When I wake up the next morning my mother is already gone. A note lies on the counter, telling me she won't be back until late and that there are leftovers in the fridge. I throw the paper out and go back upstairs to get dressed. I put on a plain white v-neck top and dark jean shorts. The white shirt almost blends in with my pale skin, but I don't care anymore.

As I enter the living room there is a knock on my door. I glance at the clock; it's eight in the morning. We never have visitors, especially at this hour. I take a deep breath and walk slowly up to the door as they knock again. I open it up and stare at the boy on my porch, his hands behind his back shyly.

"What the fuck?" I ask.

He looks taken aback at my words and brushes the side of his neck, "Uh, Ally?"

I nod slowly and keep my eyes on him, "I'm…" he starts but I cut him off.

"I know who you are." I say harshly.

He smirks, "This is not how I am normally greeted."

"Well I don't enjoy when a pop star randomly shows up on my doorstep." I say, "Says no one ever." He adds with a smile.

I raise an eyebrow at him, clearly irritated. "I say."

He crosses his arms, "Oh. You're serious. You didn't know I was coming?"

"No." I say.

"And you're unhappy with me being here?"

I nod and he looks at me, confused, "But your friend…"

"Went behind my back and arranged this against my will."

"Oh… I'm sorry." He says.

I sigh, "You didn't know."

"Well since I'm here… Can I stay?"

I look him over and my heart aches. He's even more attractive in person and I mean he's right here in front of me, but that's only because he feels bad for me. All I wanted was to meet him like a normal teenage girl at a concert.

"I guess."

I gesture for him to come in and shut the door after he enters. I walk into the kitchen with him close behind and he takes a seat at the counter. I grab two water bottles out of the fridge and hand him one. This is just too weird, too casual.

"Where are your body guards?"

"They are in the car."

"What if I was a murderer?" I ask.

He laughs, "They trust you."

"Or maybe they figure some sick kid isn't a threat."

He pales a bit and unscrews the cap from his water, "You don't look sick."

"Thanks… I think."

He smiles, "I mean you look good."

I blush and look down at my bottle, "Thanks." I mumble.

"You have a very nice house." He says, looking around.

"Thanks, it's not hard to get a house messy when you are never home."

He nods, "Were you in the hospital a lot?"

I nod, "I was diagnosed when I was fourteen. So I've been in and out of the hospital for the past four years."

"That must be really rough." He says, scanning my face. And for some reason I believe him. I believe that he's not just making conversation. Or maybe he's a really good actor.

"It is. But I really just feel bad for my mom." I say, taking a seat next to him. He spins his chair around to face me, "Why?"

"Because she has to deal with this too, it doesn't just change my life, but it changes hers; bringing me to the hospital, staying with me, medical bills."

He nods, "That's true. But you are the one that deals with the worst of it."

"That's true, but she has to deal with the after part."

His expression turns into confusion, "After part?"

"She will be left alone when I die."

He shakes his head, "Well you shouldn't think about it that way. You could always get better."

I nod as I realize that he doesn't know my true condition. Which I guess is a plus; he didn't come here because he thinks I'm dying. He came here because he thinks I'm sick and that I want to meet him.

"So what's it like to be famous?" I ask him.

He laughs, "It sure has its perks."

"I bet." I say, taking a sip of my water. I suddenly feel dizzy, and I set my water bottle down too close to the edge and it falls off. I hold on to the edge of the table until my dizzy spells.

"Hey are you okay?" Austin asks, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I nod, "I'm okay now I was just a bit dizzy."

"Does that happen a lot?"

I shake my head, "No, but nothing is impossible."

"Well do you want to just watch some movies?"

I tilt my head to the side and look him over, "This is just way too weird."

"What is?" he questions.

I laugh, "Just going to casually watch movies with Austin Moon."

He laughs too, "Well I feel like I can be casual around you."

I smile, "Do you not normally feel that way when you do this?"

"Do what?" he asks.

"Visit sick kids."

"I usually go to the hospital and visit with them; I've never done this before."

"You didn't have to do this." I admit, standing up. He watches me carefully like I may fall down. I pat myself on the chest, "I'm fine."

"I wanted to do this." He says, and follows me into the living room. We have a flat screen television with a huge selection of DVDs I've collected over the years. There's not much else to do when you're cooped up in a hospital room.

