P.O.V. Hazel Grace
I can't breathe and it's awful. Let me tell you. My name is Hazel Grace Lancaster and I have the terminal illness they call cancer. I was diagnosed when I was just 13 years old. Started in my thyroid and now metastasis if forming in my lungs. To sum it all up: my lungs suck at being lungs. The doctors tell me a lung transplant isn't a very good idea, as much as I try to convince them to get on board with it.
My mom is trying to convince me I'm depressed. I don't even have any symptoms of depression. Her idea of depression is equal to my idea of a cancer-struck teen that loves to watch America's Next Top Model series over and over again and re-reading "An Imperial Affliction" by Peter Van Houten. He's my ultimate role-model. He's the only person who understands what it's like to be dying, without actually DYING. I've written him hundreds of times, but he has never responded. They put me another medication, which doesn't really make a difference because I already take what seems like 100 doses of pills a day. So…whatever. All I want to do is go home, take a nice hot bath and snuggle in my cozy bed, watching America's Next Top Model, and then fall asleep while reading "An Imperial Affliction." I mean, come on is that so much to ask?
After I turned 17, I made a profile on ' .' I figured, as long as I'm going to die within a matter of days, weeks, months, or years, might as well try to find true love. Under info, I put: Female, 17 years old, Thyroid and lung cancer, Roll around a oxygen tank (named Philip), Short brown hair, Light brown eyes, An Imperial Affliction, America's Next Top Model, NO CREEPY GUYS, OR FAKE GUYS: seriously. Of course I didn't put a picture of my self, but a picture of my stuffed blue bear, Bluie.
Within a matter of 10 minutes a 'Meet Request' appears. I click on it and the name Augustus Waters appears. There is no picture of him, which gives me the instant thought that he is fake or at least 100 years old, but I respond anyway. He said he is 17, had osteosarcoma, but then had him leg amputated so he is now cancer-free. He said that I'm sure to be beautiful, although I am not sure what you look like yet. He says 'let's chat sometime and maybe meet up somewhere in the near future? Love, Gus'
Wow. A gentleman, almost my age, once had cancer, doesn't even know what I look like and called me beautiful…he could be the one! I look up the name 'Augustus Waters' on Google and click images. Now, I am frightened. Multiple pictures of old guys show up. They all say Augustus Waters: 60 or Augustus Waters: 75. To make it worst, they all seem to live in my state of Indiana.
Oh Dang.
What if an old guy is hitting on me…this could be bad, very bad. I'm confused though. He said he was 17. I looked on his profile and it described him as light blue eyes and mahogany hair. Well, I'm just going to hope for the best. I mean seriously, who else is going to respond to a girl who has cancer and put a stuffed animal as their profile picture on a dating site!
