The vending machine

She was kicking a vending machine when he met her. He had been walking through the blindingly white halls of the local hospital, avoiding his mum when he heard a great banging echoing down the corridor.

Curious, he walked towards the sound to find a teenage girl (about his age) kicking a vending machine with such gusto that it sent her brown curls flying around her face.

She was so enthused, in fact, that she did not notice him standing next to her.

After a few moments (and a particularly jarring kick to the machine and grunt from the girl) he cleared his throat.

"Hey, uh,"

She did not appear to hear him however, and continued to beat up the machine.

"Uh, excuse me," he said a little louder, moving closer to her.

When she still gave no reply, he tried again. "OI, LADY!"

She paused in mid kick and turned to face him, her chocolate brown eyes wide, her lips slightly parted.

"Huh?" she said, dazed at how close the boy had gotten without her noticing.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"Oh. I want a Coke." She said, as if it were obvious.

"And you're kicking the vending machine, why?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

She sighed, irritated. "Because the damn machine is jammed. I put two bucks in there and I didn't get my Coke, so either one's gotta budge if I kick it long enough, won't it?"

"Why can't you just except defeat like a normal person would, and walk away?" he asked, smirking.

She scowled, "Because then the vending machine would win. I can't let that happen." She shuddered at the thought.

"Let me try." He suggested.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, like a scrawny boy like you could possibly manage to out kick me. Puh-lease."

"Watch me." He grinned. "May I?" he gestured towards the vending machine.

She rolled her eyes but moved aside all the same.

He stepped towards the machine and inspected it for a moment before banging the coin slot with his fist.

It rattled and the sound of metal clanging against the machine's insides clattered noisily.

A moment later, a can of Coke appeared out the slot of the machine. He bent down and picked it up, handing it to her, grinning triumphantly.

She scowled, but took the can all the same. "I loosened it up for you," she mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"Sure, sure," he said mockingly, "and I'm a mutant bird kid who lives in an E-shaped house."

He chuckled as her scowl deepened. She looked cute when she was pissed off.

"So, am I gonna get a thank you? Any sign of gratitude for performing this life changing act?"

"Fine," she said through clenched teeth. She looked at her shoes and mumbled something inaudible.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." He said, cupping a hand around his ear and turning his head so that his ear was facing her. "Could you repeat that please?"

"Thank you," she said a little louder.

"Pardon?"

"THANK YOU!" she roared, her voice resonating throughout the corridors.

Her cheeks reddened as she realized how loudly she had spoken.

"There, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" he said, sarcastically.

"Whatevs," she said, popping the can of Coke open and drinking deeply from it for several moments.

"Aaaaah!" she exclaimed, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. "That's the stuff."

She looked back at him, "You know, I feel kinda bad that you helped me and all. Hey, you know what I'm gonna do? Since I'm an awesome, selfless, generous, thoughtful person and all, (he snorted here, but she ignored him) I'll buy you a drink. On me. How does that sound, huh?"

"Wow. Sacrificing two whole dollars on moi? I will forever be in your debt." He rolled his eyes, "I think I'll pass on that one."

"Oh, come on. Just take it. It's the least I can do, I mean, if it wasn't for you, that dratted vending machine would have beaten me and I would have forever been burdened with the shame. Just think! Not being able to walk past a vending machine again without it reminding me of how I lost my pride." The pitch of her voice had risen in a steady crescendo of mock hysteria.

"Fine. I'll take one." He rolled his eyes again as she handed him a coin. "Jeez, woman. You're so persistent." He slid the coin in and pressed a button.

"You know it, bro." she said, but smiled all the same.

The can clanked down to the slot and he started to reach down to get it.

"Here, I'll get it for you." She bent down quicker and grabbed the can. "Diet Coke? What are you, a girl?" she asked, handing it to him.

"I didn't ask you to comment on my choice of beverage." He said, scowling, "If I choose chemicals over calories, I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Urrgh, don't even get me started on that. The girls in my ward are all anoriexic bitches – won't shut up about calories and fat and omigosh are there calories in toothpaste and blah blah blah. Lissa woke me up at three in the morning doing star jumps!" she ranted, her eyes flaming, "And the other day, Brigid was arguing with the nurse about how the smell of my waffles was giving her unwanted calories and how I should have to eat in the next room. Gosh! So annoying. I can't wait to get out of this place."

"Wait, so you're a patient here?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah, see?" she said, lifting her sleeve to reveal a plastic hospital bracelet.

"Oh, so what are you in here? You don't have anore-"

"Eww, no! I'm only roommates with those skinny-ass girls cos we're around the same age. But personally, I'd rather bunk with the littlies. So cute!"

"So, uh what are you in for?"

"Oh, I've got a case of the ol' chronic lymphoid leukemia."

"Uh, what?"

"Well basically, some cells in my bone marrow went crazy and bred like rabbits, and now my healthy cells are getting crowded out."

"Huh?"

She rolled her eyes, "Dude, I've got cancer."

"Oh. Um, I'm sorry?"

"Nah, don't be. Even though I had to move away from my hometown so I could live near an actual hospital, leaving behind all my friends and most of my family doesn't mean that I should think negatively." She said, smiling. "I gotta stay positive! I'm really quite lucky. And I might be going into remission soon so I'll be able to go to school, instead of doing endless amounts of homework from the internet."

"Maybe you'll come to my school." He said hopefully, trying not to look desperate (she didn't have to know that he didn't have any friends and that he was the school loner).

"Yeah, maybe." She grinned. "What school –"

"MAXINE RIDE! PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR ROOM. YOU HAVE A BLOOD TEST. MAXINE RIDE!" A speaker crackled from the ceiling, echoing loudly.

"Oops," she said, hitting her forehead, "forgot about that one. Catch you later, yeah?" she said, running down the corridor.

"Okay, see ya." He said, though his heart sank terribly because he knew chances were he'd never see her again.

"Hey, what was your name again?" she paused at the end of the corridor, shouting so he could hear her.

"I didn't give it." He shouted back, then hesitated, wondering what she'd think about him. "It's Fang." He said finally, wincing in preparation for her laugh. But it never came.

"Cool," she shouted. "I'm Max –"

"MAXINE RIDE! I REPEAT! PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR ROOM. YOU HAVE A BLOOD TEST! MAXINE RIDE!"

"Whoops! Gotta run. See ya, Fang! Thanks for the Coke!" And with that, she turned a corner, her brown curls flying out behind her.

"See you, Max." Fang said quietly, but she was already long gone.

Dear reader,

The plot of this story is going to be sort of complicated; don't know if my head can manage it (probably will forget some important detail and mess it all up).

There are some issues I want to address with this story, but I don't know if I can do it well enough that it makes sense.

I'm going to try harder with this story, but please excuse me if I make any mistakes.

I'm not perfect.

Contrary to popular belief.

Sayonara,

Necrophobia :)