"Want to watch this?" I ask, holding up the movie Divergent.

"Sure. I've wanted to see it. I don't have much time to go to the movies or anything, with tour and all."

I nod and set put set the CD in and sit next to him on the couch, "How did you have time to visit me?"

"I cleared my schedule for you." He says, smiling.

I roll my eyes, "Sure. And I purposely got cancer so I could get a personal visit from you."

"Ouch." He says.

"I'm just messing around." I tell him, punching him in the arm.

After the movie is over we go back into the kitchen and I make us turkey sandwiches. I nibble at mine while he takes large bites of his. Even the way he chews is attractive. Ugh, how annoying.

"You make good sandwiches." He says.

"Don't get used to it." I tease and he smiles.

"I hope I am doing your wish justice." He says, popping the last bit of food into his month.

"Well I mean it isn't really fair that I didn't choose this. I mean I could have gone sky diving or to New York City…" I start and he looks genuinely upset. I look at him confused.

"So you really didn't want to meet me?" He asks.

"I don't like when people feel bad for me. I don't even like telling people that I'm sick. I wanted to meet you under different circumstances."

"Well unfortunately this is the circumstance. It doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy it." He says, "I mean, look at me."

I roll my eyes, "Yeah yeah."

He smiles, "You're beautiful by the way."

I shake my head, "No way."

"Way." He argues.

"You should have seen me before." I say, "Guys actually liked me when I was in middle school. I was decent looking."

He laughs, "Whatever you say. What are we going to do next?"

"Uh I don't know. I could show you my room I guess." I say, shrugging.

"Sure." He says.

As we walk up the stairs, I feel him close behind me, "Hope you don't have me all over your walls. That'd just be embarrassing for you."

I laugh, "No sorry, not even one picture." I say as I open the door, revealing my plain room. The walls are white and there's nothing hanging on them. My purple flowered bedspread is the only colorful thing. I walk over and take a seat at the end of my bed as Austin looks around, "Very tidy." He says.

"Well I haven't spent much time in here in a while."

"That's right, I'm sorry." He says, taking a seat on my fuzzy chair.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." I say.

"So your friend Trish, you two must be close?"

I nod, "Yes. She's the only one that has stuck by me through everything."

"She's the only one?" He asks.

I nod, "Yeah and you know I don't really blame them. Why should they be burdened?"

"You aren't a burden." He says.

"Austin Austin Austin… You don't even know me."

"I know that no one should consider you a burden."

I shrug, "This world is fucked up Austin."

"I know." He says.

He pulls lightly at his red tee shirt and looks at me from across the room. I stare back at him curiously until he sighs, looking down at his phone that he just grabbed from his pocket. "What is it?" I ask.

"My manager, I was only supposed to stay until three."

I look at the clock and it's almost six, I laugh, "A little late?"

"Yeah I ignored his other texts."

"Why?"

He flips his phone around in his hands, "Because I have enjoyed hanging out with you."

I blush and look down at my boring carpet, "I've had a good time."

"Yeah for someone who didn't want to meet me." He teases.

I look back at him and shake my head, "Well thank you for coming." I say, standing up.

He stands up too and walks up to me, staring down at my tiny frame. I look up at him shyly and he smiles, "I'm glad I did." He says and pulls me to him in a hug. I freeze against his chest, and he pulls away a little bit, his arms still wrapped around me, "You know you want to." He says and I laugh, loosing up and hugging him back. I can't believe how good he smells, like heaven.

He lets go of me and shoves his hands in his pockets, "I hope everything works out for you." He says and I almost forgot what he meant. I almost forget for a moment, in that hug, that I was even sick. A knot forms in my stomach and I nod, "Thank you."

He turns around then and walks to the door. He stops in front of it and turns around once more to smile and wave. I bite my lip and wave back until he's out of sight. I walk up to my door and shut it quietly. I turn my back on it and slide down into a seated position and lean my head against the door. How can something so wonderful still feel so bad?

I meant Austin Moon, one of the most famous boys on earth, and we hung out like we've known each other for years. It just felt so normal, and wonderful. And for the first time in years I felt like a normal girl. Not someone who's dying. Unfortunately, like life, that happiness was only temporary.

I bite my lip harder to stop the tears from falling. I just want to be normal.