing my eyes. It lurches to the left and around a small curve before going down further. I hold my breath as suddenly, we’re traveling up hill.
“HOLY SHIT!” Jack yells as he sees the giant drop ahead. The coaster doesn’t stop but goes straight down a twenty feet drop. I open my mouth and legit scream.
“OH MY GOD!” the roller coaster takes all these twists and turns, making the people who haven’t already scream, scream their heads off and then next thing you know, we’re going around another curve to the upcoming tunnel of water waiting for us.
Jack removes his hands and sticks them up in the air and I copy his actions as we get sprayed with water.
At the end of the ride, Jack hops out with ease and I remain in my seat. I couldn’t feel anything. I can’t believe that just happened. Jack helps me out and the director hands me my oxygen tank. I wave it off for a minute, just enjoying how normal that felt.
Once I’m placed back on the oxygen, Jack and I continue to walk around.
“Was that not fun?” he practically squealed.
“It was.” I can’t deny that it was not fun. I haven’t been to a fair since I was little. It’s the perfect distraction and it was totally fun. For the next hour or so, Jack and I try games, eat funnel cake and cotton candy, met some fans, and over all, just acted like teenagers.
That night, I lay in bed and for the first time in a while, I wore a smile to bed.
The next morning, the excessive banging at my door brought me out of my sleep. I yawned and checked the time, it was barely five in the morning. I turned off the machine and hooked myself to the tank and walked down the stairs, tumbling every now and then into a wall because I wasn’t fully awake.
I opened the door and yawned again.
“Can I help you?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“Yes.” I snapped my eyes right open and saw Alex standing in my doorway. I gulped and stared. I was shocked. Alex had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me so I had tried to forget about him.
Tried. I failed though because Alex is the one guy who meant, means, anything to me.
“Come walk with me.” I noticed how he avoided to say my name. whether he was unsure to call me Maria and risk memories or call me Mary knowing that’s not my name.
It wasn’t that cold so it wasn’t that bad that I only had on my PJ bottoms and a tank top. At least I had on my slippers. Alex, on the other hand, was dressed in jeans, shades, and a t-shirt.
I knew where we were heading. The path lead to the coffee shop that I had met Alex in about a month ago. He climbed up the rail and helped me up and it brought a smile on my face.
The place was closed. It opens at five and we still had ten minutes until then.
We sit in what I felt was a very awkward silence. None of us knowing what to say. I pulled out my phone and texted Jack.
Alex is less than an arm’s reach away from me. what is he doin here??? – M
Beats me. haven’t heard from him – J
“There’s a quote everyone knows about; "Whenever you lose something, it always comes back to you. Just not in the way you expect it to be.". it’s kinda ironic how this situation goes with that.” he finally spoke, lifting his legs up and crossing on the table.
I remained silent because for once, I don’t know what to say that can make any of this better. I admit, I might’ve ruined their lives, but never, never intentionally.
“Maria, I went to the adoption agency that you went to after your parents were arrested and….I’m sorry we didn’t believe you, that I didn’t believe you.” I cringed a bit. I leaned my head down on the table.
I should be happy. But suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to just close my eyes and make Alex disappear.
“Well, say something,” Alex pleaded. I lifted my head up and opened my mouth, but instead of words coming out, a throaty burp came out. I clasped my hands over my mouth with wide eyes as Alex began laughing at me.
I could feel my face turning red in utter embarrassment.
“Shut-” another burp came and I dropped my head onto my arms as Alex’s laugh got louder. “Alex.” I snapped. It was quiet.
Then Alex farted and I bust out in giggles as I burped again, causing Alex to laugh even harder.
The reason for my burping came from my recent trip to the hospital, I just didn’t expect for it to be this bad. I stood up from the table and leaned over the rail, my laugh carrying on over in the quiet night.
“God, we’re a hot mess.” Alex spoke. I heard his chair scrape with the pavement as he got up. “Is there any way to move past this?” he asked, leaning next to me.
“We start all over again.” I whispered. Alex turned to look at me and I saw it. I saw the man I fell in love with so many years ago and the one I’m still in love with. “We can be the same two reckless teenagers. Just one’s a famous rock star and one’s a dying cancer patient.”
“Well then, do I have the honors, to make you fall in love with this famous rock star?” he asked.
“It depends, are you ready to deal with a cancer patient who in the end, might just die on you?” I look Alex in the eye and I saw how nervous he was. Maybe it was the small part of him that was scared because he knew I’m going to die.
“I’ll try. No promises I won’t cry.” And when the clock struck five, Alex and I had relived the past like nothing had ever happened over two chocolate latte’s.
The more we know.............. I wasn't expecting that at all.
6/10/14