They say I won't make it. That they're sorry, but it can't be stopped or helped. Of course they tried, but it didn't do any good. All it did was make my body soggy and bald.

"Honey-"

"Just go."

My parents aren't helping at all. They just make me feel miserable. And ugly.

Yes, I feel ugly. And I look ugly, too. Even if I am, or was, a tomboy, I still care about my looks. And it really hurts to know that I can't be pretty.

I wish I could go outside. I wish I could be like everyone else. But those days are gone. I'm trapped inside, chained to my bed.

I just wanted to live my life. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to make friends with everyone. But most of all, I wanted to impress him. I know that all the girls in our school are dying to impress him, but I wanted that more than all of them put together. He always knew how to push all my buttons just right to make me want to simply kill him.

But at the same time, I loved him. He was perfect. Uchiha Sasuke was perfect.

And I almost got up the courage to tell him how I felt. But then this happened. And now look at me. I'm awful just to see. Imagine how I feel on the inside.

Like crap, that's what.

You know, I've hated a lot of things in my life. I've hated my parents. I've hated butterflies. I've hated cupcakes. I've hated all of the girls in my class. But nothing can compare to this. Compare to how much I hate this.

I hate cancer.

"Honey, he's here to see you."

I sighed. "I don't want him to see me like this."

"I know, sweetie."

I closed my eyes. "Send him in," I whispered.

As I kept my eyes closed, I heard the squeaking of shoes stepping closer to the door of the hospital room. The door creaked open, and the squeaking stopped.

"Azami."

I opened my eyes to see him standing in front of my bed, looking surprised. Or frightened. I couldn't really tell.

I looked away from him. I couldn't stand to see him looking at me like that. It was the first time he'd seen me after I'd lost my hair.

"I know. It's horrible. I look like such-" my voice faltered. "A freak."

He stepped closer to my bed and set something on it. I looked up to see a bundle of flowers setting on the covers of the bed. Well, I kind of lied. They weren't just flowers. They were roses. Red roses.

I gasped. No one, and I mean no one, had ever brought me flowers. Not even my parents. It made me feel funny inside. Like something was bouncing up and down inside my chest.

It felt, oddly, good.

"You don't look like a freak," I heard him say. "Just different. That's all."

I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks. "Th-thanks," I stuttered.

He sat down in the chair next to my bed and put his elbow on the arm-rest, resting his cheek on his fist. His raven black hair fell in front of his eyes. I couldn't help but notice how perfect he looked.

This then made me think of how horrible I looked compared to him. I frowned, realizing that I had absolutely no chance with him whatsoever in the state I was in at that moment.

"What is it?" he asked in a monotone.

I sighed. "I... I need to sleep. Rest," I lied.

He nodded as if he understood. "All right, I'll come by later," he said as he made his way out the door, leaving without even a simple 'goodbye'.

I sunk lower into the bed, closing my eyes and wondering what Sasuke was thinking. Sure we'd been friends before I got cancer, but he'd never really... you know. Been there for me. Or cared about me. At least, not like he does now.

Ever since I got cancer, he's constantly been coming to the hospital; checking up on me, asking me how I was doing, caring. It's been...

Nice, to say the least.

And his company always made me forget about all of this stuff. Forget I had cancer.

And he was the one who forced me to stay, right when I felt like giving up.

I'll never forget that.

"Hey."

I looked up to see him again. I smiled.

"Hi."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, forcing a portion of the bed to squish down. He looked at the flowers he had brought me earlier, already placed in a vase on my bedside table.

"I've never gotten flowers before," I said, breaking the long pause of silence. "They're beautiful." He didn't say anything. He just stayed silent, like before.

Suddenly, he got up off the bed and walked over to the window. I was on the fourth floor, meaning the room had a great view of the city.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke asked.

"Fine, I-"

He cut me off. "I didn't mean it like that. How do you feel, knowing that you're going to die?"

I looked down. "I don't really know. It makes me kind of sad, I guess." I paused. "I won't know what I missed after I'm gone."

He turned back around and looked at me curiously. "Aren't you scared?"

I shrugged nervously. "No, not really." It felt horrible lying to him. "I-"

He cut me off again. "It's not like it matters anyways. You're going to die, and that's just it then."

There was a long pause. I kept thinking if I should tell him what I really felt. About dying. I didn't want him to think that I was a loser though. If I told him, I mean.

But I did it anyways.

"Sasuke, I lied," I said slowly.

He got a suddenly confused look on his face. I only sighed. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Yes?"

"Sasuke, I... am scared. Actually, I'm terrified. I don't want to die. I want to live. I want to be here, and be with you. I don't want to leave here." I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my head on them. I wrapped my arms around my knees, and then, I just kind of...

I started crying, as much as I hate to admit it. I must have looked like such an idiot. All I wanted to do was be strong for Sasuke. To have him think that I could handle anything. Instead, I had him think the exact opposite. That I was a crybaby and that I was weak.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. It surprised me, knowing that Uchiha Sasuke was holding me. Comforting me.

"It's all right," he whispered. "You don't have to hold it in all the time. For most people, I would think that they know nothing of pain, and should have no reason to show the emotion of sadness. But for you," he paused, choosing his words carefully, "It's okay to cry sometimes. I won't think any less of you."

Through my tears, I let out one of the brightest smiles I ever have in my life. "Thank you."

"Help!"

"Someone get Dr. Tsunade!"

"She's having trouble breathing!"

I opened my eyes, seeing so many people surrounding me. I looked to each of their faces, not seeing the one I was looking for. The one I was hoping for. I closed my eyes, feeling myself loose grip of the small shred of hope I had left.

"Clear!" I heard someone shout. A sudden jolt of electricity was shot through my body. Every two seconds, the shock went through me again. It was one of the worst feelings I had ever felt in my life. Soon, it would most likely be the last.

"I'm alive!" I felt like crying. "Someone, please know that I'm alive!"

But it was hopeless, and I knew it. Completely—

"Where is she?!" I heard someone shout. My eyes shot open. I'd know that voice anywhere. I looked to the front of the room, only to see doctors and nurses forcing him out. But he didn't give up. He pushed past them, shouting my name.

"Azami!"

I could feel a smile creeping onto my lips, just knowing he was there with me. My eyes closed.

Suddenly, the shocks stopped. I could hear faint murmurs of doctors telling each other that I would never regain consciousness, and that I was dead.

All I heard was the clicking of heels on the linoleum floor.

And the squeaking of sneakers stepping closer to me. A warm hand placed itself on my cold shoulder.

"Azami," Sasuke's voice murmured. "I know you can't hear me. I know you're dead."

I could feel myself slipping away.

"But I wanted you to know that," he paused. "I love you."

The last think I remember thinking before I moved on was a feeling of relief wash over me. The one thing that I'd wanted more than anything was to hear him say those three small words. And say them to me.

And he did.

I smiled to myself, and faded away into black.